Christianity as Neighbor (Part 2)

Learning How to See with Brian McLaren

Center for Action and Contemplation

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 748 Ratings

🗓️ 10 June 2022

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Renowned civil rights leader and best-selling author Valarie Kaur joins Brian for this episode of Learning How to See. In this conversation, they help us see how learning about another faith tradition can help us see our own tradition in a different way. Valarie Kaur is a renowned civil rights leader and celebrated prophetic voice "at the forefront of progressive change" (Center for American Progress). Valarie burst into American consciousness in the wake of the 2016 election when her Watch Night Service address went viral with 40 million views worldwide. Her question "Is this the darkness of the tomb – or the darkness of the womb?" reframed the political moment and became a mantra for people fighting for change. Valarie now leads the Revolutionary Love Project to reclaim love as a force for justice in America. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here Brian's new book, Do I Stay Christian? can be found here Valarie Kaur's work with Revolutionary Love can be found here. Everyone who purchases a copy of Brian's new book Do I Stay Christian? from our online bookstore will be invited to participate in an exclusive Community Read-Along on Facebook! There will be discussion questions, prompts, and shared practices as we move through the book each week. The Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) is an educational nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen compassionate engagement in the world. When you purchase this or any other book from our online bookstore you help us to introduce seekers from around the world to the contemplative Christian path of transformation. (Everyone who purchases a copy of Do I Stay Christian? will receive a URL to join the discussion group via email.) Connect with us: We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments or feedback. Send us an email at podcasts@cac.org Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Brian McLaren: Website| Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Valarie Kaur: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would love to support the ongoing work of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the continued work of our podcasts, you can donate at cac.org/podcastsupport Thank you!

Transcript

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0:00.0	In my book, Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Muhammad cross the road, I told the story of how I met my first Muslim friend when I was a newlywed at 23 years old.
0:15.4	His name was Atif, and he was my eight-year-old Iranian neighbor in the apartment upstairs.
0:22.6	Through Ateeth, I met his mother and her friends,
0:25.6	and for the first time in my life, I was immersed in a social network
0:30.6	in which I as a Christian was a minority.
0:33.6	It was a powerful and life-changing experience.
0:43.9	And ever since, I felt sorry for my fellow Christian friends who have never had the experience of being a religious minority and who have never had close Muslim friends so that they
0:52.9	have a reality by which to judge the anti-Muslim prejudices so often
1:00.1	picked up in Christian radio, Christian books, social media, and mass media.
1:06.5	I was 23 when I met my first Muslim friend, but it wasn't until I was 59 years old that I met my first sick friend.
1:16.6	Her name is Valerie Kour. Many people pronounce the name of her religion as Sikhism, but Valerie taught me that its proper pronunciation is sick, sickism.
1:30.5	In our last episode, I introduced you to a mutual friend of Valerie's and mine, Rabbi Jill Jacobs.
1:38.2	I wanted Christians to understand how Jews have experienced Christians through much of our history.
1:45.0	And Rabbi Jill helped us see our religion
1:48.1	from the outside, so to speak,
1:49.8	to see ourselves as our Jewish neighbors see us.
1:54.9	In this episode, Valerie will help us in a similar way.
1:59.6	She has some amazing stories to tell. And her book,
2:04.0	Ceno's Stranger, is literally one of the best books I've read in my whole adult life.
2:09.0	It is quite simply a guidebook to help people learn to love their neighbors as themselves.
2:15.9	After Valerie and I had become friends, we discovered that our stories
2:21.4	had been intertwined through Valerie's best friend as a child. I hope you'll come to appreciate
	...

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