Help World Relief and Winston Salem

Welcoming our Refugees

into their First Home in America

Help us collect items needed for our newly arriving brothers and sisters arriving from Syria, Iraq, Chad, Sudan and Somalia, the Congo, Nepal, Eritrea and other countries.  Their suffering and their stories are very hard to hear.  But, what we DO hear, is that they want to

be good, productive, educated, tax-paying Americans … but they need some help getting started.  Please ask friends, family and fellow congregants for any of the following:

1)    For Children:

Slightly-Used Toys (incl. cuddly animal toys/bears) for all ages

Coloring Books and non-toxic crayons (esp. ABCs and Numbers)

Car Seats and Booster Seats for Infant and toddler

                  Cribs, High Chairs, Strollers, and Backpacks

                  Pampers, Bicycles (adult-sized also), etc.

2)     Kitchen Items: 

Dishes, Glasses & Cups, Silverware and Serving Spoons

Microwave, Pots & Pans of all sizes

Spatulas, Mixing Bowls, Food Storage Containers

Broom and Small Hand Sweeper, Mop and Bucket

3)    Household Items:

Furniture (Sofas, Chairs, Lamps, Bookcases, Chest of Drawers, etc.)

Twin Beds and Mattresses, Bunk Beds, Rugs, Pictures for the walls

Washer and Dryer for Clothes, Clothes and Pants Hangers

TV and Children’s DVDs and even Tapes

Sheets (mostly for the Twin Beds), Towels, Washcloths, etc.

Waste and Laundry Baskets, Broom and Dust Pan   

4)  Gift Cards -

Many people have items to donate, but others might prefer to

donate money or gift cards for Walmart, Target, local markets, etc. 

Checks can be made out to World Relief.

These would all be gratefully accepted. 

5)    Welcome Kits:

 If you have a group that would like to prepare “Welcome Kits” of Toiletries or Cleaning Supplies, a list can be provided.

With questions or donations contact Barry Geller or World Relief

Barry(818) 802-4162orbgeller7@gmail.com

World Relief  (336) 887-9007orwww.worldreliefhighpoint.org

A Compassionate Justice

Compassionate Winston-Salem has a favorite saying: “Justice is compassion raised to an institutional level.” When I think about this quote, it really gets me to think deeper about the meaning of the word justice. What is justice? How do we achieve justice? And what does it mean to “hold someone accountable?” The answers to these questions aren’t simple, and then they lead me to more questions – Can we do better justice? Who decides if justice has been served? Are there other ways to think about justice?

In his book Changing Lens, Howard Zehr says, “True justice cannot occur unless people and relationships are transformed into something that is healthy so the injury does not recur.” Restorative justice is justice that focuses on transforming and healing relationships. How does restorative justice compare to our traditional justice system? Zehr summarizes it briefly by comparing the questions we seek to answer:

Our traditional justice system tries to answer three questions:

·         What crime was committed?

·         Who committed the crime?

·         How should they be punished?

Restorative Justice asks three very different questions:

·         What harm has been caused?

·         Who has been impacted by this harm and what are their needs?

·         Who is responsible for addressing the needs and healing this harm?

Restorative Justice recognizes the importance of everyone involved -  the victim, the offender and the community that surrounds them. A foundation of respect for all people undergirds every interaction between those involved – extending compassion in a process that so desperately needs it. Victims are able to express the depths of their ordeal and are empowered to contribute their wishes in the process and in the outcome. Offenders face the real aftermath of their actions – not the arrest, trial and prison – but the effects of the harm they inflicted on another person. They are accountable for the hurt they caused and take an active role in repairing it – more meaningful than a sentence imposed passively onto the offender that has nothing to do with the injury. The community surrounds both and finds ways to support the victims in their path to healing, and also support the offenders in their journey to a new, restored life as a valued community member.

