Seeing the face of God in others

I think the idea from Welcome to the Wisdom of the World that stood out for me the most this week is that our religion ought to promote a sense of God's presence in our lives, and in the lives of those around us, even those of different faiths. When we see God as a loving Creator who is deeply interested in all creatures, then I think it is impossible to treat people from other religions with disrespect and hatred. When we truly believe that "there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist" (1 Corinthians 8:6), then we have to extend that to all humankind. When we do that, we must be open to signs of God's presence in their lives through their religious faith and practice, even if it is outwardly very different from ours. In a nutshell, true religion will enhance our sense of common humanity, not drive a wedge between us.