All we are saying is give peace a chance

Last night was the Thanksgiving service which was located this year at the local synagogue. It was my first time there, so I had a ton of questions: What's that? Is that a door? Where does it go? What are those? What do all those symbols mean? I'm a grown up five-year-old.

In order to do the safe thing and get a ride to my car, I jumped into a conversation my friends were having with a very nice Jewish man who was explaining some of the items and symbols around the room. Finally I got some answers.

Then this man expressed his sadness that more people from the Islamic community did not come to the event. He suggested that they were perhaps embarrassed about some incident of people praying on a plane. I had missed seeing this story, but had to guess that that wasn't the reason.

Please, dear reader, tell me if you think I am misunderstanding this, but I would think that the fear of judgment and hatred would be more the reason the Islamic community would avoid the Temple. I personally avoid several churches for that exact reason.

So I said nothing, but left irate. I should have just walked to my car, as any mugger would have been toast. But no. I would have liked to suggest to this man that he rethink all he had just said. That he would speak and act in compassion as a representative from his own faith.

Tomorrow I will make a list of happy thanksgivings, but today I only have these: I am thankful that, while I am embarrassed by what some of the top Methodists say and do, I am not fearful of losing my life for my faith. I am thankful that I do not know war. I am thankful that neither my husband nor my brother know war. I am thankful I can now take Nuschler for a walk and laugh my aggression away at the expense of my silly dog.