The "Other" Children of Abraham

I woke up this morning (in Grand Rapids of all places) and this thought occurred to me, "What about the other children of Abraham?" There is a context for this question, one I have been mulling over for more than a year since I facilitated a class at my church called, "Jesus, Judaism, and Other Things Jewish."

       Some 25 years ago Francis Peters published his little historical book, "The Children of Abraham." Princeton University Press just republished it after all these years. I read it a long time ago, but will not soon forget the opening paragraph."

"Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all children born of the same Father and reared in the bosom of Abraham. They grew to adulthood in the rich spiritual climate of the Middle East, and though they have lived together all their lives, now in their maturity they stand apart and regard their family resemblances and conditioned differences with astonishment, disbelief, or disdain."

       I have spent most of my adult life with one "sect" of Abraham's children: Gentiles who are called Christian. They are wonderful folks. But more recently I have been thinking more and more about the two other children of Abraham: those from the line of Isaac (Jews which happens to be my personal line) and Ishmael (today's Moslems).
       There is much to consider here, to be attentive to these stirrings.