There's a Time to Build Walls, and a Time to Break Them Down

Over the past few years, I have really enjoyed being a part of Habitat for Humanity of Wake County’s Interfaith Builds. Some of the most active and enthusiastic leaders and volunteers were from NC State’s Muslim Student Association. I was totally impressed by the young women in headscarves swinging hammers beside me during our first build, and amazed at the energy of their student leader, Farris, who was one of the key organizers of the project. And so my heart broke today when I read the news that his brother was one of three young people killed in Chapel Hill this week, most likely because they were Muslim.  

We are shaped by our experiences and relationships in powerful ways, ways that influence how we understand the world around us. I have been fortunate that my life has been filled with relationships of welcome and hospitality. It’s made me love meeting new people from different backgrounds. I love learning their stories and finding ways to connect and communicate across the cultural and linguistic barriers that separate us. I’ve never felt the need to fear people who are different from me. I haven’t had to fear for my life or my safety, either because I grew up in the midst of a war or because my neighbors disliked my religion or ethnicity. I haven’t felt like my way of life was threatened by outside forces.

At times, I’ve been in the minority, but almost always a privileged one. I grew up as an American child in Germany; I worked in mostly African-American neighborhoods in DC, as a young white woman; I served as a Christian missionary in northern Sri Lanka, among mostly Hindu Tamil people; I’m now a female minister in a vocation where men still dominate, but in a denomination where women are welcomed in leadership positions. As a result of my experiences, I find it exciting and fascinating to make friends from other countries, religions and cultures. They help me see the world in new ways, they inspire and encourage me with their own stories. They have taught me about generosity and resilience.

I’m thankful that I’ve never needed to fear people who aren’t like me. Fear can breed anger, distrust, and isolation. So, I’m deeply troubled by the growing fear and resentment in the United States towards people perceived as outsiders, especially our Muslim neighbors. I realize that many Americans feel fearful because of ongoing violence committed in the name is Islam. We hear more and more stories about killings, kidnappings, and terrible acts by Muslim terrorists against Americans and our allies. Many Muslims, in the US and around the world, are afraid, too. Many of them have lived with the threat of violence as a daily reality.

If we let our relationships be driven by fear, then the problem will only get worse. The vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists. I believe that the vast majority of Christians sincerely want to practice Jesus’ call to love our neighbors. At our core, most Americans value diversity, even though living it out often makes us uncomfortable. We will never come to understand one another and build trust, we will never all be able to feel safe, until we break down the walls between us and learn each others’ stories, until we learn each others’ names and experiences. May we all keep working together to build a community where understanding drives out fear, and where love is stronger than hate.