A Church Hosts Iftar Dinner, Helps Break the Ramadan Fast
On Wednesday evening the church I
serve as pastor (Central Woodward Christian Church) co-hosted an Iftar Dinner with the Turkish American Society ofMichigan. It was our third annual dinner. An Iftar dinner is the meal that
breaks the Ramadan fast, which Muslims undertake during the ninth lunar month. Muslims
will fast from dawn to sunset. When the sun sets, which was 8:56 in Troy, one can
begin eating the meal, though usually you begin by eating a date. For a Muslim
this fast covers all food, all drinks (including water), and all intimate
activities. I will confess that I did not fast, but I did share in a wonderful
meal prepared by our friends from TASM.
While a church hosting such a meal
might seem odd, I believe it is an important expression of Jesus’ practice of
an open table. In this case we provided the space, TASM provided the meal. Together
we shared fellowship, building important relationships. Christians and Muslims,
along with Jews, form the Abrahamic faiths. All three traditions trace their
roots to Abraham, with Christianity explicitly tracing its roots through
Judaism. Islam traces its roots to Abraham through Ishmael, rather than through
Isaac, but all three share common elements. All three have significant
differences. The point of the meal was not to iron out our differences, but
rather to build relationships. In the course of conversation, we can learn about
each other’s faiths, with no expectation that the other will move to our way of
thinking. Those kinds of conversations are legitimate, but that’s not the
purpose here.
I should note that TASM is part of
a larger movement that was founded by Fethullah Gülen and is dedicated to education and service (it is known by
the name Hizmet, which is Turkish for
service). Mr. Gülen lives in exile in the United States, and his movement has
been targeted by the current Turkish President (President Erdogan accuses the
movement of fomenting the coup attempt). Thus, my friends from TASM are
considered terrorists in their home country. Many of them have family members
who are in prison or at the very least have lost their jobs. I feel a sense of
solidarity with my friends. I can vouch for them—they are not terrorists! Nor, as some critics suggest, seem cultish. In my mind, these are good people who seek to be of service in the world, and who have become scapegoats used by an autocratic ruler, who will brook no critics.I should note that Erdogan's regime has arrested a Christian missionary, accused him of being in league with this movement and the Kurds, and seeks to trade him for Mr. Gülen. So, keep in prayers Pastor Andrew Brunson. May our government not give in, and may he be freed (along with the many in Turkish prisons).
Back to the dinners. Besides the great
food (who doesn’t like baklava?), the conversation leads to friendships, which
leads to new understanding, which overcomes fear and suspicion (something that
is greatly needed today). It helps build bridges between communities that are
different in many ways. It is as Brene Brown has written: “What if what we
experience close up is real, and what we hear on the news and from the mouths
of politicians who are jockeying for power needs to be questioned? It is not easy to hate people close up.” [Braving the Wilderness, (Random House
Publishing Group), p. 65. Kindle Edition.]. Indeed, it is not easy to help you
have come to know as human beings who love their families and want to be the
best persons they can be.
I want to add that this meal is an
expression of our understanding of what it means to be a missional
congregation. With that in mind we not only invited members of the
congregation, but the broader community. With that in mind I invited several
community leaders to join us. Not everyone could come—life gets busy this time
of year—but we were blessed to have the Troy Chief of Police, Gary Mayer, who
is a friend (I am a chaplain with the department) and Ellen Hoderek, a member
of the Troy City Council (also a friend). Having them present made this an even
more blessed event. All in all, it was a wonderful night, and I’m hoping we can
do it again next year!
In the meantime—to all my Muslim
friends— “Ramadan Mubarak,” which simply means “Blessed Ramadan!”
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