i hope the title isn’t misleading…

yesterday i came across this article on interfaith dialogue. what really intrigued me was that it was about a muslim professor giving a lecture to students in a christian seminary. it was profoundly eye-openning and very, very humbling– the muslim professor was asking our christian leaders to be more christian!!! how ironic is that? christians are so terrified of fitting into that social stereotype of an ignorant, bible-beating freak, that they would rather take up religious relativism than stand up for their beliefs. and i am one of them, sadly enough. and because we are not honest with people, society has developed their own idea of what they think christians are… but here’s what professor patel says:

“Don’t be afraid to be Christian ministers. If you don’t use the Christian narrative to define reality for your people, then someone else will define reality for them with a different narrative.“

in this context, he is talking to future pastors and other christian leaders, but i think it can be applied to the rest of us as well. there’s no use arguing with someone on the issue of homosexuality or abortion or whatever outside the context of your religion, especially if Jesus Christ is your God, because your reality is defined by that. we’re not asked to agree with other religions or accept that “all religions lead to the same God.” we’re called to love our neighbors. that does not require the abandonment of our religion, i don’t think. that’s why i should be “more christian”.  =P