Interfaith dialogue feeds the soul

Over the years I’ve heard a number of jokes that begin — “A Jew, a Christian and a Muslim walk into a… ” It’s an effective stem for a joke because it’s based on a negative stereotype that suggests it highly improbable that the three would voluntarily associate with one another.

Yet, in Springfield we’ve been proving for 40 years that those of diverse theological backgrounds do just that.

Four religious leaders within the Springfield community — the late Rev. Dr. Richard Maye and the Rev. Mark Watkins, Rev. Andy Templeman and Rabbi Barry Marks — had a vision. They saw a possibility for entering into dialogue based on their shared values and jointly tackling community issues.

Originally, Jewish, Protestant, Catholic and Unitarian clergy met over brownbag lunches once a month, as we still do. What they did not anticipate was the deep respect and friendships they and future members of the Greater Springfield Interfaith Association would develop over the years. Nor could they foresee a future that included as many other faiths as it does today.

This year we developed our first logo (About time!). It illustrates our belief that all faiths grow out of a spiritual sense of mystery and thus should be held with reverence and respect. The faith symbols are representative of those in Springfield and our membership — Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Humanist, Islamic, Jewish, Native American, Sikh, Tao, Unitarian Universalist and Zoroastrian — all of which have participated in one way or another over the years.

Our monthly meetings have not been limited to chatting and chewing. We’ve used them as opportunities to educate ourselves about each other’s religious traditions, beliefs and practices and to learn about community issues and services. But we recognized early on that to be relevant, we needed to get out of our chairs and pulpits and into the larger community. We needed to literally practice what we preach.

As a result, GSIA members have been instrumental in the founding of Helping Hands Homeless Shelter, Interfaith Caregivers, prepared and served food to the homeless and participated in the construction of the two Habitat for Humanity interfaith home builds.

Members have also developed more than a tolerance for each other. We’ve created close personal relationships and attended and participated in each other’s Sabbath and holiday services, weddings and installation ceremonies. And, we’ve stood side-by-side at all too many gravesites.

Members of our Islamic community have benefited individually and collectively from our association with GSIA. In the 1980s, before our initial mosque, weekly services and holiday celebrations were held in the basement of First Presbyterian Church. In fact, my own children remember how excited they and the other children were when they saw a 4th of July parade proceeding down 7th Street as they exited one holiday party. They all thought it was arranged for them as they waved their little flags. And, in a way it was. Our children are just as American as any other child.

When our first mosque was destroyed by arsonists in 1995, five congregations responded by offering their places of worship. Others took up donations and offered moral support. And members of the Islamic community reciprocated some time later by attending Shabbat services at Temple Israel after their beautiful stained glass windows were broken by vandals two weekends in a row.

Then there are the individual acts of kindness shown to each other. I will never forget the comfort and prayers Rabbi Marks and the Rev. Julie Blythe offered my daughter and me as we waited expectantly for news of my husband outside a hospital surgical suite. Their genuine concern solidified my admiration and love for these two remarkable friends.

One member of GSIA calls it her “oxygen.” If you’re engaged in ministry and need a breath of fresh air please consider joining us for our Annual Welcoming Banquet on Oct. 2,  from noon until 1:30 p.m. at the Dove Conference Center, Prairie Heart Institute. Those attending are encouraged to bring a vegetarian potluck dish to share. We will provide table settings and beverages.

This year we will not have a speaker. Rather, in honor of Illinois’ bicentennial year, we will be developing a 20-foot long timeline of significant religious and spiritual events that have taken place over the last 200 years in the Springfield area. We will then present it to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library.

To learn how your congregation/institution can participate, visit our website: www.gsia.info

There, you will also learn about our Humanitarian Award, which is given each year at our Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. This year it will be held at Temple Bri’th Shalom, at 7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 18.

Interfaith dialogue plays a major role in the study of religion and peacekeeping. But, it needs to occur outside of seminaries and in the real world with real life applications to be a tool for change. In our own way, I believe GSIA is doing just that.

Dr. Mostoufi is a chaplain to the Muslim community, speaker, writer and President of the Greater Springfield Interfaith Association