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TechnoratiHe also gave a practical example of how Muslims and Christians can work together by pointing to his PEACE plan, a massive effort to mobilize one billion Christians to combat the five biggest problems in the world – spiritual emptiness, corrupt leadership, extreme poverty, pandemic diseases, and illiteracy and lack of education.
In a western province in Rwanda, the PEACE plan has been implemented where imams and pastors are invited to attend healthcare training sessions. Those religious leader in turn help mobilize their congregants to also receive healthcare training. By the end of this year, Warren said, a province where there was only one doctor for 750,000 people will have over 1,500 trained healthcare workers.
The acronym PEACE stands for promote reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Warren acknowledged that it will not be easy to work together because of the criticism from conservatives from both religions, but he urged both groups to work together for the common good.
“You know what I discovered is when you walk down the middle of the road you get hit coming and going,” the evangelical pastor said. “Actually, it is easier to be an extremist of any kind because then you only have one group of people mad at you. But if you actually try to build relationships, like invite an evangelical pastor to your gathering, you’ll get criticize for it, so will I. But that is not what matters,” he said.
Warren was among a number of Christian leaders who were invited to participate in the ISNA convention. Other Christian leaders were invited to speak at the smaller sessions during the July 3-6 event.
ISNA is an umbrella organization for Muslim groups in North America. Its annual conventions usually draw tens of thousands of people. The hall containing the Saturday session with Rick Warren was filled to capacity.
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