Have a little faith...


The photo that appears above was posted on the Facebook page of a local elected leader.  Some of the comments that this photo elicited were disturbing to me.  A number of commenters seemed to take the sight of Muslims praying on the beach as an affront to their Christianity at best and, at worst, a sign that terrorists were invading Wakulla County.

A few comments represented less alarmist, more accepting perspectives.

Reading this thread reminded me of something that happened when I was a teacher at Wakulla High School.  I occasionally wear a Star of David and I tend to be very open about my Jewish faith.   My identity as a Jewish woman was not an every day topic of conversation, but I did not hide it and during the holidays my classroom decor reflected the diversity of my students.

In my second year teaching at Wakulla High, several Jewish students approached me and asked if I would be the faculty sponsor for a Jewish Student Association.  They told me that there had been a Christian Student Association on campus for years and that they had always wanted a group that would represent them.

I took the students' request to school administrators. I was given the green light to proceed.  However, the conversation that took place when I asked is one that has stayed with me for years. The school administrator said we should send a letter home to the parents of students who wanted to be part of the club.  I asked if this was standard practice for all clubs.  He said, "No, but their parents should know about this."

I responded, "I think their parents know if they are Jewish."

He looked perplexed, "I have taught in this district for a long time, I don't know any Jewish students."

I said, "Well, you have taught them. For example, (I named a student who would be one of the club founders) was in your class.  Her mother is on the board of a temple in Tallahassee."

He said, "Oh. I never knew. Well, okay  then.  I just have one more question..."

"Okay?" I asked.

He asked, "Do we have Muslim students at this school?"

I said, "Yes, we do."

He said, "Do you think they will want a club, too?"

I said, "They might.  They'll need a club sponsor. I would not be the best qualified person to fill that role, though."

During that year, the club became a forum for Jewish students to share their cultural experiences with their friends. Most of the gatherings revolved around tasting unfamiliar foods and talking about social justice, a major theme in the Jewish faith.

I share this story because I think it illustrates that we may not be aware of who our neighbors are and that we might be more comfortable with those who hold different views if we knew their proximity to us.

By the way, I did contact the person who posted the photo and we had a good discussion about the photo and the responses that followed.  I also told him I planned to write this blog post.

The post has touched a nerve in our county and I am sure we will see more discussion in the coming days. My own response is to pray for love and understanding.  In the words of Garth Brooks, from his song "We Shall Be Free":

When we're free to love anyone we choose 
When this world's big enough for all different views 
When we all can worship from our own kind of pew 
Then we shall be free 
We shall be free 

We shall be free 
Have a little faith 
Hold out 
'Cause we shall be free 

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