Tea, texts and asabiya/social cohesion

Some years ago, doing Arabic language study in Cairo, my 'adopted' family and friends used a phrase "Conserve the fire of the home"  الحفاظ على نار المنزل 

(in English its "keep the home fires burning").  This phrase is beautiful whether used in the East or West.  It has a beautiful Islamic meaning of maintaining daily routines and providing necessities in a home or community. Two of the most important daily routines for a Muslim are meeting for prayer and discussion of God's Word.  

I recall reading that the great 14th century Islamic scholar Ibn Khaldun observed that the rituals of prayer and discussion of God's Word fostered asabiyah, which in Arabic roughly means ‘social cohesion’, transporting solidarity beyond direct kinship to a national scale. We hope that our weekly tradition of meeting for Tea and Textual study on topics in the Bible and Qur'an will foster asabiyah leading to 'social cohesion', and thereby transporting solidarity to a national scale at a time when the fabric of America is being torn apart by self-interest.  

Looking for admitted truth in the Bible we read: "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together" which is a verse from the Bible, Hebrews 10:25 KJV. This verse encourages people to not neglect meeting together, but to encourage one another, especially as the day of Christ approaches. The Greek word used for assembling is “episynagoge,” which suggests an official meeting, including worship, praying, reading, teaching, hearing, and studying the Word. The spiritual reality and need of “do not forsake assembling” is more than an official meeting. It’s a call to be empowered by God and to live together.  

At this special time of Eid, receive our love and best regards.  Let us be empowered by God to love and live together.