Recently, I’ve been lucky to attend two Boston College Multi-Faith events that have inspired me to see my faith, and that of others, in another way. Interreligious dialogue is a topic that is very close to my heart. I believe that as members of God’s creation, humans should feel comfortable connecting with God in the manner they feel best speaks to the Divine’s agapic love.
In October, I attended BC’s first Multi Faith Retreat, where I learned about the faith traditions of my peers, who identified as Buddhist, Sikh, Jewish, and Christian. While I expected that the weekend would inspire me to continue to learn about other faiths, I was surprised at my newfound desire to delve deeper into my own tradition. The first night of the retreat, I experienced a Jewish Shabbat dinner and learned about Muslim and Buddhist forms of prayer and reflection. I was inspired by the devotion of my peers who take time out of their days to meditate on God’s presence. While we each see God in different ways, we all experience divine blessings and seek to make the world around us a better place through supplication. The formalized structure of prayer available through these traditions inspired me to more intentionally set aside space in my day for prayer.
The next afternoon, through closer conversations, we shared how we grew in our own faith, often through family and friends who served as mentors. I found myself moved as my peers told powerful stories of their loved ones who pointed them towards faith, and I realized that the desire to form deep connections, strive towards peace and justice, and search for God’s will stretches across all traditions.
At the recent Multi-Faith Thanksgiving service, I began to more deeply recognize that we are all God’s unique creation, and therefore have our own unique ways of responding to his love. During the service, faculty and students spoke of their gratitude for supportive colleagues, leadership positions, friends, and family. I found I could relate to their general categories, but was struck by the realization that I would never experience these blessings in the same way as anyone else. Although we were all within the same physical space of our college campus, each attendee found different aspects of the community that fulfilled him or her.
In day-to-day life, it can sometimes be difficult to find conversation partners who are willing to share their faith, and it can appear even more difficult to connect with others who come from different faith backgrounds. These two gatherings reminded me of the stunning simplicity of interreligious dialogue. Across traditions, the Divine has created us to share his love and blessings with others, and the opportunity to do so with others who have grasped another aspect of God is a blessing in itself. As we step back from the Boston College community to celebrate Thanksgiving (perhaps with family and friends who share different perspectives) it is important to consider the ways we can share our unique insights on the journey of life in an honest and loving manner, reflecting the Divine love we have received.
Featured image courtesy of Amanda Judah
- Finding Faith from Home - April 1, 2020
- Dr. Helen Phelan on the Miraculous Lives of Irish Medieval Saints - February 26, 2020
- Reflections from Last Year’s Lenten Season - February 26, 2020