Abraham makes us a family

A grassroots movement of citizens from North America, Asia, Africa and Europe has organized what they hope is the first annual Global Oneness Day on Oct 24. They hope to bring people together as "one human family." Their spiritually focused message is that we are all interrelated and interdependent, and that until this commonality is uniformly accepted, wars and other atrocities will continue. Historically speaking, the notion of spiritual "family" isn't far off. While they have their differences, the western world's three major religions are all Abrahamic; Judaism, Christianity and Islam (in historical order) all link their inextricably entwined lineages to Abraham. All are monotheistic, all share Jerusalem as a holy city, all believe God guides through prophets, and all the founding peoples - yes, all - share Semitic origin. Many of the stories are the same in the Old Testament and Qu'uran (the great flood, Isaac's sacrifice, etc.).

Each sees Abraham's importance a little differently. The Jewish text states that God called Abraham out of Ur (Mesopotamia) to make a covenant with him. In exchange for worship God would bless Abraham's descendants and give them a new land. Christians, originally a sect of Judaism, accepted this story but further considered the relationship a foundation for the coming of a savior (Jesus). The Quran's story focuses on the prophet's rejection of his father's idol worship. Abraham's choice to exchange a comfortable home for a traveler's life of hardship to obey Allah sets the textual foundation for obedience to God's will. Arab Muslims (many Muslims are not Arab) trace their lineage back to Abraham through Ishmael.

The importance which all three place on Jerusalem is especially interesting. First for the Jews, Isaac's sacrifice took place there. David later established it as his people's first capital. Jerusalem is the Biblical site of the initial exodus, the last supper, and Jesus' trial, crucifixion, and resurrection/ascension. It's also where the prophet Mohammad ascended to heaven. The first Muslims prayed not toward Mecca, but toward Jerusalem.Like bickering siblings who mature into a mutually beneficial relationship, the West's three major religions have more in common than they care to admit. Sometimes being too close creates a sense of competition, but it's increasingly obvious that human interdependence will only grow. Mutual benefit, if not more spiritual motivations, must effect change for humanity to survive.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network with degrees in law and international studies. She lived in the Middle East for nine years.