Did you know that one of the top five world religions actually began with cannibals? These early followers also engaged in incest, promiscuity, and necromancy. Because of these crimes, the government outlawed their “love feasts,” driving them to meet in catacombs, the perfect backdrop for their death-obsessed worship. Who would choose a religion with a reputation like that? How could anyone devote themselves to following a religion that started that way? What does that even say about them as humans? We probably shouldn’t let our kids be around those weirdos. Except you are right this moment innocently reading the words of their propaganda! You might even consider yourself one… You know, one of those Christians! THE HORROR!!!
If you have studied early Christian history, you might be aware of these misconceptions the Romans used against the Christians to justify persecuting them. Christians also stayed away from community events because the events often centered on the worship of other gods, making it difficult for non-Christians to get to know them and learn the truth about their beliefs and practices. Of course, the Romans believed the Christians were cannibals when they talked about eating flesh and drinking blood, people didn’t hang around them long enough to understand the deeper meaning. Test yourself and see if you would saddle up for a conversation with someone you think is a cannibal. Personally, I might take a step away or more probably a few steps. I prefer to keep my skin intact and safe from bite marks.
This might be hyperbole but I am hoping it reveals to you the danger of prejudice and misinformation. False information and misconceptions breed misunderstanding and fear. Naturally, we avoid the things we fear, using division to protect us from that which scares us. Division creates otherness which in turn leads to hate. Social and political tension is mounting in our country, leading to divisions in families and between friends. It can make us question with whom we can trust our whole selves. We might internally ask, “Are you like me? Can I trust you with who I am? Am I safe to be vulnerable with you?”
We can become so focused on the otherness, but God calls us to confront these fears. We dispel these fears and honor our neighbors through learning about their faith, their community, their lives. This illuminates our minds to other ways of being and calls us to discover our commonalities. By embracing those things we hold in common, we learn to love our neighbor as Christ called us to do. Each step we take in love towards our fellow humans deepens our faith and brings us closer to God.
This year, we are looking to visit other faith traditions with the goal of eradicating the “otherness” we might feel through knowledge and experience. We begin this Saturday, September 9th by visiting the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati. We will come together at Lord of Life at 11:30 am with bagged lunches in hand to talk and learn. Then we will carpool to the center for their program from 1 – 3 pm. Please reach out to Pastor Laura if you are able to attend either part of the day or for more information. This event will hopefully mark the start of an excellent year in discovering and restoring our communal ties.
We invite you to join us. To ask questions. To be vulnerable. To make a friend. To erase the walls. To mend the divides. To vanquish fear with love. To come close and see the face of God in your neighbor.
With peace,
Laura and the Honoring Our Neighbor’s Faith Committee