I Wish I Could Go To Church

I want to go to church, I want to bring my family to church.  I remember as a child going to Sunday School and to church with my brothers' family and I loved it.  People were nice and happy.  It was fun learning about the Bible and the stories in it.  I was taught a good and kind God that brought joy to the world.  I don't recall any negative feelings or judgments about others, including different people, or even mentions of other religions in a bad way.  My mom didn't go to church, she always said, "why should I go to church, then walk back out and sin."  At the church I knew, no one judged her, they still loved her and welcomed her at Easter when she did venture into the building. 

I think about the sermons that were preached.  Things like God forgiving us for our sins and following a righteous and moral path with God leading the way.  That God loves us.  I remember giving myself over to God so I could be happy and live a good life too.  All of those are memories of a child that loved church and God and the family it brought with it.  Those are the memories of the God that I know and love.

But when I speak about God these days to preachers and members of a church.  It seems full of judgments.  Rather than being welcomed and understood with open arms as my family being Muslim and Christian.  Islam is criticized and we are nudged, with a smile, to come to church and accept only Jesus as our Savior. 

I wish I could find an interfaith place to worship and find the love and family to openly and kindly discuss our beliefs with acceptance and compassion.  And perhaps in a bigger city, something like that exists.  But here in a small town, where there is a church on every corner, acceptance goes only as far as a polite smile when you say your Muslim and Christian.