Professor Najeeba Syeed: ‘Neighborliness is a lived theology in Minnesota’

In a commentary for Religion News Service, Professor Najeeba Syeed wrote about the “lived theology of neighborliness” in Minnesota following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent on January 7. Syeed is the El-Hibri endowed chair and executive director of the Interfaith Institute at Augsburg University.

“People are showing up, across faith communities, caring for one another in material ways because they see the neighbor as someone who is in proximity,” she wrote. “… Beyond Minnesota, I often say the “flyover” part of our country is leading on interfaith action and care because these states are places where you still know your neighbor. In them, interfaith relations are building what I call casserole (or hot-dish) hospitality. Maybe it’s a samosa or shawarma plate, but hosting, holding space for and being in community are natural, intentional parts of the Midwest culture and ethos. 

“People across our state and region have made the practice of neighborliness a way of life. Maybe we are a test case for the future of America — one in which we could choose a future based on compassion.”

Read the full article via Religion News Service: ‘Neighborliness is a lived theology in Minnesota’