What I Believe

God is Great, God is Good….

Friends, family and my dear writing group have all said to stay away from religion and politics in my essays.  But here I am, a moderately progressive Christian woman in a moderately progressive Muslim nation, ruled by sheiks.  I could tell you about the flora and fauna, and certainly will.  But I’m really interested in the mix of people in Dubai, and it’s hard to separate lifestyle from religion in a place where the call to prayer sounds 5 times a day. 

I have a diverse list of friends and likely readers of this blog.  You cover the spectrum, from liberal to conservative, urban and rural, Muslim, Jew, Christian, Atheist, and Agnostic.  And that’s okay – we can care for each other and learn from each other when we respect the right to be different.  I’ve been planning this entry for several months, feeling it important to state my beliefs from the beginning.  Otherwise half of my readers will think I’m being intolerant with my observations, while the other half worries that I’m becoming a Muslim.  ;-)

First, I believe that the Creator of this beautiful world must love diversity.  If God didn’t find joy in our many ways of being, we wouldn’t have such a variety of looks, languages, mind-sets, foods, clothing, and dance styles.  Appreciating God’s miraculous craftsmanship and dexterity makes me happy.

From talking with people, I have noticed that each seems to have a unique combination of religious beliefs, regardless of background or group identity.  I believe that’s okay, because God is multi-dimensional and ‘great,’ able to encompass most of the religious beliefs in the world.  Each of us sees only small facets of the Deity, but we can learn more by peering through the lenses of other believers. 

(My friend Kim Williams illustrates this idea in sermon three of his fun book, Wishful Preaching:  Things I Wish I had said in the Pulpit available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ADSNP8I )

My way of following God has long been through the example and influence of Jesus.  My faith has been tested and questioned, and I keep coming back to the New Testament Gospels.  I feel that Jesus is active in my life and heart, and gives me joy, strength and comfort when life is difficult.  I believe this makes me a Christian.

But while I believe the Bible was divinely inspired, I know that human understanding is limited, and hundreds of people have influenced the words we interpret, as well as our religious practices and beliefs.  Some of those people were surely inspired by God, while others were swayed by politics.  This is why each human can read the words and listen to opinions of others, but must look into their own heart and find the way of worship that suits them best.  For some, this means loving the people around them and appreciating nature.  Others find God in a church, temple, or mosque. 

These differences are not a problem, if folks are searching for the way to Good, and not oppressing people who understand God differently.  I think that using religious belief as an excuse for violence or oppression is morally wrong.  And I don’t think any human alive can judge whether another is truly sanctified by God or not – that is an intimate knowledge between the individual and their Creator.  We can pray for each other, share information about our beliefs, and make constructive suggestions on how to live good lives and follow God’s will, but it’s hard enough to conjecture that Will for ourselves, much less another person.  I see nothing wrong with following a group’s beliefs and religious practices, as long as one feels led by the Good, and not forced.  These are my humble opinions.

Religion and politics have been entwined throughout human history.  Though our founding fathers may have tried to separate them in the US Constitution, religious beliefs have always been an important thread in the American fabric.  In many Muslim countries, they seem to be the fabric.

One reason I was a little nervous coming to Dubai, is because the Arab Muslim has replaced the Russian Communist as the boogeyman of the American psyche.  And while I do not blame the nearly 2 billion Muslims in the world for events like 9/11 any more than I blame a particular group for Oklahoma City, Tucson, etc, I am aware that there were particular tensions and conditions leading to each of these events.  There are tensions in every country, and people who dislike outsiders.  But there are also the majorities of people who accept differences, and prefer to be left alone to make a living, raise their children, and worship in peace.  Knowing this, and having heard stories about living in Saudi Arabia from my husband and his family, I looked forward to learning more about Arab Muslim culture and religion.
 
I believe Muslims, like Russians, love their children as much as we love ours (to borrow from Sting). There is a Center for Cultural Understanding that was set up by the Ruler of Dubai to share information about Muslim heritage and religion with curious visitors and newcomers. I will try to share information like theirs, along with personal observations about the people here. Perhaps greater understanding and familiarity can replace some of the fears and misunderstandings of Muslims that seem to have many roots in American and international politics.

 

 

A beautiful new mosque near our home reminds me of Cinderella's castle.