Interfaith in the Valley
Something good is happening in the Valley! A diverse group of people from Eganville to Killaloe to Barry’s Bay, to Combermere, and Deep River, have been discovering that our differences need not divide us. While the world seems to be tearing itself apart because of differences in culture, skin colour, gender, politics and religion, the Interfaith Committee of the Valley has been reversing that trend.
We first began to meet in 2016. The committee grew out of the “Valley Welcome” Refugee Sponsorship group. We saw the need to foster understanding and to dispel fear, in particular, about Islam. Since then, we have been exploring Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and First Nations Faith perspectives and discovering, to our great delight, how there is much more that unites us than divides us.
Each year we organize an Interfaith Service. Our various communities come together and experience love and acceptance as we explore our differences and celebrate our similarities through worship and fellowship.
In February 2017, we hosted a powerful Interfaith Service at Grace Lutheran Church, Eganville, in praise of our Almighty Creator. Our gathering of 200+ people happened to coincide with the Quebec Mosque murders. Members from our Golden Lake First Nations community spoke, as well as members from the Hassanville Islamic Community and the Deep River Mosque. We heard Jewish and Christian prayers and sang songs that unite us. Something important happened at that gather- ing. Together we voiced our sadness at the senseless violence committed in Quebec, and around the world, and more importantly we recognized how we share in one God, our loving Creator, and one world.
On Sunday June 24, 2018, 60 of us met again at St. James Catholic Church Hall in Eganville. The theme for this year’s service was “Mary, the mother of Jesus”. We explored the Muslim and Christian perspectives on Mary, prayed Muslim, Christian, and Jewish prayers, and sang. Once again, the Spirit was powerfully present through all that we offered.
Our “mission” is to educate, to share in fellowship and get to know one another. We were blessed to have started our relationship on a positive note, focussing on the things that unite us, rather than on what divides us. The will to love and accept one another, to learn about one another’s Faiths, and to share the Peace of God, continues to grow. Our gatherings have been truly blessed, and as trust grows, the barriers that may divide us continue to fall.
We look forward to planning our next Interfaith Service for 2019 and seeing where God leads us.
Written by: rev. Susan Clifford, Chair of the Ottawa Valley Interfaith Committee.
Originally published: Crosstalk, September 2018.
