Seeking Mutuality with our Muslim Neighbour

BRIDGE Certificate Program

November 2015

This past week, we had the joy of opening the third module in the CBM Bridge Certificate on Integral Mission in a Majority Islamic Context. It was a great pleasure to have our friend Rev. Cannon Mary Nzyoki present six sessions on "Understanding Islamics for Fruitful Christian Muslim Relations". The Garissa pastors and Christian leaders deeply appreciated her passion and expertise.

Aaron leading the BRIDGE class on a session about "mutuality"

With the end of this course, the Bridge Certificate cohort has reached the half way point in the program. As a praxis based training, Aaron has been helping the participants work through applying the content of the training to their ministries and leading them through times of reflection and analysis. 

"We don't learn from our experience," shared Aaron. "We learn from reflecting upon our experience. Good reflection requires us to be intentional as we go about ministry. Being attentive to what we are doing and why we are doing it. Taking time to articulate this and then to think, and discuss with others, the impact of how we are approaching ministry. What are we learning from our experience of ministry? Is there a better way?"

One of the themes during this past week of BRIDGE was the importance of mutuality among Christians and with our neighbours of other faiths. Strengthening our common understanding and practice of trust and interdependency has been a major part of the program.

 Erica with our friend and guest lecturer, 

Rev. Cannon Mary Nzyoki

Mutuality starts with an open hand. It is the step of faith that moves us toward the stranger with a spirit of hospitality and humility. This first step is an incredibly vulnerable position. It is a movement towards the unknown. If we are driven by fear, we will never take that step. Fear often causes us to  follow the base instincts of flight, fight, or flocking together. Fear cuts us off from the other. But faith does the opposite. 

By faith we believe that God is at work, even in the most distressing of times. By faith we believe that God's Spirit is moving in the lives of all people drawing them towards the fullness of life. By faith we trust that God is able to change us, and all people, for the good.

The experience of mutuality requires us to embrace the strangers among us, and to seek to know and to be known. This means that we open ourselves to listen and to share with people. In the process of building mutuality, we discover our differences and our common hopes and values.

It is true that it takes two, or more, sides to build mutuality, but it begins with one who is willing to extend grace to another. Experiencing mutuality provides a foundation for us to work together. It drives us toward a common future. 

In Prayer

Please continue to join us in praying for the Christian leaders of Garissa as they seek to strengthen bonds of understanding, trust, and solidarity within their community.

Pray for "bridge people" in both the Christian and the Muslim communities of Kenya, who are courageously drawing people together to overcome forces of division and distrust. 

Pray for Muslim leaders who are apposing radical Islamic movements and terrorism in Kenya and throughout the world. We also remember in prayer Muslim and Christian moderates who are being persecuted by those who wish to divide and destroy society. 

Pray for peace and for healing. We especially remember this week the thousands of families directly affected by the terribly attacks in Lebanon and France.