Defending Aldersgate: Religious Differences Build Bridges

To the Editor:

I commend the Rev. Dr. Dennis Perry and the Rev. Jason Micheli of Aldersgate United Methodist Church for extending a hand of friendship and to our Islamic brothers and sisters in their time of need.  The heart of the Christian Gospel is that God extends ‘unconditional’ love to all creation, no exceptions!  None of us are worthy of God’s love.  Yet God’s grace is extended to us all.  It is not earned.  It is freely offered.   

In response to the criticism from Christianity Today author, Jason Hood, who charges Aldersgate United Methodist Church with violating the love command by facilitating false worship, I say this:  Dr. Perry and Rev. Micheli are standing firmly in the tradition of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. To paraphrase Wesley, “the duty of a Christian is to love our neighbors as we love ourselves; to love every person as we love our own soul; to love all humanity because God is the creator of all flesh.  Just because someone is not personally known to us is not a barrier to our love; nor do we retaliate if our love is met with hatred, for the Christian loves their enemies and “even the enemies of God”, including the evil and unthankful.  And if we are not in a position to do good to them that hate us, we will continue to pray unceasingly for them even if they spurn our love and persecute us” (Wesley’s sermon, The Character of a Methodist).

Christians and Muslims do have differences of faith but that doesn’t make us enemies.  Nor do you have to believe as a Muslim to extend a hand of friendship to a Muslim. In fact we have more in common than not.  I agree with Dr. Perry that it is important to start building bridges with our Islamic brothers and sisters.  If fear of Muslims is behind the criticism of Aldersgate UMC’s hospitality let me remind you that the isolated Islamic terrorist is no more representative of the Islamic faith than the isolated Christian terrorist (who kills abortion doctors) is representative of the Christian faith.

The Apostle John writes: “We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” (1 John 4:19-21)

Thank you Dr. Perry and & Rev. Micheli for extending the hand of God.

Rev. Keary Kincannon

Pastor, Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church