Kaylie Brunsdale, 21, said she had Now, Brunsdale and her mission partner, about the Mormon

about the Mormon church. Jesus traveled to America after his resur-
a lot of questions for God while she Chelsea Fuelling, 23, of Sandy, Utah, stand The temple will be staffed almost rection.
was considering serving
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mission. Every other week, she would building to curious Philadelphians and of whom put in five to 10 hours of work without what happened in Philadelphia,”
go to a temple near her home town of inviting them to sign up for a tour. per week. The church won’t say how Miller said.

INTERFAITH INSIGHT

Abraham is father of the faith for Jews, Christians, Muslims

By Douglas Kindschi you, and make your name great, sion to Allah and is considered scripture. Sibling conflict also the focus of our attention. But we
Director, Kaufman Interfaith Institute
so that you will be a blessing.” one of the prophets. As one of the appears between Isaac and also can choose to find what we

J
udaism, Christianity (Genesis 13:2) most frequently named persons Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, and the have in common and seek har-
and Islam are called the For Christians, Abraham is in the Quran, Abraham is called a brothers of Joseph who sold him mony, understanding and peace.
Abrahamic faiths, because seen as the “father of the faith” friend of God and an example for into slavery. Much of what is at stake is
each tradition sees Abraham as a and is honored for his obedience. all mankind. But we also note that within in reality more political than
pivotal figure in its history. The Apostle Paul expands the If all three religions call each of the separate traditions religious. It is the task of the
For Jews, Abraham is seen concept of being a descendent of Abraham the father of the faith, there are divisions that can lead interfaith effort to contribute
as the one from Abraham when he writes in his how is it that these three “chil- to violence. Whether it is Sunni to the healing of some of these
whom all Jews letter to the Galatians: “So also dren of Abraham” are so often in vs. Shi’a Muslims, or Catholics vs. divisions. While the political divi-
are descended. Abraham believed God, and it conflict? Is it just sibling rivalry Protestants in Northern Ireland, sions might seem insurmount-
Abraham is the was credited to him as righteous- or are the three in fundamental tensions within can be as volatile able, the religious divisions can
father of Isaac ness.” disagreement? as conflicts between religious be addressed as we seek to rec-
and grandfather Understand, then, that those communities. ognize the image of God in some-
of Jacob, who is who have faith are children of SIBLING RIVALRY TURNS While one can find differences one who might not look like me,
renamed Israel Abraham. Scripture foresaw God TO VIOLENCE between and within these three have the same color skin as me,
and whose 12 Kindschi would justify the Gentiles by faith Jonathan Sacks in his recent Abrahamic traditions, there is dress like me or worship like me.
sons represent and announced the gospel in book, “Not in God’s Name: also much in common. All three We are all children of God,
the tribes of Israel. advance to Abraham: “All nations Confronting Religious Violence,” acknowledge God as the creator made in God’s image. We may
Abraham is called by God to go will be blessed through you.” points to the stories of sibling of the universe, believe that not think alike or understand
into a new land and in a covenant So those who rely on faith are rivalry and even fratricide in our humans are created in the image God in the same way, yet we are
is declared to be the “father of blessed along with Abraham, the scriptures. In Genesis, we read of God, teach that we must be called to love each other. That is
multitudes.” In Genesis, the first man of faith. (Galatians 3:6-9, NIV) of the first act of worship where kind to the stranger, and preach the core of interfaith understand-
book of the Torah, God makes In Islam, Abraham, called the difference offerings by the humility and the importance of ing.
this promise: “I will make you Ibrahim in the Quran, is honored two brothers, Cain and Abel, led love and forgiveness. The differ- — Contact: interfaith@gvsu.
a great nation, and I will bless for his obedience and submis- to the first recorded murder in ences are apparent and can be edu

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