It’s getting real in a whole new way for Americans involved in local, regional and national interfaith movements. Donald Trump’s election is seeing to that. Religious folk who thought they had an uphill battle against sporadic prejudice, here and there,…
Bluefield scholar seeks to take a bite out of interfaith tensions
Anti-Islamic sentiment is driving U.S. and European politics while religious hatred fuels world terrorism. Rob Merritt sees the roots of that animosity. “Most of the global conflict we see today has to do with religious controversy,” says Merritt, dean of the…
In Orlando killer’s hometown, religious leaders and LGBT people choose to build bridges
Members of four major religions — Christians, Jews, Muslims and Hindus — joined with the LGBT community for an interfaith gathering to share a message of love and compassion in response to the shooting.
Louisville and Orlando, 2016
On Nov. 17, 1999, I met Muhammad Ali. It was at the Cathedral of the Assumption on 5th Street in Louisville, Ky., in a Cathedral Heritage Series of ecumenical gatherings. I was the preacher for an interfaith Thanksgiving service, and…
Desert encounter — a new stance for the Church?
To my delight and at times surprise, I’ve recently found myself involved in different conversations of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue. I’ve also witnessed a growth in other ecumenical groups in our area, and continue to learn of colleagues in different…
When a tiny church houses three religions
Four communities of faith — Christian, Muslim, Jewish and interfaith — form the Multifaith Campus, a novel experiment in multiple religions sharing not just a building but a community.
Wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to a Syrian-born imam and friend
Earlier this week I sent a text with a Thanksgiving message to my friend Samer Altaaba, Lubbock’s Syrian-born imam who immigrated to the United States a decade and a half ago. I wanted him to know I was thinking of…
The ISIS crisis
The capacity of ISIS to enthrall and recruit youth and young adults from Western democratic countries has left many baffled. It is such a counterpoint to the spirit of the mass demonstrations that characterized the Arab Spring, which now seems…
Experiencing koinonia — cross culturally
This could probably be two posts in the least, maybe three. But I will limit it. You see, I have experienced “koinonia.” I realize that is a thoroughly “religious” word. I realize it doesn’t mean much to many people outside…
Ten reasons why I pray during Ramadan
My initial experiences with Ramadan years ago in West Africa were at times confusing to say the least. I will never forget getting caught in an awful traffic jam in the main thoroughfare of one of the most congested neighborhood…
My Boston take-aways
These posts are truly difficult to write; partly because if you want to be real then you have to confess some things and partly because events such as occurred last week are not easy to process. I am not sure…
Being Easter people in the interfaith environment
I sometimes preach a sermon entitled “The Four Little Candles.” The author of the original story is unknown. In it I tell the story of four little candles that were burning softly and quietly. Listening closely you can hear them…