Interfaith Leaders gather together to make a difference in Houston

I love my church! My church is Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran and United Methodist. This week, I had the privilege to see the Houston interfaith community step up to collectively accomplish a task that none of us can do alone – cover the continent of Africa with mosquito nets. As a lifelong Methodist, I’ve always been proud of the mission and service that Methodists support worldwide. Proud to see the cross and flame in countries communicating symbolically what language cannot.

Today, I’m even more proud that we, United Methodists, realize partnering with Nothing But Nets is not about what we can do as Methodists. Instead, it’s about what we can do as world changers; and to change the world, we have to engage the people of the world – regardless of religion.

I witnessed an incredible multiplication of my church’s gifts when it joined with interfaith leaders at a Nothing But Nets luncheon in Houston. Committed Muslim leaders, in the midst of Ramadan, ate nothing, but sat with their brothers and sisters in support of world change and malaria prevention. That spirit of service continued at a faith leaders’ dinner four hours away in Tyler, Texas. Some left donations on the table – totaling $1,450 in one location, and others humbly slipped a check into the Bishop’s hands representing one net purchased per person at a 230-member church. Three hundred seventy-five lives saved – without respect to religion.

Every one of us left saddened by the statistics, inspired by the testimonies and empowered to make a difference in ways as unique as our individual faiths. I love my Jewish-Muslim-Catholic-Evangelical Lutheran-United Methodist church, and hope you’ll join us in the fight to prevent Malaria.