I found an amazing story that I would like to share with you. I know all anyone wants to talk about is the swine flu. So, at the end of today's post I'm going to share a video from Glenn Beck's television program. But right now, I am going to keep my promise to make this blog empowering and uplifting.
Two millennia ago, in a town called Bethlehem, Jesus Christ was born. Since that time (and before), the Middle East has been torn by hatred and war. The Christians attacked the Muslims, the Muslims and Jews tried to kill each other, and the world tried to eliminate the Jews. Everyone wanted to keep their own "Holy Land" through blood and hate.
The current Mayor of Bethlehem is a Christian. In preparation for the arrival of the Pope, he decided to have a gift made: a copy of the Gospel of Luke written in ornate Arabic script. For those of you that don't know, this is the traditional form in which the Qur'an is written. I had the opportunity to once visit a traveling museum exhibit that featured many of these gorgeous, hand-drawn scriptures.
Necessarily, then, the artist had to be a Muslim. Abu Saymeh, a 51-year-old man, was chosen for the project. He had never before read Christian scripture. During the process of making the book, however, he said, "I found that many of the things emphasized in Christianity exist in our religion."
I loved this story because it crosses so many lines in peace and understanding that were once considered impassible barriers. You can read the news story on it here. This is a small gesture in the face of what the Middle East continues to face today, but it shows that cooperation is possible. It gives me hope.
As promised, here's Glenn Beck...
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