Faith and Identity

One of the wonderful aspects of being in another country is that it gives us a window into another reality, that is the same in some ways, but very different in others. One of the surprising differences I've encountered in Cairo is the overtness in which people embrace their religious identity.

Of course Egypt is 90 % Muslim, and so the sights and sounds of Islam are all around, from the call to prayer, to the distinctive way in which Muslims dress. To be honest, this part hasn't been so surprising. The surprising thing is that the Christian community are equally distinctive in the way they self identify. Because the indigenous Christian community is only about 10% of the population, I expected to encounter a subtle Christian community that would blend in with the population in general. Instead, I've found that Christians in Cairo are very public in the way they self-identify. They wear crosses, they dress differently, and their churches are tall and grandiose. And so in many obvious ways, people in Egypt embrace the distinctiveness of who they are.

Conversely, for many people in America, especially those under 40, the idea of publicly embracing one's religious identity is somewhat of a tricky issue. Many in this age group are weary of being too rigid in the way they identity with religion. And in many ways, rightfully so. History has witnessed countless examples in which passionate religious groups have caused great destruction, (i..e. The Crusades, the wars of the reformation, etc...) And so they say things like, “I'm spiritual but not religious.” or “I'm Christian, I guess.” For some in this mindset, to even self-identify too strongly with a religion is to engage in bigotry.

What a difference of mentality between these two worlds. I'm still processing what these issues of religious identity mean, but here are a few of my initial thoughts. Distinctiveness can go too far, because radical distinctiveness can easily become hatred. On the other hand, there's definitely something to be said for confidently embracing who we are as religious people, not in an abrasive way that demands attention, but in a joyful way that inspires others.

And as we look at all of the remarkable people of history whom we admire- the Mandela's, the Picasso’s, etc... - what they have in common is they were not afraid to be who they were. And this is why they inspire us, because deep down, all of us want to be able to freely embrace who we are without fear or shame.

And so is there a way for people to embrace distinctive religious identities, beyond vagueness and halfheartedness, without also resorting to intolerance? I think so. I hope so.