Inter-faith cooperation

My wife and I enjoy discussing life in its breadth. Topics of discussion touch on matters social, religious, cultural, philosophical, economic, political and personal. Now, she tells me that I talk too much. And yes I do but I enjoy listening to her and being enlightened by her insights.

Maloba mona I was telling her about how one of our church welfare sponsors is a Muslim and how this chap and I discussed a lot about getting our people out of poverty through various means. In the course of this discussion, two things came to mind. The first one concerned justification of Christian-Muslim cooperation. The second concerned mental and spiritual liberation.

Christian- Muslim Cooperation

Ever since I was in seminary, I learnt to enjoy tv sermons by Black Muslims. The reason was that the ones I listened to sought to address the socio-economic situation of people. Their sermons were not heavy on doctrine and polemics but mostly pragmatic.

I think it is this pragmatism that makes me open up to them. And in the South African situation where it appears that most Muslims are better off economically, and they also engage in a lot of community upliftment, I think that all people of goodwill who want to better the lot of the less fortunate need to come together and hold hands for the sake of the poor.

So, it happened that our church through its welfare department established a feeding scheme. The church contributed half and the other half was solicited from outside sponsors. One of the sponsors was Muslim. And apparently, he is able to sponsor not only our church run feeding scheme but other projects in different locations thanks to the Roshnee Community -the majority of which is Muslim. This community contributes money, food, clothing into a community fund which they then distribute to different projects.

Seeking the sponsorship of this gentleman (actually a clothing shop was approached), we did not ask 'of what faith they belonged to'. They too were not interested that ultimately the goods so donated by them were going to reach people under the banner of a christian church. In the mean time God's people are being fed! So whatever badblood there could be (if ever there is) historically and presently in some quarters, our cooperation is purely pragmatic.

Mental and spiritual liberation

Relating my conversation with the Muslim chap to my wife, I then wondered if one would be so open to accepting help if this chap was a sangoma. And at that point I realised that a part of me does not think straight. I discovered that I still habour an uneasiness towards things african. For the same argument I raised in my head for cooperating with this Muslim gentleman should hold for cooperation with a sangoma. But for some reason, I had reservations. So, I think that a sort of liberation of the mind is needed in my life in order for me to be wholesome.