MondayMorningInsight - Leadership & Encouragement for Church Leaders

Brian McLaren to Observe Ramadan

Posted by: Todd
Posted on: Thu, August 27, 2009
Viewed 72
(25) comments so far

Brian McLaren is getting much criticism these days (once again)... this time, for his decision to join in with some of his Muslim friends in fasting for Ramadan...

McLaren writes:

This year, I, along with a few Christian friends (and perhaps others currently unknown to us will want to join in) will be joining Muslim friends in the fast which begins August 21. We are not doing so in order to become Muslims: we are deeply committed Christians. But as Christians, we want to come close to our Muslim neighbors and to share this important part of life with them. Just as Jesus, a devout Jew, overcame religious prejudice and learned from a Syrophonecian woman and was inspired by her faith two thousand years ago (Matthew 15:21 ff, Mark 7:24 ff), we seek to learn from our Muslim sisters and brothers today.

Muslims observe Ramadan in the same basic way world-wide: they fast from food, water, sex, etc., from dawn to dusk. We Christians who are joining in the fast will share these four common commitments:

We, as Christians, humbly seek to join Muslims in this observance of Ramadan as a God-honoring expression of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness. Each of us will have at least one Muslim friend who will serve as our partner in the fast. These friends welcome us in the same spirit of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness.
We will seek to avoid being disrespectful or unfaithful to our own faith tradition in our desire to be respectful to the faith tradition of our friends. For example, since the Bible teaches us the importance of fasting and being generous to the poor, we can participate as Christians in fidelity to the Bible as our Muslim friends do so in fidelity to the Quran.

Among the core values of Ramadan are self control, expressing kindness, and resolving conflicts. For this reason, if we are criticized or misunderstood by Christians, Muslims, or others for this endeavor, we will avoid defending ourselves or engaging in arguments. Instead, we will seek to explain ourselves humbly, simply, and briefly when necessary, connecting with empathy to the needs and feelings of others as we express our own.

Our main purpose for participating will be our own spiritual growth, health, learning, and maturity, but we also hope that our experience will inspire others to pray and work for peace and the common good, together with people of other faith traditions.
May God bless all people, and teach us to love God and love one another, and so fulfill our calling as human beings.

You can read more here at Brian's blog.

What do you think? Good idea or bad? McLaren is getting tons of criticism for doing this? Is it justified? I'd love to hear what you think...

Comments

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Mark on Thu, August 27, 2009

Obviously Brian has not been getting enough publicity lately.
Don on Thu, August 27, 2009

Brian exhibits tremendous grace for others. I applaud him for his willingness to be bold!
Adam Lehman on Thu, August 27, 2009

The really remarkable thing about Brian’s comments is this: “Each of us will have at least one Muslim friend who will serve as our partner in the fast.”

HOLY SMOKES!

A christian who has muslim friends. That’s remarkable. Amazing.

Read 1 Corinthian 9:19ff and then lets think about being critical about what Brian is doing.
Clint Bieri on Thu, August 27, 2009

I don’t have anything against Brian for what he is doing insofar as going the extra mile with people who are not Christians. I think this is fine. But fasting to make friends I am not sure that is Biblical at all. I really enjoy the line in the above article - “Just as Jesus, a devout Jew, overcame religious prejudice and learned from a Syrophonecian woman and was inspired by her faith two thousand years ago.” Jesus learned from this lady? I don’t think so! And what are we going to learn about God from men and women who don’t worship him? Call me old fashion (for a 30 year old) but I am just scratching my head!
Christopher G Fontenot on Thu, August 27, 2009

Just curious….what does McLaren believe happens to muslims if they die without Christ? Based on what he has written recently, he must believe like the muslims that Jesus is just a prophet. He will fit in nicely with them. By the way if anyone remotely believes that islam is a religion of peace then watch this clip….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEPod-hxD7g
Scott on Thu, August 27, 2009

Kudos to Brian for being willing to “think outside the box” (that we’ve put God in). I hope this goes a long way in starting the conversation and promoting the love, grace, & peace that Jesus preached and lived by.
Faye on Thu, August 27, 2009

I have no desire to inspire conflict, yet I feel compelled to ask—where does this end? Yes, we should understand other faiths and love the people. Absolutely. Without a doubt. Participate with them in that faith and the observations of it? There I have a problem with knowing where it ends.

Do we then join with our Jehovah’s Witness friends to drive them around the community? Do we ride our bicycles around with our Mormon Missionary friends? Do we participate in confession with our Catholic friends? Perhaps some meditation with our Buddhist friends? None of these is overtly wrong, but if we do them without the primary purpose being to win them to a relationship with Christ, then I believe we’re missing the mark—the calling of Christ.

I also believe there is a danger of offense here that one should be extremely aware of. The primary goal of any Muslim is to convert the heathen (that’s non-Muslims) and for Christians to participate in their observance is to either give them the hope that they’re doing that or the idea that we feel that we’re lowering our faith in order to participate in theirs or even mocking them.

I think it would be wonderful to love these Muslim friends and to share in their lives. Instead of joining them in their fast, invite them over to a dinner at your home after sundown—maybe even several times during the month—set a day each week to be your night to prepare for them. Be sure to have foods they can eat and enjoy. Know them, laugh with them, include them in your life—LOVE them and share Christ at every turn. Paul became “like” the people he ministered to—but we don’t read of him going to the temples in Corinth with them, visiting the temple prostitutes for services… I think there’s a line to be drawn for so many reasons.
Eric Ferguson on Thu, August 27, 2009

I have no problem with him observing Ramadan. My concern is something a little more foundational.

