We live in perilous times: it is increasingly evident that our societies, local, national and international, are being rent asunder. The corrosive forces of prejudice whether nationalistic, political, religious, economic, racial, ethnic, or gender- based are eating into the very…
It all started for me when I joined hospital-based Chaplaincy services as a pastoral volunteer. I felt apprehensive about being a misfit in the program as I am from a different faith of which there is very little awareness. I…
In the sacred tapestry of human existence, there are moments of profound significance that transcend the boundaries of faith and culture. I’m thinking of the fasting and “sacrificing” of food and turning heavenward to forces greater than ourselves. I’m thinking…
One of the joys of participating in IFC programs is the inspiration we receive from learning about each other’s holy days and celebrations, many of which have origins and meanings that deeply reflect our connection to all elements of the…
I think of religious diversity as a contemporary description. Historically it describes a newfound discovery of humanity across the ethnic, cultural and religious divide. I recently was sitting at an Interfaith gathering of the IFC. Far to my left was…
By David Dashifen Kees It was a beautiful day in July 2005 when I stood on the grounds of Southern Vermont College as my soon-to-be married partner, Megan, approached me in her wedding dress. To the casual observer, my wedding…
By Rev. Jay Moses I just got home from volunteering at the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington’s table at the Pride festival today in DC. The Metro was surprisingly unproblematic and the weather was on “medium high” but I was…
By Hurunnessa Fariad I slept on one of those small child seats on a flight from Pakistan to New York City on Trans World Airlines. It was my first time to fly on a plane but (unfortunately) already my second…
By Sovaida Maani Ewing In a world that is buffeted by crises that assail it from all sides it is easy to succumb to despair. Yet, despair is probably the gravest of all the dangers we face given that it…
By Rev. Carole A Crumley Some years ago I was in a bicycle accident and broke my left leg at the knee. I went home from the hospital to spend the next six weeks on crutches. I had been accustomed…