Interfaith Leaders Desperately Needed, Including Gnostic, Alternative Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and whatever you are…
Below is the link to an intriguing and mind-changing article about a muslim professor who teaches ministers in training to be MORE Christian in order to make muslims and those of other faiths feel more safe (not threatened) to be who they are. He teaches there is a great need for mature Interfaith leaders that get the idea we are not supposed to disrespect other faiths, but neither are we to disrespect our own by watering it down in order to not “offend” people and clergy of other faiths.
For esoteric Christian ministers, Gnostic priests or alternative clergy of any kind, you can take this muslim professor’s words of advice and insert, “be more WHATEVER YOU ARE.” In other words, be more gnostic, be more alternative Christian, be more Jewish, etc. That is the way to get the respect YOU deserve, and to get your message across, to accomplish your mission.
Please read the article below…it represents the way of the future in ministry, in my opinion.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/buildingleaders/ministrystaff/ministrylessonsfromamuslim.html
If the link above no longer works, you may read the same article here on Bishop Katia’s blog posted in July 2009.
ASSIGNMENT:
Read the comments on the bottom of that page, then add your own comment. Let others know if you feel inspired to be “more” of what you already are. List some ways in your current work / ministry / teaching or spiritual counseling practice, you might be more fully whatever you are. Tell us why you believe there is a great need for more truly interfaith leaders, and paint a picture of what the world might look like if there were more of this behavior.
If you can’t think of anything to write, you may instead give your opinion to Domenec’s question in Comment #5: “Has God revealed himself differently to each religion? or was it the same message translated in different ways according to the ruling elite of the time – and not always totally concerned about spiritual matters?” AND / OR you may answer if you agree with me that this kind of thinking is the future of spiritual ministry. You will see how others have answered and commented to give you an idea.