BRINGING COMPASSION AND LOVE TO THIS TERRIFYING WORLD OF CHAOS: WFWP PA INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
What is the future of faith? What does faith have to do with one’s belief system? On April 14, WFWP Philadelphia launched their very first Interfaith Dialogue and Peace Talk at the United Methodist Church, one of the biggest cathedrals in the city center of Philadelphia. Although the church has been a historical relic of the Christian faith for hundreds of years, Muslims, Christians, Unificationists, and leaders from other faith denominations found a safe space there to gather as an interfaith circle of men and women to exchange dialogues of peace.
Numerous organizations and educational institutions have expressed a desire to promote tolerance when dealing with other people of faith. Young people around the world currently face confusion because many religious groups promote only their own beliefs, which leads to division and a lack of trust of others. Therefore, to avoid preference for one faith over another, all speakers and panelists spoke in a neutral way, so as to acknowledge that many belief systems came to exist for similar reasons: to spread the message of compassion, deliverance, and acceptance. WFWP Philadelphia, PA Chairwoman Jizly Dohou hosted the program with one of our WFWP trainees, Tiye Coles, a young woman known for bridging gaps through relationships. We were welcomed by one of the pastors of the United Methodist Church, Prophet Toni McElwaine, who has been recognized for her work promoting diversity and spreading awareness about domestic violence.
Those who attended the event had the opportunity to hear from various speakers, including HerStory awardees. Among these awardees were: a medical student named Tazuwer Yosufsai, who shared her experience on how she thrived and succeeded in pursuing her studies, despite the adversity she faced in her life; Musu Kamara, an activist and founder of an organization promoting African dance, who touched the audience emotionally; Ms. Deborah L. Kelly Med, CPE, a retired parenting educator known for helping children achieve academic success and for creating an environment to help mothers help their kids be their most authentic self; and Famidah Dirampaten, a member of an Orthodox Islamic group as well as an interfaith student, promoted diversity and shared about her culture. She says that getting to know others helps us recognize the common ground we share. Her message, which was derived from verses of the Qur’an, was intended to eliminate the doubts and fears in our hearts and identities.
One of our guest speakers, Sabir Khan, recited in Arabic a traditional Islamic prayer and several verses from the Qur’an as well. We also heard from Nichole Chennault, a civic leader and book writer, who encouraged the audience to think about what we can do to change the world. Her speech promoted the positive psychology of being honest to oneself and being a dedicated mother to one’s family.
It was a very exemplary afternoon of networking among faith leaders and included a Bridge of Peace Ceremony. Interfaith events such as this one are so important for changing the nature of religious interactions and for bringing compassion and love to this terrifying world of chaos.
This is what we do here in Pennsylvania to spread peace and unity. What will you do to change the world?
