In the last few years, I have been immersed in interfaith conversations and partnerships.
It has been SO good for my soul, my faith, and my life’s work.
I’ve regularly attended interfaith clergy gatherings, which are a start of a good joke: A rabbi, an imam, a priest, and a pastor are having lunch together…
Working with students coming from a wide range of religious traditions, listening to podcasts, reading authors from other faiths, and networking other university chaplains from across the country as they minister to students in our pluralistic landscape have greatly impacted every area of my life.
Recently I attended a beautiful webinar, hosted by a religiously diverse group of chaplains, where we looked at contemplative breathing and prayer exercises from different faith traditions. It was beautiful. Afterward, I tweeted:
It humbles me how much Jews, Muslims, Humanists, Buddhists, and Agnostics know about Christianity.
It disappoints me how little Christians know about Judaism, Islam, Humanism, Buddhism, and Agnosticism.
My Christian faith has become deep and expansive the more I have come to understand other traditions. My prayer life has expanded as I have come to learn prayers of other traditions. My spiritual practices have evolved and transformed as I have discovered the ancient practices of other religions.
Through it all, it has brought me a greater respect and appreciation for all religions. It has also encouraged me to hold tight to the beauty of my own religious tradition and live as, I’ve stated elsewhere, a Contemplative Ecumenical.
We Christians know so little and we have much to learn. And, when we do, our faith will thrive, our relationships will grow, and our connection with the Divine will increase.