We are in the season that preaches “Peace on Earth, goodwill towards men.” One of the central commandments of Jesus Christ, whose birth the world will soon celebrate, was to “love your neighbor as yourself.” This is the golden rule that fewer and fewer people practice. Western Christians have seemingly forgotten this central teaching in the face of adversity – especially when their Muslim neighbors are concerned. With calls to “ban” Islam, close mosques and wage indiscriminate violence against Middle Eastern nations, it is clear that the term “neighbor” is only applied to some.
This is neither a religious blog nor is Your Obedient Servant a member of the clergy. I am guilty of failing to love my neighbor as well. However, to live in a more peaceful world, we all must continue to make efforts to extend love and friendship to all people. Even if love and friendship are not possible, perhaps allowing others the chance to peacefully live is. It is hardest to live those who seem to hate us. For some Americans and other Westerners, Muslims are seen as a group who hate our values and wish us religious, political, and physical harm. This is not the case. While I do not find the tenets of Islam to be as peaceful as those of Eastern Orthodox Christianity (which I try to follow), I personally know plenty of peaceful Muslims. The Muslims I know will render aid to a person in need, giving him the shirt from his back or the last dollar in his pocket. These fine folks would even help the Christian in need. In turn, if we want to act like Christians–or even free thinking, moral human beings, we must do the same to all of our neighbors. Jesus Christ didn’t discriminate and neither should we.
I read a terrific story written by phillipfletcher.org, entitled “The Good Muslim.” The story features a Christian man who has been carjacked and robbed. Multiple groups of Christians pass him by along the side of the road, failing to give him aid. Eventually, he is helped by a Muslim man who renders aid and even pays for his care. It is a modern twist on the Biblical parable of the “Good Samaritan.”
In this Nativity season, let us all be good Samaritans to our neighbors. May we forget petty differences.
Your Obt. Svnt.,
Ichabod Ω
Juggernaut of ThΩught 