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Praying to Celebrate Differences

        I use various magazines and journals to keep me up to date on news that is worth knowing, but which I would probably miss knowing.  Through the process, you learn to trust certain venues and authors to tell you things you will want to know.  Some of them for me would be obvious, namely, Quaker periodicals to tell me about the Quaker world which is my own tradition.  But some of the things I read are a very different sort.  I routinely read periodicals and people who likely take a very different approach than I personally would.  I try to read people who think very differently than I do and have theological positions I personally don’t find speak to me.

       This seems counter-cultural today.  I find so many people only watch news outlets that gives them the party line they hold.  Political liberals only watch MSNBC and, of course, conservatives only watch FOX news.  Too often, the same regimen holds for people who hold theological positions.  Part of me feels like it is a waste of time for me to listen to people tell me what I already know.  I want to learn, explore and grow. 
   
    And so it was when I read one of my journals that come from a different place than I do.  The story’s headline caught my attention: “North Carolina imam urges Congress to ‘celebrate’ difference.”  I was hooked; I had to read it.  The story was about Duke University’s imam, Abdullah Antepli.  I learned that he is only one of seven imams since 9/11 to offer the opening prayer on the House of Representative’s floor.  It turns out he is the only one to do it twice.  That is interesting.  And I never heard of the man, but he clearly is an important figure.
   
    The opening words of his second prayer touched me.  Antepli prayed, “As the Creator of all, you made us different…Enable us to understand, appreciate and celebrate our differences.”  Here is a Muslim praying to Allah/God with words I would be very comfortable praying.  In that sense Antepli is no different than I am---except he would have a different accent.  It would not be a Muslim accent as opposed to a Quaker accent.  Rather, it would be an English accented by his homeland of birth, namely, Turkey.
   
    I like his opening address: Creator of all.  That clearly affirms the creation theology of the opening lines from Genesis, which Jews and Christians alike would affirm.  His next prayer request from the Creator of all is to offer appreciation that the Creator made us different.  Maybe some of us don’t like the fact we were made different, but I am really happy.  I cannot imagine a world in which everyone is like me!  And I don’t want to live in a world where everyone is like any particular reader of this piece.  I delight in the diversity of difference.
   
    Antepli’s prayer continues in a way I can appreciate.  He asks God to enable us.  Some things stand out in this petition.  In the first place I really like the verb, “enable.”  He does not ask God to do it for us.  He does not complain to God that we are unable.  Antepli affirms our human desire to be at work and to join God in making a better world.  And so he prays that we be enabled.  And it is inclusive.  He asks God to enable “us.”  I would like to think he wants God to enable every one of us.  We all have a divine job to do.  
   
    After the entreaty to be enabled, Antepli strings together three verbs that are hooked to the noun, “differences.”  The three verbs are: understand, appreciate and celebrate.  All three verbs excite me---especially as it has to do with differences.  And I also notice the word, “difference,” is actually plural: differences.  We do not have a single difference among us.  There are many.  Hallelujah, I say!
   
    Antepli’s first verb is “understand.”  No doubt this is where it begins when dealing with diversity and differences.  We either understand or we don’t.  And if we don’t, then we either don’t care---or worse.  Violence can issue forth when understanding is missing.  To understand is a huge part of the divine work all of us have to do.  His second verb is “appreciate.”  Obviously, it is hard to appreciate when understanding is missing.  Appreciation is different than hoping the other person or group will change.  Appreciating is gratitude for the way the “other” actually is.  Appreciation leads to relationship, not domination.  His third verb is “celebrate.”  Appreciation leads to celebration.  To celebrate means I am happy with and for the differences.
   
    As I read a little more about Antepli, I was encouraged by his faith journey and what he has to teach us.  He seems to be optimistic about all our possibilities.  I take heart in that.  I liked how one of his teachers described him.  “He believes that all people should be able to find something that unites them and can bring them together, even if they have very seemingly unmanageable gaps in their perspective or approaches," notes that teacher.
   
    That’s good for me.  I want to associate with people like Abdullah Antepli.  I want to share his confidence that we can pray to Allah---God---and learn how to celebrate differences.  I want to participate with him and all other kinds of believers in making this a better world.  It will be a world where justice reigns and peace breaks out.  What a great place to live.

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