Dear St. Paul’s Family,
194 lines.
By now, you may have heard the news that I have been cast in one of the lead roles of the Cherokee Community Theater’s upcoming production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I. I will be playing the King, which means that over the course of the next seven weeks, I will be memorizing 194 lines of dialogue, an array of songs, and – gulp – some dance moves. (Those dance scenes may actually make me miss that flying harness from last time!) Memorizing all those lines will be tougher than any sermon, speech, or presentation I’ve ever given. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
As a result, I’ve been working on my lines for over a month now, long before rehearsals started last night, writing up individual flash cards that I have color-coded per scene, tucked in an index card box that I keep in my trusty backpack at all times. I’ve pulled them out during occasional free moments, most recently during my flight back from Florida last week.
During one of my recent memorization breaks, I recalled a fascinating HBO documentary I watched eighteen months ago called Koran by Heart, about three ten-year old children competing in a competition to recite the entire Muslim holy book from memory. That’s right, from memory: all thirty books, one hundred fourteen chapters, and 6,236 verses. I am now thinking to myself that if these kids can memorize something that long, then I have no reason to complain about 194 measly lines. Clearly, this Methodist preacher has something to learn from these beautiful Muslim children.
I invite you to read that last sentence again. Then check your own reaction and ask yourself: Is it possible for a Christian to learn anything of value from a person of a different faith?
A few days ago, a friend of mine asked me if I found the prospect of playing a Buddhist character like King Mongkut on stage at all troubling. There will be moments when I will be chanting, praying, and bowing to Buddha, and commanding all of my subjects to do the same. If you’ve ever seen the film version of The King and I, you know that that particular worship scene will be bold, bright, and unmistakably lavish, and it will be my goal to make you forget for a moment that I am a Filipino Methodist preacher living in Iowa, and have you think of me as a devoutly Buddhist Siamese king.
I told my friend that I wasn’t concerned about playing that character on stage, because I know most people will be able to delineate between my own convictions and those of the character I play. But that isn’t the only reason: I also do not see Buddhism as an inherent threat to my own Christian faith. Just like the Muslim children in Koran by Heart might actually teach me something about my relationship with scripture, there are certain aspects of Buddhism that can strengthen my own personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Dr. Tyron Inbody, my favorite theology professor in seminary, taught me the concept of confessional pluralism as a way to deal with the thorny issue of Christianity’s relationship with other religions. He suggests that for Christians, other religions can be true, and even may be true, when considered through the lens of one’s belief in Jesus Christ. In other words, when I analyze the belief systems of other religions, there actually might be truths to be found in them, which may strengthen my own Christian beliefs.
Buddhism, of course, is essentially an atheistic religion, at least in the way most Christians understand God. That is an inherent point of diversion between the two faiths that cannot easily be bridged. However, there are many examples of ways that Buddhist practice can strengthen a Christian’s own spiritual life, particularly in ways to pray, in non-attachment to earthly problems, and in compassionate generosity for all people. Through my Christian lens, Buddhism can illumine for me Jesus’ call not to worry about tomorrow, or Paul’s charge to be anxious for nothing. And the Buddhist principle of bodhichitta, which is the exercise of loving-kindness for all people, sounds quite consistent with much of what Jesus taught.
Likewise, the children in Koran by Heart are inspiring examples of how one can develop such an intimate relationship with a sacred text that one internalizes it at the deepest possible level. For those three young people, their engagement with their holy book was not just a perfunctory act of memorization, but a link to their ancestry, a discovery of their own identity, and a beautiful act of spiritual devotion. I couldn’t help but think about how the opening words of the Psalms encourages us to develop that same relationship with the Scriptures: These persons love the Lord’s Instruction, and they recite God’s Instruction day and night! They are like a tree replanted by streams of water, which bears fruit at just the right time and whose leaves don’t fade.
The religious convictions of other people, then, need not be a threat to Christians who are seeking to deepen their own spiritual walk. We live in a radically polarized world, in which our gut instinct is to react adversely to any belief system that is not perfectly aligned with ours. These divisions can lead to prejudice, self-righteousness, and at worst, violence. Certainly, while there is a core to the Christian faith that we cannot compromise – namely, our beliefs about Jesus Christ, the work of the cross, and the authority of Scripture – there is much that can be gained by embracing what the full panoply of religious traditions can offer us. When we analyze other religions through the lens of Jesus Christ, we can see the beautiful array of God’s love poured out for all people.
In this increasingly multi-dimensional world, it would behoove us to remember a few principles in the way we relate to people of different faiths. First, we must be clear about what we believe as Christians, and be unafraid to profess that faith openly with people, even if they will not agree with us. Second, we must adopt a spirit of humility in the ways we invite others to share with us their own personal convictions. And finally, we must be willing to discover what truths their beliefs may contain, as we evaluate them through our Christian lens.
Ultimately, in all things, there must be love. That is the essential guardian against an extremism that can lead to violence, regardless of one’s religion. It is love that can build bridges of peace and understanding, and draw us closer to God.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
Email: mdevega@sp-umc.org
A HUGE THANK YOU
Thank you, St. Paul’s, for an amazing Sunday! Your efforts at the Imagine No Malaria pancake luncheon last Sunday served hundreds of people in the community and throughout Northwest Iowa, and helped raise over $1,000 to eradicate malaria. Special thanks go to Sherry Held, Jeff Blum, and the wonderful team of people who set up, cooked, hosted, and cleaned up after the event. Thank you to Carolyn Van Amberg and the Missions Team for distributing the educational material and helping raise awareness of our efforts. Thanks to Mary Jo Carnine for selling her handmade scarves, raising $230 for the cause. Her sales, along with the luncheon proceeds and the special offering during worship that morning totaled $2,000 to fight malaria! And thanks to all of you who donated your time, money, and material goods to make last Sunday such a success on every level.
We are also grateful to Bishop Julius Trimble and District Superintendent Tom Carver for joining us in worship that morning. Bishop Trimble enjoyed his visit and shared with me his gratitude for the warm hospitality you all displayed throughout the day and into the District Conference, and was pleased to see the health and vitality of the St. Paul’s congregation. Well done, St. Paul’s!
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