With swift skill, pickers twisted the oranges from the trees. Others sorted them according to size and quality. Trailer load after trailer load departed from the Florida orchards. One load of superb fruit left in the middle of the night for the New York produce markets.
The driver never stopped to eat or go to the restroom before his truck required fuel. Likewise, he never slept until driving laws required him to rest.
They, the driver and the precious oranges, stayed on the interstate all the way to the George Washington Bridge.
While waiting for a light to change at 3:40am in Manhattan, hoodlums hijacked the truck and severely beat the driver. Bruised and bloody, the driver hoped for help on the deserted midtown street.
At 5:12am, a Christian clergyman walked from his apartment to the subway. With a short prayer, he dialed 911 but the call failed to connect and he hurried to catch the train. Shocked by the sight at 5:20am, a congressional aid dutifully dialed. After two dropped calls, he also hurried to the station.
Finally, a Muslim cabbie drove down the street. He picked up the bloody man, put him in his cab and rushed the unconscious driver to the emergency room.
Oh, many Christians may a similar story in Luke 10. Can we also see the Muslim without the fears and tears of many years of hatred?
We—the Jew, the Christian and the Muslim—separate ourselves with similar beliefs.
Like the Jew and the Christian, the Muslim believes in one God, the God of Abraham. While Jews and Christians trace their lines to Abraham through Isaac, Muslims trace their roots through Ishmael, the firstborn. The families of Ishmael and Isaac suffer today, one at the hand of the other.
The Muslim, the Jew and the Christian also believe in a unique spiritual leader called the messiah. The word messiah simply means the annointed one.
The Muslim and the Christian believe Jesus of Nazareth to be the messiah and await his return. However, the Jew awaits the first arrival of the messiah.
However, God promised a blessing to ALL families of the Earth through Abraham (Genesis 12:3). As we wait for the fulfillment of God’s blessing, we might do well to remember that Ishmael and Isaac buried and mourned their father together (Genesis 25:9).
Oh, we might continue to focus on our differences. Alternatively, we might remember that Ishmael and Isaac, our ancestors, worked together and knew the promise of a blessing to All Families Of The Earth.
If you liked this, you might like The Sower.
Oh, by the way, have you heard Amy's cd?
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Hi Jim. Thanks for inviting me to have a look at your blog. I have, reading consensus leads to harmony. I'm afraid I cannot agree with much of what you wrote there and apparently believe, such as that Jews, Muslims and Christians believe in the same God. Sorry, while all three faiths do share common rootage with Abraham, the Jews don't not believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the 2nd member of the Trinity, and Muslims believe in Allah. The Muslims do not believe that Jesus actually died on the cross or for their sins. Salvation for them comes not from the atoning blood of Christ, but through belief in the Five Pillars of Islam, one pillar being the male obligation to travel to Mecca within one's lifetime. Consensus and a desire for harmony must never be based upon anything other than truth, and on that matter Jesus made it perfectly clear that He was the Way, Truth and the Life and the no one came to the Father but by Him.
ReplyDeleteMay the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob reveal Himself in all of His Love, Truth and Glory.
The Hammer of Faith
Thank you for visiting and taking the time to comment, Steve.
ReplyDeleteI agree that most of your statements are accurate but like my statements, they are not the whole truth. For example, we agree that Muslims worship al-Lah (Arabic for, "the God"). However, Allah is the God of Abraham. We do agree 100% on the greater point, Steve. We seek the Love, Truth and Glory of God to be revealed.
i apologize for failing to write more clearly. i had hoped to rework the story of the Good Samaritan so that we might more clearly see Jesus' message to love our neighbors. i did not want to appear to be recommending anything other than the teachings of Jesus.
Hopefully, i did a better job with http://harmonywon.blogspot.com/2009/02/2.html. Did you read it...or was this piece too much of a "turn-off?"
Thank you again, Steve!