Bridging the Christian-Muslim Divide in Cleveland
Here is how Murat Gurer, a member of the group, describes the gatherings:
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there. -- Jelaluddin Rumi, 13th-century poet and scholar
A miracle takes place every three weeks, in various living rooms around the Cleveland area.
"Miracle" is an overused word; it's become part of our day-to-day vocabulary. We might hear people say, "I got an A!" or "The weather cooled off!" – and we call these things miracles.
However, to me, "miracle" is a spiritual and religious word, meaning "our Creator's gift and blessing to humankind." Some of my friends thank Allah for blessings; other friends thank God. And that is our miracle: our Quran-Bible discussion group, which has been meeting regularly for several years. I have been involved for the past five years.
The group consists of Christians, Muslims and, occasionally, some Jewish friends. We meet every three weeks; we decided once a month isn't often enough.
The group isn't affiliated with any church, mosque or organization. We are just individuals interested in fostering understanding and conversation.
We discuss the common foundations of our faiths. For example, we have discussed the Muslim and Christian stories of Mary, the mother of Jesus (Peace be upon him), and of the Creation. We have talked about Jesus as the Christian Messiah and as an honored Muslim prophet. Recently, we focused on the birth of Jesus and, 600 years later, the birth of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), whom we Muslims consider to be the final prophet in the line that includes Abraham, Noah, Isaiah and Jesus. All prophets are honored in the Muslim faith. In Islam, when we mention any prophet – Muhammad, Jesus or the earlier prophets – we say, "Peace be upon him."
Our Quran-Bible discussion group is a very active and energetic group; we regularly have 10 to 20 people attend each meeting -- in cold, snowy weather or in 90-degree heat. Our ages range from 3 months to 83 years. We begin with a potluck dinner; our Christian friends are kind to observe our halal dietary restrictions, and we all bring food to share.
Then we engage in a lively two-hour discussion, usually led by one volunteer. Discussing the Bible in one meeting and the Quran in the next, we have conversations that include questions, explanations, comments, stories and, when appropriate, laughter. Sometimes, silence is the best response as we digest and consider what we have learned.
We have only two rules: We don't compare the different faiths except to explore the similarities, and we don't discuss current political situations. (This is sometimes very hard to avoid.)
My wife, Seyma, and I always look forward to attending our meetings and eating the delicious homemade food everyone brings; we look forward to seeing friends who are longtime group members and to meeting new friends attending for the first time.
To me, this Quran-Bible group is a treasure. I value the friendships I have formed with each of the participants.
To me, it is a miracle. I believe it to be the longest-surviving interfaith group of its kind in Cleveland and beyond.
Our Quran-Bible discussion group isn't a miracle of nature or science. It is a miracle of the human family. As our Creator has told us:
"O mankind, indeed we have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted." – Quran: Surat Al-Ĥujurāt (The Rooms) 49:13
And as the 13th-century Iranian Sufi mystic, scholar and poet Rumi has told us, "Raise your words, not (your) voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder."
By Murat Gurer
Murat Gurer heads the Cleveland chapter of the Niagara Foundation, which promotes global fellowship and intercultural and interfaith dialogue. He is active in the Turkish American Society of Ohio and its Turkish Cultural Center in Lakewood and leads group tours of Americans to Turkey.
Source: Cleveland.com