(McLaren writes:)....“Just as Jesus, a devout Jew, overcame religious prejudice and learned from a Syrophonecian woman and was inspired by her faith two thousand years ago (Matthew 15:21 ff, Mark 7:24 ff), we seek to learn from our Muslim sisters and brothers today.”
I’m sorry but I’m I missing something? Jesus was prejudice and had to learn a thing or two from a “Syrophonecian” woman? And Jesus, the Son of God, had to have his faith “inspired” by someone?
Perhaps I’m reading it wrong or my understanding of who Jesus was/is is completely out-of-wack. There is that possibility. Also, if he’s observing Ramadan to show respect and to perhaps open a dialouge with Muslims about Jesus, what is he telling them about Him? That Jesus had issues and had to be set straight?
Help me out here.
Cliff on Thu, August 27, 2009

I think Brian’s desire to express love and care to non-Christians is exemplary. It sounds partly like Paul’s description of “becoming all things to all people so that by all possible means some might be saved,” and it sounds a little like Jesus being criticized for eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners.

However, Brian’s statement that Jesus learned from the Syrophonecian woman to overcome religious prejudice is problematic. The inference is that Jesus was, at one point, enmeshed in the sin of prejudice, but was able to get past that. So Jesus was guilty of sinning at one point? That doesn’t square with the Scripture that Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) Brian’s statement on this is why (I think) there is some criticism and skepticism regarding what he is doing. Paul became all things to all people in order to win them to Christ, not to be satisfied with creating harmony between all the various world religions.

So, can we express this kind of love and goodwill to Muslims without compromising that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through him? I hope and pray so.
CS on Thu, August 27, 2009

McLaren said, “We will seek to avoid being disrespectful or unfaithful to our own faith tradition in our desire to be respectful to the faith tradition of our friends.”

Oops, too late.

Sorry, but with all of his positions on the Christian faith, including equivocating the cross to, “cosmic child abuse,” the man is a heretic, plain and simple. This is just another indicator of his errant teaching and ways.

And for those who believe that we can have fellowship with the Muslim faith, I direct you to Sura 9:30 and the corresponding punishment in Sura 9:29.

—
CS
David on Thu, August 27, 2009

I would want to know two things before I weigh in with my opinion (as miniscule and unimportant as it is):

1. How far are we, as believers, called to carry out the “respect for faith traditions of our friends” concept? In application, is there a biblical boundary regarding what that means? Does it extend only to “moderate” or “liberal” Islamic expressions to more radical ones? Does it extend to religions that are more blatantly anti-Jesus in their expression?

2. Are there testimonies, at this stage (I’m thinking about the last 13 years of the Emergent conversation) of Muslims converting to Christianity because of our demonstration of love and care? I’d like to hear them - it seems as if I rarely do. I’m assuming there are some, but at this stage they seem scant or, at least, secondary to the value of tolerance and anti-“religious bigotry”.
Corbett Reeves on Thu, August 27, 2009

I believe that several comments show a misinterpretation of what McLaren was saying. The statement that Jesus “overcame religious prejudice and learned from a Syrophonecian woman,” is not referring to Jesus’ OWN religious prejudice, but rather the prejudice that was prevalent in his culture. The Jewish elite would never have dreamed of interacting with a Gentile in such a way. As far as what Jesus learned… I’m not sure that Jesus learned anything, but more that he used it as a teachable moment for his followers.

I applaud Brian for jumping into this. He’s not embracing the Muslim faith… he’s embracing Muslims. He’s not seeking to honor or obey “Allah” by fasting… he’s seeking to build a commonality with followers of Islam, while staying true to his devotion to Jesus Christ and God’s Word.

If a few Christians don’t like it, I’m sure he’s quite comfortable with that. =)
Cliff on Thu, August 27, 2009

“I’m not sure that Jesus learned anything, but more than he used it as a teachable moment for his followers.”

But that’s not what Brian McClaren said. He said Jesus “overcame religious prejudice and learned from a Syrophonecian woman and was inspired by her faith two thousand years ago.”

I am hoping for the best with Brian…that he, in fact, embracing Muslims and not the Muslim faith. I also hope he will be able, if given the opportunity by the Holy Spirit, to be as courageous in proclaiming to his Muslim friends that believing in Allah is not the same as believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

I am also hoping for the best for myself…that I’ll be willing to eat and drink with “sinners” (even if people don’t understand) to show God’s unconditional love, and not forget the Father’s hug that I received after turning back from my own prodigal life of rebellion.
Corbett Reeves on Thu, August 27, 2009

Cliff, I agree with you about whether or not Jesus “learned” anything from the woman. Not sure where Brian was going with that.

My hopeful point of clarification dealt with McLaren being called to task for suggesting that Jesus had overcome his own sinful prejudice. I do not believe that was the intent of the statement.

That’s all. Thanks for replying! I appreciate your heart in your comment!
CS on Thu, August 27, 2009

Cliff:

“I am also hoping for the best for myself�that I�ll be willing to eat and drink with �sinners� (even if people don�t understand) to show God�s unconditional love, and not forget the Father�s hug that I received after turning back from my own prodigal life of rebellion.”

There’s a big difference between having some sort of relationship with a sinner and coming dangerously close to engaging in their sin. In this case, he will be following one of the Five Pillars of Islam, but only changing whose deity he will be worshiping. I think that’s about as close as someone can go in trying to push the limits of the First and Second Commandments.

Kind of like Faye did above with different faiths, let’s apply this logic with some of the other Commandments:

-Blasphemy. Okay, so you work for the Howard Stern Show in recording and broadcasting him taking the Lord’s Name in vain, but you don’t actually say the words yourself.

-Theft. You don’t steal anything from a store, but you hold the door open for a friend who is dashing out with a TV under his arm.

-Murder. You hold the coats for a group of people who are stoning a man to death. Oh, wait…

—
CS