This past week during the memorial services at Fort Hood, Texas, Steve Inskeep of National Public Radio interviewed Chaplain Maj. Dawud Agbere, one of the 10 Muslim chaplains employed by the U.S. military. A few of his responses to Inkeep’s questions reminded me that the Christian’s one, unique message, is the gospel. Here’s the clip of the interview that caught my attention:
INSKEEP: We should make clear for people who may not know: Youre not just seeing Muslim soldiers, are you?
Maj. AGBERE: Exactly. So, you know, I tell people all the time, I am not a Muslim Chaplain. I am a Chaplain who happens to be of the Islamic faith. So, yes, the Christian chaplain will take care of the Muslim soldier. The Jewish rabbi will take care of the Mormon soldier. So sometimes, I find myself in a unit, and Im the only Muslim in that unit.
INSKEEP: And Islam has enough in common with Christianity and other religions that you have no trouble giving all kinds of people advice that youre comfortable with and that theyre comfortable with?
Maj. AGBERE: Exactly. I mean, look at human situations. You know, when you talk of divorce, financial problems, these things don’t have religion. These are things human beings go through. Continue reading »
