We live in a confusing and complicated, and often unjust and tragic, world.  I just read an article about how millions of Tibetan children are being indoctrinated by China.  It's another way in which people try to strip other people of their core values, faith, and tradition.  It's a form of brain washing, which we have seen take place in Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, and China over the course of history, including now the Uighurs and Tibet. Families are separated and children placed in schools to read things that cast aspersion on their history.  

I am not here to defend Buddhism, but I see no need for anyone to rip the Buddhist tradition apart from its culture and heritage;  nor do I want to see Christianity persectuted in places like Syria, Iraq, and Egypt.  For that matter, we need to defend our own Native American spiritual culture.  Our faith (Christianity) has a lot in common with all of them and we can find our tradition being enlightened by other faiths and even learn something from them.  We also can bring a lot to others who don't believe the same as we do.

Today our own faith is being challenged by secularism, which permeates our whole culture and has no regard for people's faith needs.  Secularism is an approach, a stance, that has no use for religion at all.  Our world now is filled with fanatics -  MAGA Republicans, militant atheists, far-left advocates, fundamentalist Evangelical Christians.  The list goes on.  A fanatic to me is someone who refuses to see the other side and will not consider the fact that they could be wrong.

What opened up my mind - and we all need one - is St. Anselm's famous observation, "Faith seeks understanding."   Our faith is not anti-intellectual.  Our faith is a living thing. It examines and studies and tries to understand.  It is never frozen.  

I hope St. John's is a place where your faith can grow; where at times it may even be challenged.  Most of all, and through it all, may it be treasured. 

MEH

About the Author

Rev. Dr. Marvin Henk, a seasoned pastor from Des Plaines, IL, and Fremont, CA, leads a fulfilling life with his retired teacher wife, Kathleen, their two daughters, Erin and Allison, and cherished grandchildren, Marius and Madelyn. With a distinguished educational background from Valparaiso University, Lutheran School of Theology of Chicago, Union Theological Seminary in NY, and Princeton Theological Seminary, he was ordained in 1974 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Staten Island, NY. Pastor Henk has passionately served as pastor at St. John's Lutheran Church in Mamaroneck, NY. His diverse interests include sailing, baseball, marathons, international travel, collecting model trains, and community service roles.  In addition, he has run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.