Prophets, Patriarchs, & People of Promise!

"The rabbits' eye differs from that of the owl."
--Greek Poverb

In 2013, the Minnesota Council of Churches and the Islamic Center of Minnesota began a dialogue series called "Prophets, Patriarchs, & People of Promise!"

In previous months, we had a dialogue on Abraham, the Angels, Adam and Eve, and last month on Prophet Muhammad, upon them peace and blessings. In March, we will continue our dialogue series with a dialogue on David, upon him peace.

For Muslims, all prophets are spiritual brothers, with Prophet Muhammad being the last and final messenger of God in this long chain of prophets. As a Muslim, I know of their stories through the Qur'an and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

King David's honor and import spans religious traditions. In Judaism, he is remembered as the legendary second King of Israel and ancestor of the coming messiah. In Christianity, he is known as the forefather of Jesus and the psalmist. In Islam, he is a king and a Prophet revered for his righteous wisdom and willingness to stand against oppression.

Everyone knows of the David and Goliath story. According to Islamic teachings - the story has a beautiful dimension that is not discussed much. When David fought Goliath - it was not a fight of someone wanting to be a hero. David, upon him peace, was not someone with a savior complex. David, upon him peace, did not see his strength in face of Goliath, or Goliath's power in his face, but the whole journey was a journey of David's reliance on God's Strength and witnessing God's Greatness and Power over every power. The David and Goliath story is a story of a faithful few who witnessed the power and presence of God in their submission to His Commands after struggling to be true in word and deed to Him.

This month, our conversation will be led by Dr. Cameron Howard, Zafar Siddiqui and Rabbi David Wirtschafter.

Zafar Siddiqui is a co-founder of the Islamic Resource Group (IRG), an educational outreach organization dedicated to building bridges between Muslims and people of other faiths. He currently serves as the director of interfaith and civic relations at IRG. Siddiqui serves on the advisory board of the Muslim Christian Dialogue Center (MCDC) at the University of St. Thomas. He is a member of the Twin Cities Interfaith Network (TCIN) and is active in several interfaith and diversity-related initiatives in the Twin Cities.

Rabbi David Wirtschafter has served congregations in California, New Hampshire, and New York, and is currently rabbi of the Ames Jewish Congregation in Iowa. Raised in Minneapolis, he graduated from Brandeis University with a degree in English literature and from Hebrew Union College in New York with an M.A. degree in Hebrew literature. Actively involved in interfaith dialogue, social justice, and community service, he is a playful storyteller and a serious scholar who has given presentations on a wide variety of topics. Much of Rabbi Wirtschafter's current research focuses on troubling biblical texts and contemporary critiques of religion and on intelligent responses to both from within Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities.

If you cannot make it this month, watch for more dialogues in our series as we explore individuals revered as Prophets, Patriarchs, & People of Promise to learn and dialogue about Jesus (April 27) and Solomon (May 18). Upon them peace.

NOTE: In recognition of Easter Sunday, April's dialogue will break our regular pattern. Instead of the third Sunday of the month, we will gather together April 27th for a dialogue of Jesus.

When
Sunday, March 16
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Parking
Participants in the Muslim Christian Dialogue are invited to park on the street, in the parking lot of the Islamic Center of Minnesota or in the parking lot of Totino Grace High School directly across the street.

Please foward to friends and family and spread the word. We hope you can make it and open your heart and listen to three great speakers!