By the Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley, General Secretary of American Baptist Churches USA

Over the past several years, a rich network of relationships developed between Baptist and Muslim leaders. “Love of Neighbor” and “Love of God” are the themes we pursued, and we found rich common ground in these two shared commands.

In our inter-religious interactions, neither of us dilutes our faith, and neither of us understands the other’s faith to be a barrier to building a community in which everyone is honored equally. We have committed ourselves as Christians, Jews, and Muslims, etc. to work shoulder-to-shoulder to actively pursue peace and denounce violence in the name of God – both within and outside of the United States. The task is at times formidable, but all the more essential. Within each of our faith communities globally, I have met extraordinary people committed to the same goal because of their faith: creating communities where all can thrive with peace and security in pluralistic societies.

By Mary Elizabeth Hanchey

Our youngest daughter suffered catastrophic organ failure at birth. She spent the first months of her life in the hospital, battling fiercely for her life.

Those months were difficult. Almost every moment was difficult. It was our Christian faith that sustained us. During those long months, I befriended another mother. She wore her hijab and spoke broken English. Often alone, she fretted over her infant boy. One day when she seemed particularly beside herself, I spoke to her, saying “Allah will protect your son.” Her eyes, sad and frightened, danced with gratitude.

Our story lines crossed that night. Our history, our culture, our language, and our faith – all of the things that distinguished our experiences – met there as we waited with children who were critically ill. We dreamt together of rescue, of redemption. Years have passed and my own child is feisty. I know nothing about her son. But I know that there is still much darkness ahead. With whom shall we join to dream of redemption?

By Pastor George Mason

Last fall Ebola came to our church.

Thomas Eric Duncan and his fiancee Louise Troh boarded an airplane in Monrovia, Liberia and flew to Dallas to attend a reunion. Days later he died, becoming the only person to die on American soil from the Ebola virus. Louise and three young men (one of them her 13-year old son) were quarantined.

My first thought on learning this was, “Could I visit her?” Instinctively, I sensed that in times like these, the role of a pastor is to be present, but in this case being present carried more risk. I kept thinking about the words of 1 John: Perfect love casts out fear. This was one of those existential moments when I understood that we often have to choose between fear and love.

Gratefully, the four people who had been exposed to the virus did not contract Ebola. Nevertheless, they will never be the same. Neither will our church. Neither will I. The saying “safety first” is not from the gospel. “Love first” is the way of Christ, and these must be the guiding words of all who follow Him.

All my life, I dreamed of serving my country.

As a child I wanted to be a firefighter or a police officer, and once I was in High School I set upon joining the United States Army. I believed that the pride of a solider and their unbreakable camaraderie was unmatched by any other form of service. Once I was in college I made it a high priority to join ROTC.

Since joining the ROTC program at Hofstra University, I’ve made brothers who do not judge me by the way I look but by my ability to accomplish my tasks and contribute to the esprit de corps. The Cadre members are great mentors who always take the time to guide and teach their fellow cadets. Most importantly I have learned to never give up.

My Sikh faith strengthens my desire to serve in the U.S. military, because the core values I fight for in the Army, such as preserving equality and religious freedom, are identical to those of my faith. Since World War I, Sikhs have had a rich tradition of military service in many nations across the globe, and I am proud to follow in that tradition.