I wear a hijab every weekday and I’m a Catholic.
Working in an Islamic school has taught me about the Quran. As a teacher who has spent the last 12 years working for organisations founded on Catholic, Orthodox, Buddhist and now Islamic beliefs, I have learnt that faith is faith. We all believe in love, sacrifice, hope and purity. As a writer though, I’m interested in sharing our differences too.
Religious Experiences
I’m sure I’m not alone in my interest in other religious experiences and my respect for other beliefs. I’m captivated when a friend, colleague or student shares their spiritual stories and the mechanics of their faith. Yet, when I write my books, I’m encouraged to leave out the specifications of my faith to attract a wider audience. While the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Rosary Beads are Catholic symbols, I anticipate stories behind them are relatable to all believers. In the same way, the stories behind the symbols of other religions are relatable to me. My mother’s devotion to the Sacred Heart, which has carried her through a tumultuous search for the relatives of her father, who died before she was born, would interest more than only Catholics. Furthermore, my experience with holding Rosary Beads, like I’m holding the Virgin Mary’s hand when I’m suffering, would relate to other God/Allah/Enlightenment loving people too.
Common Ground
My point is that knowing more about each other will make us better friends. Writing about our differences to discover our similarities is coming full circle from the Tower of Babel. In the biblical story, one tongue became different languages from rebelling against God; whereas different religions uniting in one word, sharing, makes us subservient to His golden rule: ‘Love one another as I have loved you’.
Specific Support
At the same time, we are enhancing our writing. ‘Doting the dragon’s eye’ is a Chinese idiom meaning to put the finishing touches on that which is already very good. By adding our religious diversities in our pages, I think we are doing just that. One of the most touching stories that I’ve heard in relation to the Ukraine/Russian war is when the Polish women left prams at the train stations for Ukraine women with babies. As mothers themselves, they knew that this distinct gesture would be helpful. Correspondingly, learning about other faiths through our respective writing will broaden our understanding and show us how we can support each other in specific ways.
While I know that as Christian writers, we need to expand our audience in any way we can; we have a small platform and a large desire to spread the holy word. However, I also know that omitting the dragon’s eye is not the way.
Hi Louise, I agree, it’s important that we’re aware of other belief systems and are respectful and sensitive in our writing. I write in a specific genre with reader expectations that dictate the faith content. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 😊
Thanks for sharing your opinion, Narelle.
Louise insightful, compassionate and inclusive as ever. I loved reading your article and I agree with the sentiment, we need more like this to show that religion need not be a barrier but a common understanding.