I wrote yesterday a review of the film: Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet (January 6). Just after posting this review I read an article in the Christianity Today online site that caught my attention. I highly recommend it as a fair piece of journalism and a helpful way to raise important questions. The crux of the story concerns “sacred space” and whether or not Christian churches should open space to Muslim neighbors for prayers and worship. One pastor offered a neighboring Islamic congregation the use of his church's space for five months for Friday prayers when they requested. Jason Micheli, pastor of Aldersgate Methodist in Arlington, Virginia, shares part of his theological reasoning in a sermon published at Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed blog. In McKnight's blog he recommends a marvelous book by my good friend Gerlad McDermott that I highly recommend as well. It is titled: God's Rivals: Why Has God Allowed Different Religion? Insights from the Bible and the Early Church. If you are perplexed by this issue, and desire an even-handed and scholarly response from a solidly evangelical theologian, I recommend this book highly.
Micheli similarly defends his decision by appealing to Jesus and Christian love: "
I agree with Micheli. Allowing non-Christians to use our space, even for some religious purposes, is not a clear denial of our faith. It is also not idolatry, at least as I understand it. It would be idolatrous to deny our faith in order to reach some kind of syncretistic compromise since Jesus is Lord. But I do not think sharing our homes and worship places with others denies anything about our faith. In fact, I think it commends our faith in a context where many believe that our faith is intolerant and unloving. There is a world of difference between preaching Jesus as Lord and sharing our space with non-Christians out of love and charity.
Question: Is allowing a local election to use a church building as a polling place a denial of the kingship of Jesus?
Before you answer remember early believers died rather than say, “Caesar is Lord” at an annual political event. And remember, empire and church are not one.
Question: Is sharing our homes with non-Christians, or our worship space, a violation of 2 John 7-10? Read the text and pay careful attention to the context before you assume too much.
It seems to me that the biggest challenge to the early church was from those inside the church who denied the faith by their life or their teaching, not those outside.
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YOU ARE KIDDING, AREN’T YOU? What are the chances that the mosque would open its doors for a group of Christians to pray to Jesus Christ? Have you read any history of the Eastern Church under Muslim rule? Have you read any news reports on the persecution of Christians in Muslim countries today? My opinion: open the doors of your church for Muslims to pray & organize & in a generation or two, the crosses will be taken down & be replaced with the crescent moon. Are you really so naive.
Great article, thanks for posting this. Christian faith calls us to share the love of Jesus in the fullest, costliest ways imaginable to us. Many congregants seem to be particularly afraid of what I’ve heard described as the “Muslim invasion” in North America. While the comment from the Canadian Woman above may be correct in a sense in that we might not enjoy such generosity from other faiths, were we to ask to use their sanctuaries, I think she has largely missed the intent of the author’s piece. What we live and believe as Christians is not about reciprocity or social contracts (you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours), but rather about the completely unmerited grace, favor and blessing that we have received from God, and which God would have us share with all those around us. And yes, an increasing number of those around us are Muslim, and God would have us live out our faith in their presence, too. What a powerful witness it would be for Christians (who historically have not only been oppressed by Muslims, but who have also been the oppressors of Muslims)to assume a posture of service, of love, of self-giving. Almost seems like foot-washing behavior, doesn’t it. Now who do we know who’s done that before?