by admin on February 18, 2012
The interfaith committee is up and running again! Their plans for this semester sound great; read on for more detail!
By: Kimberly Sheasley
This semester, the Interfaith Committee hopes to build bridges among different faiths. Natalie, Andy, Brie, Sarah, and I will be visiting several different religious services, while doing research the differences between the three monotheistic faiths. Along with studying key similarities and differences between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, we are hoping to be able to better distinguish the beliefs and worship service structures of various Christian sects.
With about three months of school left, our goal is to travel to four different services. We would also like to continue to post blogs regularly to share what we have been learning.
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by admin on February 13, 2012
by Duncan Wilder
“…there cannot be peace and transformation on a bigger scale if we haven’t found it first within ourselves.”
What an amazing place! We saw it all: from the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee, to the beautiful beaches and Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv, to the separation wall and Palestinian refugee camps in Bethlehem, to floating in the Dead Sea (the lowest point on Earth), to the contentious divisions of Palestinians and Israeli settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron, to the many holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. We heard a wide range of perspectives on the conflict from about 30 different speakers on all points of the spectrum. We also took a class interspersed throughout the trip called “Living Beyond Our Stories” (from Educare: The UnLearning Institute) which focused on connecting personal transformation to global transformation. We used models, exercises, and real-life examples from the trip to help us look at our own stories that we’ve carried with us in life, and to show us that there cannot be peace and transformation on a bigger scale if we haven’t found it first within ourselves.
I already knew a lot about the conflict before the trip through learning the history in college classes and reading the news. However, this trip made the region and conflict much more real for me. Meeting real Israelis and real Palestinians and hearing their stories was very eye-opening. It brought the issues home because you see what they are dealing with every day. It doesn’t feel like a far away region anymore with a conflict that doesn’t affect me. I now feel emotionally connected to the region and see it as affecting the friends I met there. I also feel like I gained a deeper understanding of the narratives of the two sides. This was something that was very important to me because I want to work on staying neutral in the conflict without taking sides, which simply adds to the large division between Israelis and Palestinians. I feel like by working to truly understand the plights, mindsets, and history of both populations, you can be more level-headed and work more easily towards peace.
One of the biggest highlights for me was visiting the Sea of Galilee. Being where Jesus did much of his ministry was surreal and helped make the Bible come more alive for me. Another highlight was seeing the incredible amount of hope and hospitality in the Palestinian communities we visited amidst such hardship. They welcomed us with open arms and seemed to be making the most
of what they had despite not having much, especially compared to what we are used to here in the United States. The many Palestinians we met were passionate about wanting peace with their Jewish neighbors, and wanting to live side by side with them like they did before. They explained they were not at all against Judiasm but simply against occupation and inequality. We usually see a different picture of Islam and Arabs in the Western media, so that was very refreshing.
There’s a lot more to the Middle East than deserts, terrorism, and conflict. There are beautiful mountains and seas, rich religious history, and many amazing peace builders on both sides of every issue. I was extremely inspired by the people we spoke with who are working for peace, justice, and mutual understanding in such an intense and complex region. I highly recommend traveling to the Holy Land and experiencing it for yourself! I promise it will be one of the best decisions of your life!
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by admin on February 9, 2012
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by admin on February 9, 2012
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by admin on February 9, 2012
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by admin on February 9, 2012
Join those learning more about the Middle East!
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by admin on February 6, 2012
Harmony amongst religions seems like a no-brainer, but unfortunately conflict in the name of religion seems to be at the root of many of the challenges our world faces! In October of 2010, acting on a proposal by HM King Abdullah II of Jordan, the U.N. General Assembly designated the first week in February as “World Interfaith Harmony Week.” The idea is that promoting and celebration interfaith harmony in the international community is the best place to start promoting harmony for all. ”Love of the Good, and love of the neighbor” — this is the underpinning message of the week. This year marks the second annual celebration worldwide, with hundreds of gatherings, meals, forums, events, and celebrations taking place all over the globe.
Euphrates encourages you to visit the website to learn more about the reasons behind the declaration, as well as the many different ways to commemorate the ideal of harmony amongst faiths leading the way to harmony for all. Find an event near you, and join in the conversation! This inspiring model, with support from so many religious leaders and international community, is certainly helping to prepare for peace!
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