
Gabe Lyons, the founder of
Q Ideas
, did a pretty outlandish thing for a Christian leader. He invited imam
Feisal Abdul Rauf
to a large Q Gathering in Portland, Oregon, in April 2011. Concerned about the heightened tensions between some Christians and Muslims in America that had not subsided since the previous summer, due to the ground-zero
mosque controversy
, Lyons knew that lack of understanding can be at the root of unnecessary relational problems. He simply wanted to interview the imam, a peaceable Sufi, and “get understanding” (Proverbs 4:5).
In a thoughtful article that Lyons wrote in response to the ground-zero mosque controversy he had asked, “Can you imagine a future where Muslims and Christians would work alongside one another in our communities to fight for justice, care for the poor, and offer hope to those in need?” He cited the work of Eboo Patel, an Indian Muslim…