The surprise speaker this year was Bono, the rock star who recently was chosen, along with Bill Gates, as Time magazine’s Person of the Year. Bono is a Christian who has been an active crusader on behalf of the world’s poor. He gave an inspiring address at this Prayer Breakfast, at one point directly addressing President Bush about the need to obey „a higher Law” in doing justice on behalf of the devastated populations in Africa.
Many of the same attendees gathered again a few hours later for a luncheon address by King Abdullah II of Jordan. He too spoke boldly about God’s concern for justice, quoting from both the Bible and the Koran. „At this point in history”, he said, „our service to God, our countries and our peoples demands that we confront extremism in its myriad forms.” Christians, Jews and Muslims must unite, he urged, „to overcome this common foe.”
After the luncheon address, I was invited along with twenty-three other religious leaders -Christian, Jewish and Muslim- for a private dialogue with the King. Here too he spoke boldly and knowledgeably about the need to confront religious terrorism, exploring various strategies for international and interreligious cooperation.
After an hour, the person moderating our discussion announced that the session must come to an end. At this point a rabbi spoke up, insisting that one more thing must be said. He remarked that our small group gathered in that room were representatives of the three „religions of our Father Abraham.” As a Jew he was worried about the king’s safety and the safety of his family. „You are a courageous man”, he told the Muslim leader. „We need you to be with us for a long time.” He asked all of us to keep praying for King Abdullah.
And then the Jewish leader did something that moved many of us to tears. „As a fellow child of Abraham”, he said to the king, „I want to give you a blessing on behalf of all of Abraham’s spiritual children.” He then intoned the words of the Aaronic benediction: „The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Here was a descendent of Isaac giving a blessing to a descendent of Ishmael. I will have to think much about how to explain that in the terms of my Reformed theology. But in that moment I too prayed for a blessing on a courageous Muslim leader.
The author is professor of Christian Philosophy and president of Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California, USA.
