Religious leaders take aim at fear, isolation
Communication is key, clergy members say.
While terrorism attracts world headlines and anxiety tied to ethnic and racial tensions simmers, local religious leaders say their Christmas and year-end focus is on knocking down fears and breaking through society’s barriers.
Public opinion shows that can be a challenge. A recent Washington Post poll showed 83 percent of Americans feared a major-casualty terrorist attack in America would occur soon, with 54 percent opposed to the U.S. accepting refugees from Syria and other largely Muslim countries.
Other polls also show blacks and whites disagreeing on the racial fairness of American police.
The Rev. Greg Martin, of the Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship inWashington Twp., said these are issues he addresses with his congregation all the time, not just during the holidays.
“But this time of year, one of the primary messages that all religious traditions emphasize is, ‘do not fear,’ and that certainly applies to the Christmas story,” Martin said.
“So much of (the tension) seems to be fueled by fear of one kind or another. Most religions really stress the theme of hospitality to the stranger. ... Hospitality is the answer to hostility.”
Martin’s congregation maintains a relationship with the Dayton Mercy Society, an Islamic mosque in Miamisburg. Members of the two congregations metWednesday and discussed possible joint initiatives, including youth programs.
Saeed Albezreh, a physician and member of DMS, said given recent anti-Muslim rhetoric in politics and media, plus an increase in attacks against mosques, he believes Muslims have to address the issues.
“The challenges on the table right now transcend Muslims. It goes to the very identity of what America is, and the idea of pluralism,” Albezreh said.
“Is this a country that welcomes everybody who wants to become part of this melting pot? Or is it not? Those questions never disappeared, but they’re emerging back on the surface. We can use them, and hopefully something good can come out of it.”
Similar themes
Ministers from a variety of faiths talked this week about the importance of working through fears via outreach and communication, rather than relying on preconceived opinions. “I try to make sure that we don’t categorize people,” said the Rev. Erwin McIntosh, pastor of Payne Chapel AME Church in Hamilton. “There are people who are mean-spirited, and that’s not assigned to any race or color or religion. We would not close our doors to white visitors because a guy in South Carolina shot some folks in a church. We would not profile every person from the Middle East because of what happened in California.”
The Rev. Bill Kramer, pastor at St. Joseph and St. Raphael Catholic churches in Springfield, encourages his parishioners to take messages from Scripture and make them a part of their daily lives.
“What Jesus commands us is that we love one another. That means we can’t live in fear,” Kramer said. “So many times in the Gospel, Jesus tells us, ‘Don’t be afraid.’ (Before Jesus’ birth), the angel spoke to Mary and told her not to be afraid. If we’re going to allow ourselves to be paralyzed by fear, we can’t move forward.”
The Rev. DarylWard, senior pastor at Omega Baptist Church in Dayton, said when it comes to racial issues, he tells people to embrace tension in many ways, saying one of Christianity’s purposes is to stabilize people when they are in the midst of crisis.
“Unless we go through the difficulty, nothing will change,” Ward said. “We can’t wish it away. It’s not going to stop. We have to get through this, and the tension is important. Unless there’s tension and pushback, and people really struggle through, you’re not going to get real change.”
Ward said his church also tries to break down barriers between cultures and religions, holding a fellowship event every year with Temple Israel, a Jewish Reform synagogue in Dayton.
Action, impact
Albezreh said there is a lot of fear and frustration in American Muslim communities, and how leaders respond is important. He said terrorists want us to be scared of each other, and “everybody loses when these ideologies spread.”
“Recently, my kids (ages 10 to 15) started to feel the tension (in society),” Albezreh said. “We felt the need to respond in a positive way. I don’t want them to feel scared.”
Kramer, the Catholic priest, urged people to reject messages stereotyping all Muslims.
“With all the political things going on, about the Islamic religion, well, it’s a religion. There’s nothing to fear from Islam,” Kramer said. “There are going to be radical people in everything. There are radical Christians, and they cause us problems.”
McIntosh acknowledged that church attendance nationwide is down in recent years, but he said his African Methodist Episcopal congregation can still make a difference in not only tolerating, but embracing, people’s differences.
“I still think I have a pretty good platform to speak about these things. And my choice is to speak about love and to teach love,” McIntosh said.
While churches can be affected by society’s polarization at both ends of the political spectrum, Martin said, there’s value in finding the things that connect all of us, rather than the things that make us different, adding that love is more powerful than fear.
“It seems to me that there is always that large group in the middle who are looking to various leaders for guidance,” Martin said. “It’s really critical at this time of year to communicate those messages (of love).”