I’ve just been grabbed by Miroslav Volf’s new title. Allah: A Christian Response. He mentions in his introduction that Muslims and Christians together comprise more than half of the world’s population. Furthermore, most scholars agree that both these religions will continue to grow in numbers in the near future. He penned the following words before the upheaval in the Middle East so I’d say Volf is incredibly prophetic as well. He writes, “equally significant, as the democratic ideal spreads and takes deeper root, Christianity and Islam are likely to assert themselves even more vigorously in public arenas worldwide.” p. 1. So the question that comes to mind: “Which face of either religion will show up?” History and modern day events seem to give examples that have the potential to take us in very different directions, up or down, negative or positive.
Volf also notes we live in a world more interconnected and interdependent with rapidly diminishing natural resources. I’m thinking of how the news of an incident of the slap on the face of a fruit seller in Tunisia led to what we are seeing across the Middle East and how social networking has helped fuel and speed up the process of public opinion. I also observe that the turmoil in Libya has raised the price at the gas pump by 11 cents per gallon in about a week’s time. Volf suggests much of this will multiply the occasions for conflict between Muslims and Christians. I haven’t read deep enough into this new book to pull out Volf’s solution to the problem but he has teased me already with something that supports my thoughts on the same topic. We need to find “ways for Christians and Muslims to be true to their convictions about God and God’s commands, while living peacefully and constructively together under the same political roof.” p. 14. Os Guiness similarly believes this is THE greatest challenge in the 21st century. Check out his lecture at the Global Faith Forum last October here: Os Guinness, Friday Afternoon Keynote.
So my evening in front of the fireplace with a light snow falling outside will be rich. I think I’m still thawing out from my hike yesterday with Bradley.
The stakes are incredibly high. Recognizing it is scary, but the opposite is even more. Respectfully engagement or vilification- there are risks either way. I pray for the courage to risk love and trust rather than than fear and hate- even if it blows up in my face. Fear and hate will certainly explode; only love can detonate that bomb.