Those who work with children know their immense capacity to live from a place of love. This is especially true when they are placed in an environment of exploration, sharing, and listening.
Interfaith Voices – Over the Air & Your Ipod Portal
For all the increase in religious and interreligious news these days, and in spite of thousands of grassroots interfaith organizations dotting the globe, major media’s exploration of interreligious/ interfaith/ interspirituality has been timid. Exceptions like Religion News Service, Huffington Post Religion, and PBS’ Religion and Ethics Newsweekly may be turning the tide via the internet. Radio hasn’t done as well, with “Christian” radio still dominating the airwaves along with the likes of Rush Limbaugh’s vicious screed.
Changes at The Interfaith Observer (TIO)
Editing TIO for the past five years has been a cascade of blessings for me, particularly being involved with more than 350 students, writers, and activists of all ages bent on creating a peaceful, diverse, inclusive global interfaith culture. I’m excited as ever about the coming year – with a few changes, TIO should become a better publication.
Interfaith Skill-sets: Communicate, Connect, and Work Together
Nothing challenges the planners of massive interfaith gatherings so much as selecting proposed workshops for a schedule that lasts but a few days. The planners of the Salt Lake City Parliament of the World’s Religions received more than 2,000 workshop proposals hoping to shoehorn their way into the October 15-19 schedule.
My Five Days at the Parliament of the World’s Religions
The Parliament of the World’s Religions was held on October 15-19, 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Roughly 10,000 people attended this year’s event, representing hundreds of nations and more than 50 faith traditions. Attendees included academics engaged in roundtable discussions of peace, disarmament, conflict resolution and climate change; leaders of various faith communities (Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Neopagan, indigenous, interspiritual, and more) committed to spreading peace and compassion in the world; as well as spiritual seekers and activists dedicated to healing their own communities from within and using interfaith dialogue to bridge some of those divides.
Five Reasons that ‘Interfaith’ Is Not a Movement (Yet)
Without much general public notice, we have just passed the 50-year mark since the Second Vatican Council issued Nostra Aetate, forever changing the way religions and people of faith see and constructively interact with one another. Nostra Aetate continues to have a ripple effect, inspiring people and organizations to become intentional and strategic about advancing relations between faiths.
Attending the Parliament of the World’s Religions for the First Time
The Parliament of the World’s Religions held last month in Salt Lake City, Utah, was among the most inspiring experiences of my life. From the first day forward I was in awe. Never had I seen so many people passionate about both interfaith and their own faith gathered in one place. The inherent sense of community present among this group of more than 10,000, most of them strangers to one another, was amazing. Over and over I fell into conversation with people I happened to be standing next to – conversations that could last for thirty minutes!