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CHICAGO (RNS) — In America’s third largest metropolis, it’s potential to get a crash course on the planet’s religions in a journey of just some miles — from the College of Chicago’s majestic, ecumenical Christian Rockefeller Memorial Chapel on Chicago’s South Facet to the common-or-garden Masjid Al-Taqwa, which meets in a transformed secure, nonetheless below renovation a 15-minute trip to the south.
On Orthodox Christian Easter on April 24, 70 or so passengers took that trip on the Interfaith Trolley, a tour of sacred areas impressed by this month’s convergence of Ramadan, Passover, Easter, Vaisakhi (celebrated by Sikhs), Ridvan (noticed by Baha’is) and Ram Navami (a Hindu vacation).
Maybe extra paying homage to speed-dating than a comparative faith course, the tour made transient stops at 5 non secular websites throughout southeast Chicago, listening to from a collection of religion leaders and lay individuals from completely different non secular teams.
Sponsored by native religion establishments reminiscent of American Islamic Faculty, the Lutheran Faculty of Theology, Chicago Theological Seminary, the Parliament of the World’s Religions and the Hyde Park & Kenwood Interfaith Council, the trolley was supposed to advertise interfaith understanding and cooperation.
“This was a lovely occasion, much more lovely than I anticipated,” mentioned Kim Schultz, coordinator of artistic initiatives on the InterReligious Institute, a part of Chicago Theological Seminary. “The phrases shared and the group shared actually struck my coronary heart.”
“That is an unbelievable alternative to come back collectively to coach our communities and form the general public narrative about what it means to reside properly collectively amidst our non secular and cultural variety and distinction,” organizers mentioned in asserting the occasion.
On the Rockefeller Chapel, Mayher Kaur, the chief of the Sikh Scholar Affiliation gave an summary of Sikh practices and defined that Sikh gurus labored to beat India’s caste system.
A Hindu scholar advised members about Ram Navami, a Hindu vacation that fell on April 10 that celebrates the start of Lord Rama, whose story is advised in Ramayana.
Shradha Jain, a Jain scholar, spoke of her religion’s beliefs and the April 14 pageant of Mahavir Jayanti, marking the start of Jainism’s founder.
At Ebenezer Baptist Church, Patricia Butts, the church’s clerk, recounted the congregation’s musical historical past — Thomas Dorsey, composer of “Take My Hand, Treasured Lord,” based an early gospel choir there within the early Thirties earlier than transferring to Pilgrim Baptist Church, the place the previous bluesman was music director for half a century. Assembly in a former synagogue, Ebenezer stays identified for its gospel music and its annual efficiency of Handel’s “Messiah.”
Butts additionally advised guests in regards to the church’s Easter observances, together with the seven final phrases of Jesus, and about its vibrant and devoted congregation.
“Our senior deacon is 102 years previous and nonetheless going sturdy,” she mentioned.
On the Claret Heart, which gives “assets for the human journey,” passengers discovered in regards to the middle’s choices of religious course, meditation and acupuncture, then heard a quick meditation from Heiwa no Bushi, a BodhiChristo instructor from North Carolina, whose religious instructing merges Buddhism and Christianity. Bushi inspired his listeners to “love wastefully” somewhat than filling their minds with fear.
“When you love wastefully, you’re residing totally,” he mentioned.
At KAM Isaiah Israel, a Reform Jewish congregation whose Hyde Park neighbors embrace former US president Barack Obama, Rabbi Frederick Reeves defined how the congregation was fashioned over many years as a number of Jewish synagogues — one in every of them the oldest within the state of Illinois — merged, gathering of their present constructing within the Twenties. He additionally advised guests in regards to the Jewish observance of Passover, noting that one in every of its key parts is that it’s celebrated at house, which means each household makes Passover their very own.
“When you go to 2 Seders at two completely different homes, you’ll have two completely different experiences,” he mentioned.
The tour ended up on the Masjid Al-Taqwa, a predominantly Black mosque whose members are renovating their very own constructing after worshipping in rented house for years. Many of the renovation is being finished by members of the group.
“You’ve received to dig deep. After which you need to roll up your sleeves,” Imam Tariq El-Amin advised his friends.
On the trip again to the Chicago Theological Seminary for an interfaith iftar, Saba Ayman-Nolley, a retired professor and president of the Hyde Park & Kenwood Interfaith Council, gave an summary of the Baha’i celebration of Ridvan and of the interfaith council’s charitable work. That work consists of meals pantries, help to the homeless and resettling of refugees.
Ayman-Nolley mentioned that Ridvan celebrated the “springtime awakening of people,” the place individuals can lay down their weapons and embrace a message of affection and brotherhood.
Again on the seminary, Timothy Gianotti, president of American Islamic Faculty, gave a quick meditation on the which means of Ramadan earlier than an interfaith iftar dinner, the place he and different Muslims broke their quick as they gathered with these of different faiths.
Ramadan is a time of revelation and a time of disruption, he mentioned, wherein Muslims draw close to to God by breaking away from the distractions of the world.
“We quick from all of the issues which can be getting in our manner,” he mentioned. “We quick from our personal sense of selfish centrality within the universe. We quick from the habits of thoughts and habits of being that get in our manner — or in different individuals’s manner — by way of the religious life.”
Among the many passengers on the trolley have been Emily Heitzmann, a Lutheran pastor on Chicago’s North Facet, and her mother, Barbara Heitzmann, who was visiting from Dubuque, Iowa. Emily Heitzmann mentioned the occasion was a reminder of our widespread humanity and that individuals of various faiths nonetheless had a lot in widespread. Her mother agreed.
“We’re all striving for peace, being centered, and holiness,” mentioned Barbara Heitzmann, who mentioned she solely wished that the go to to every non secular website had been longer.
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