Healing harmony

Interfaith gathering on 9/11 anniversary is all about ‘Letting Go of Fear’

Participants at the 2013 interfaith gathering in Little Rock, held at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church.
Participants at the 2013 interfaith gathering in Little Rock, held at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church.

For the past two years Christians, Jews, Muslims and members of other faiths have gathered on Sept. 11 in hopes of transforming a day of fear and pain into one of peace.

The annual event, held on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, is sponsored by the Interfaith Center at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Little Rock, and the Arkansas House of Prayer, which is located on the grounds of the church. Both the center and the house of prayer are invested in increasing dialogue among people of all faiths in Arkansas.

This year's theme will be "Love Thy Neighbor: Letting Go of Fear."

"We know that much of the violence in our world is caused by fear and misunderstanding among the world's religions," said the Rev. Mary Vano, pastor of St. Margaret's. "Unless we actively choose to step over the dividing lines, engage with one another, and increase our understanding, we cannot hope to heal our wounds and stop the violence."

The service will begin at 6 p.m. at the church and will feature interfaith leaders, representatives of various world religions, prayers, music, food and fellowship.

The Rev. Susan Sims Smith, executive director of the Interfaith Center, said the Sept. 11 events were started as a way to reclaim a dark day in the nation's recent past and to transform it into a time of hope and light. The goal is to reduce hatred and fear among adherents of the world's religions.

That's also the mission of the Interfaith Center, which is a part of the Institute for Theological Studies at St. Margaret's. Participants strive to meet their mission by hosting interfaith events and lecture series. They also encourage one-on-one involvement through interfaith supper clubs in which club members meet in homes to share a meal eight times a year and to talk and learn about each other's faith and develop friendships.

"When you hear someone talk about their prayer life in a really reverent way and you can feel their love of God, there is a respect and a treasuring that comes from listening to a devout person of some faith other than your own," Sims Smith said.

A highlight of Thursday's event will be performances by Stephanie Smittle, John Willis, the Psalm 150 Gospel Choir and a multicultural ensemble singing songs of peace from the world's major religions. A reception featuring foods from around the world will follow the service and participants can learn about opportunities for more interfaith involvement.

Sims Smith said representatives from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths will each pray a prayer of confession acknowledging past and current examples of violence or extremism committed in the name of faith and affirming that such acts are not consistent with the heart of each religion.

"I think it will be very meaningful to the broader interfaith community to hear each of us saying the heart of our religion is about love and each of us have fanatics but that doesn't reflect the core of who we are," she said.

Sims Smith said the current religious violence around the world points to the need for interfaith dialogue and friendship.

"Somehow we have to strike a balance between responding and doing everything we can to help and not getting so detoured by the horrible problems of the moment that we lose sight of the bigger visions we are trying to shape together," she said.

Steve Copley, director of Interfaith Arkansas, will be participating in the event and said interfaith gatherings are important as a way for people of different faiths to get personally acquainted.

"It's out of that then that much of the dialogue between faiths can occur because when people know one another and trust one another they are much more open to be able to talk about similarities and their differences, but in a way that is as friends and that makes it a much more robust discussion," he said.

Copley said he has seen how interfaith talks can lead to meaningful friendships, which has also been true in his life.

"I've developed very deep relationships with others and anytime we do that our lives are better," he said. "My life is enriched by getting to know them and hearing their concern for the love of God and the love of neighbor. It's a rich experience I wouldn't trade."

Copley said interfaith work and relationships have also deepened his own Christian faith and he hopes others will see the value in learning about other faiths and working together toward peace.

"One of the real reasons to have interfaith dialogue or events is because in a global world where literally an event that happens thousands of miles away we know about it whether by Twitter, Facebook or the Internet, it's more critical that we learn how to respect our differences," he said. "In light of the situation in the world, this ability to speak out of a common voice for peace will be really, really important. That's why I find it critical."

Interfaith work has also been rewarding to Sims Smith and she's encouraged by the enthusiasm for interfaith discussions she has seen in Arkansas.

"People are so grateful to have something positive to do together and a way to work together," she said. "The coming together of people out of the Arkansas House of Prayer for interfaith prayer is a powerful witness."

She said interfaith dialogue doesn't mean diluting one's own beliefs. It's a way of encouraging people to go deeply into the heart of their own faith and hold true to that while connecting in love and respect with someone of another tradition.

"It's also not about everybody having to agree on every single thing but to find enough agreement to work together for a more loving world, and that we are able to confront ourselves individually and to confront our own faith traditions in areas that we are fearful and hateful toward other faiths," she said.

The gathering will be at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, 20900 Chenal Parkway. Information is available online at arkansashouseofprayer.org or interfaith.itssm.org.

Religion on 09/06/2014

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