One of the things I love about living in New York City is the diversity of people I am surrounded with everyday. I ride the subway to work with people from all over the city and all over the world, who practice just about every religion under the sun, or no religion at all. As I look around at my fellow commuters, I imagine all the prayers of different faiths in different languages that might be rising up in that subway car. And as we all shuffle and squeeze our way off the crowded train, I can’t help but think of that subway car as a model for how we might all live together in the world in peace.
Of course, it’s one thing to ride the subway together. It’s another thing to actually engage in dialogue, to learn from each other, to share a meal together, to visit each others’ places of worship, to understand how much we have in common and how we are different, and perhaps in the process to reflect more deeply on our own faith by learning about the faith of others. That’s Religion 101 and it calls us to a deeper commitment.
St. Bart’s has a history of engaging in interfaith learning and dialogue through the Center for Religious Inquiry, which operated here for many years under the direction of Rabbi Leonard Schoolman. This month, we have multiple opportunities, again, to explore the value and importance of interfaith relations. This Sunday, we welcome the Reverend Dr. Chloe Breyer, Executive Director of the Interfaith Center of New York, who will speak at the Forum about the work ICNY is doing, particularly relating to the migrant crisis. She will also preach at the 11am service.
Two weeks ago at the Forum, we heard from two interfaith leaders, one Jewish and one Muslim, who came together at a particularly fraught moment to talk about building bridges in times of division. If you missed the conversation between Rabbi Sarah Berman and Dr. Daisy Khan, you can view it here.
Finally, beginning on January 30th, Rabbi Berman and our neighbors from Central Synagogue will join us for Sacred Looking to explore ways of looking at art through the lens of faith. In addition to the four learning sessions, we will have the opportunity to attend services at Central on Friday night and welcome our neighbors to our 11am service on Sunday.
All of these events are an opportunity to expand our understanding of other religions and explore our own faith at the same time. Just as importantly, they offer a glimpse into the power and potential of interfaith relations, and how working together across the boundaries of faith can amplify voices of peace, justice, and mutual cooperation. Maybe that subway car model isn’t so bad after all.
