Falling Fast

David Brooks at the NYT has a great editorial on President Obama’s fall from favor with the American public.  The excitement which was palbable a year ago is no where to be found.  Brooks offers his opionion as to why, and in so doing offers a mid course corrective for the young president.

Muslims in America, Part 4

The final installment from Andrew Elliot of the New York Times in her 2007 Pulitzer Prize winning series on Sheik Reda Shata focuses on his transition from urban America to suburban America.  The amount of overlap betwee the struggles of an Islamic Sheik and a suburban pastor may come as a surprise to some.

Muslims in America, Part 3

The third article in the 2007 Pulitzer Prize winning series on Muslims in America from New York Times writer Andrea Elliot.  This article proves to be the most tender and lighthearted of the group.  Sheik Rada Shata is here portrayed in such a soft pastoral role, that you can’t help but like him.  His insight into people and on what it means to lead them are important for leaders in the church.  The story of his wife and children will make you both smile and weep.  The matchmaking stories are a treat.

Muslims in America, Part 2

The second article in the 2007 Pulitzer Prize winning series by New York Times writer Andrea Elliot on Muslims in America.  A few thoughts.

I wonder how Christians in America would respond were a places changed?  From the response of Christians overseas I have some good hope that the response would be good.  That the effects of scrutiny and discriminatino would serve to strengthen committment by raising the stakes.

Muslims in America, Part 1

Here is a link to the first article in a series on Muslims in America written by Andrewa Elliot of the New York Times.  The series won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in  2007.  Here are a couple of things worth chewing on before, during and after you read this first installment.

First, compare and contrast the methods of contextualization between Islam and Christianity.  Notice the way Sheik Rada Shata contextualizes and the way that Christianity contextualizes.  How are they similar and how do they differ?  What can we learn from his contextualization of Islam.

Second, consider the role of the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge in providing services to Muslims in New York City.  Does the Islamic Society in some ways have a more holistic minisry than many of churches?  How do they differ?  Are there ways in which the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge actually does a better job of modeling a New Testament church than many of our churches today?

Finally, look carefully and consider the place of mental health in Islam and Christianity.  The opionions offered near the end of the article on mental health may at first sound primitive to you.  However, compare them with some of the opionions found among our well meaning, more conservative brothers and sisters and I think you will find significant overlap.  The overlap signifies neither approval nor approbation, but it needs to be considered.

I’ll post links to the remaining articles in the series as I read them.