As Christians we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, including those of different nationalities and faiths. The members of Grace Episcopal Church, Syracuse, stand in solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters, who, like us, are beloved children of God.
We reject the false rhetoric sweeping our country that denounces Islam as a religion of violence. We admonish those who use fear to target innocent and upstanding people in an attempt to marginalize and scapegoat them. Fear cannot be our guiding principle.
Remembering that Mary, Joseph and Jesus were themselves refugees; we welcome the resettlement of Syrian refugees of all faiths in our country.
We call on each and every person to become educated on the tenets of the Islamic faith, resist the temptation to make wholesale generalizations about Muslims, and to read the parable of The Good Samaritan in the Bible (Luke 10:25-37) and reflect on what Jesus Christ expects us to do.
(If you wish to see our Letter to the Editor on Syracuse.com, please click this link)