My Neighbor’s Faith: Stories of Interreligious

Encounter, Growth, and Transformation

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Part 2 – Viewing Home Anew

 Sept. 23, 2024 | 11:15am PST

 

Please remember that we will meet at 11:15am on Mondays.

 

Study Prompts

For this week, please find two “bullet points” – sentences, phrases or concepts that grab you or feel important – to share with the group. Ideally, please pick one bullet point from two different essays. This can be something meaningful to you, a phrase that triggers a memory, or a concept that you agree or disagree strongly with.

Recorded Zoom Discussions

There is no Session One video, as we did not meet online (you can still get to the Session 0 video here). Instead, please find below the thoughts and comments that each person has shared so far on our Part I reading. QUESTIONS:

  1. Of the spiritual encounter essays in Part One, did any one story resonate with you on a deeper level than the others?
  2. Have you had an interreligious experience similar to something you read this week?

Read

Before meeting on Monday, September 23rd, please read all the essays in Peace, et al Part II – Viewing Home Anew

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From Part I

I encourage you to add more comments to our email thread on last week’s reading – I would love to hear from more of you! I can update this page to share whatever thoughts you send me.

 

[Go to MNF Book Study Home Page]

[Go to Session 1 Study Guide Page]

From Lin Beuerle:
  • Of the spiritual encounter essays in Part One, did any one story resonate with you on a deeper level than the others?
    “Entering without knocking” I really liked…the reader is led through a situation with a little boy who is different than the author (age, culture, religion) and the two serendipitously meet and are united to problem solve a situation with balloons. Through this, the author realizes that his neighbors who are Iranian/ Muslims are struggling with the same day-to-day issues as mice, cockroaches in a tiny apartment. He also states that the misconceptions he had regarding Islam and Muslims were shattered by his first little Muslim friend, Armin. The best part of the article is when the author states that Armin was comfortable enough with the author and his wife to not knock before entering their apartment. Armin was determined to be a part of their life. The author states: “He (Armin) was determined to be part of my life unless I locked the door. I am glad I didn’t. Thank God I didn’t” Takeaways: Don’t be afraid to open up to others who may not share the same religion, culture, etc.; take the opportunity to explore/learn from others how we are more alike than different; we are all in this world together-be kind; share food!
From Deacon Ari:
To speak to question #2, in essay 5 I loved (and from personal experience agree with) Pr. Vrajaprana’s assertion that engaging interfaith dialogue on an “incognito” basis can often be more effective or satisfying. I’ll also admit to being a little tickled that the author is not just a Hindu nun, but of the Vedantist order, which is very well-known in India but less so in the United States.
My father, step-mother and I are all devotees in the Vedantist tradition. Sri Ramakrishna, the founder, was born into the Brahmin caste in India; through in-depth practice of different religions (including Christianity), he had a “samadhi” experience of each path leading to the same place – to God/Divine/Ultimate Reality. My father has long said that being a Vedantist has made him a better Jew – a statement I didn’t understand until I became an Episcopalian in 2012. I believe the acceptance of and respect for other people’s faiths and the belief that they all lead to God  – the understanding that I didn’t have to believe or say that “Jesus is the ONLY way, in order to profess that Jesus is the Way” –  is what allowed me to be a Christian.
From Janice Bradley:

Essay #3 brought to mind a continuing education class I took at a local college to broaden my understanding of the Jewish religion concerning the various sects of that religion.

The first day of class the instructor, a Jewish Rabbi, was giving a rundown of the various sects we would be discussing. No mention was made of the Messianic Jews, so I raised the question.
“What about the Messianic Jews?” The reply, “They aren’t Jews!!!” Well, that end that “discussion”.
Needless to say, that colored my opinion of the Rabbi for the rest of the course. No one in the class said anything and no religious dialogue was going to take place in that class.
I’ve had  several Jewish friends over my many years but this was the first time I encountered one who was so close minded. It was eye opening.
Janice