Dear readers, please excuse my extended absence. I disappeared in the middle of my Ramadan series, and now Ramadan is over! (I’ll explain later why I disappeared, for anyone who’s interested – just know that all is well.) Several friends of varying faith communities sent me their recollections of Ramadan, and I’d like to share some of them now, even though it’s a little late, because they’re precious to me. As I mentioned last time, Rockford Illinois had a great... Read more
There is a precious community in my (former) town of Rockford Illinois who can say: “Ramadan isn’t just for Muslims.” That community is the tightly-knit interfaith folks with whom my husband and I enjoyed some great times. The ELCA Lutheran church I attended (and a number of other Protestant congregations), and the mosque my husband attended – along with the vibrant Baha’i group, the Unitarians, and other faith communities – had close connections and did some great times together. But... Read more
“Jihad” is one of those misunderstood words in Islam – a word that makes many Christians tremble. To the untrained ear, jihad is scary. But the purpose of these posts is to become trained. I hope you’ll read this through and take some time to think about it. If you can, ask some actual Muslim people to explain jihad to you. Become smarter and more open-minded than you were yesterday at this time. First, let me briefly mention that Islam... Read more
As promised, today I’m sharing some Ramadan memories from my years in Saudi Arabia. (Check out some earlier posts on Ramadan: here and here.) I had the rare and distinct pleasure of living in Saudi Arabia not once but twice, for five years each time. I ended up there because my husband, a Palestinian refugee, emigrated there with his family when he was about seven years old. My first stint in the Magic Kingdom was in the 1980s; the second... Read more
Ramadan, the most treasured month in the Islamic year, commemorates the miracle of God’s revelation of the Qur’an to Mohammed. Muslims believe that the angel Gabriel came to Mohammed a number of times over the course of 23 years, and dictated parts of the Qur’an to him on an as-needed basis (read a few basics of Ramadan here). According to tradition, the first Qur’anic revelation occurred in the month of Ramadan, the ninth of twelve months in the lunar calendar... Read more
For anyone who’s not aware, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began around the world a few days ago. As a Christian married to a Muslim, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing over thirty Ramadans firsthand. In the next few weeks, I’d like to share with you some of my experiences, and some revelations Ramadan has given me – both about Islam and about Christianity. I’ll also share with you some thoughts from friends who have participated in Ramadan with... Read more
You’re going to want to sit down for this. The gentleman in the photo is Theodosios, Archbishop of Sebastia from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. “Atallah Hanna” for short. He may look elderly and priestly; you may imagine him to speak Latin and quote Bible verses. But you would be wrong. Atallah Hanna is feisty. He participates in protests, speaks out against injustice and government oppression, marches in solidarity with people of other faiths, and has been arrested and... Read more
What can we learn from listening to the words of Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-3)? She claims to be following in the steps of the lord Jesus. Is she right? Not long ago, Boebert appeared on Huckabee, a political commentary program on Newsmax, hosted by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R). She was as cute as a button, as fresh as a daisy, and dripping with feminine confidence. The audience hung on her every word and the host admired her openly.... Read more
It’s time to try to have a rational discussion about abortion – a topic on which many Christians are relentless, but to no avail. Maybe we need to think outside the box. The Washington Post reports that Idaho is about to go full-throttle against a woman’s right to get an abortion: its state senate passed a bill, 28 to 6, approving a ban on abortions after six weeks. It is expected to pass the Idaho House as well, and the... Read more
In a polarized America, one might assume that Donald Trump and the Republican Party are supportive of Russia just to spite the Biden administration. One would be perilously mistaken. As trusted Christian writer and speaker, Diana Bass Butler asserts, In effect, the world is witnessing a new version of an old tale — the quest to recreate an imperial Christian state, a neo-medieval “Holy Roman Empire” — uniting political, economic, and spiritual power into an entity to control the earthly... Read more
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