Restorative justice also has applications in our schools. Suspensions have been the go-to discipline approach for a range of infractions for decades, and with the expanding reach of zero-tolerance policies, suspensions are increasing quickly. But there is no evidence to show that suspensions are highly effective tools for helping students change their behavior. In fact, suspensions can have lasting and harmful effects. Recent reports have revealed an alarming trend of racial disparity in the use of suspensions.  In North Carolina, African-American students receive 51% of the total suspensions, but only make up 26% of our school enrollment. Every suspension increases the likelihood that a student will drop out of school. Multiple studies have shown a strong correlation between students who have been suspended and their chances of future involvement in the juvenile or adult criminal justice systems. This school-to-prison-pipeline has devastating effects on our communities.

Restorative Practices is the movement to enact the values of restorative justice in our every day lives. When restorative practices are applied in a school setting, there is an emphasis on building relationships and developing a strong sense of community. Restorative practices help teachers and administrators connect with students. This personal connection to their school community encourages students to be more involved in the classroom and in their learning. As a result, this higher level of connectedness helps keep kids in school – from reduced suspension rates to higher attendance and graduation rates (see www.SaferSanerSchools.com for additional statistics). Lowered suspension rates do not mean that students are getting away with disruptive and harmful behaviors. Students are still held accountable for their actions. Indeed, they are held to a higher level of accountability than a simple suspension because they must admit how their actions impacted others and take steps to repair the harm they caused.

The way we understand and pursue justice can have a profound impact on individuals and the community.  Through this restorative approach, my own understanding of justice has deepened and compels me to seek alternative paths to justice. I hope our community can come together, through initiatives like Compassionate Winston-Salem and others, to explore ways to foster a more restorative Forsyth County. Stay connected with updates by following on Facebook at Restorative Forsyth or on twitter @RestorativeNC. If you want to be actively involved in this initiative, contact Jerry McLeese at jmcLeese1@yahoo.com or Valerie Glass at vglass3@gmail.com.

Carlton Mitchell Series Returns in September

After a one year hiatus, Interfaith Winston-Salem, in partnership with Wake Forest University,  is proud to announce the return of the Carlton T. Mitchell Interfaith Series, Thursday, September 22.

Dr. Charles Kimball of Oklahoma University will speak on “Understanding and Countering Religious Extremism Among the Children of Abraham” at 7 p.m. in Brendle Recital Hall on the Wake Forest University campus. The lecture is free and open to the public. Faith communities are encouraged to come as groups to hear Dr. Kimball’s presentation.

The Carlton Mitchell Interfaith Series honors Dr. Carlton T. Mitchell (WFU ’43), who taught in (and also Chaired) the Department of Religion at Wake Forest University for thirty years (1961-91). Current Sponsors include Interfaith Winston-Salem, WFU Dept. for the Study of Religions, Wake Forest School of Divinity, Wake Forest Office of the Chaplain, Knollwood Baptist Church, The Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem, and the Mitchell family.

Dr. Kimball is Presidential Professor and Director of Religious Studies at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. Between 1996 and 2008, he served as Chair of the Department of Religion at Wake Forest University. An ordained Baptist minister, Kimball received his Th.D. from Harvard University in comparative religion with specialization in Islamic studies.

His articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Sojourners, The Christian Century, The Los Angeles Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Boston Globe. He is the author of five books, including When Religion Becomes Lethal: The Explosive Mix of Politics and Religion in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2011). His previous book, When Religion Becomes Evil (HarperOne, rev. ed. 2008), was named one of the "Top 15 Books on Religion" by Publishers Weekly and one of the top ten books of the year by the Association of Parish clergy.

August Interpath Commentary

Why Interfaith Work Matters to Me

James L. Ford, Ph.D.

When I was thirty years old, I quit my corporate job, sold my house and other possessions, and embarked on a year-long trip around the world. Starting in New Zealand, I traveled north through Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, India, Nepal, East/North Africa, Israel, and finally Turkey. In most of these places, I lived on considerably less than $10 a day. Along the way, I encountered devotees of many of the world’s great religions including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, Sikhism, Jainism, and African religions. It was (and is) difficult, for me at least, to meet and interact with followers of other traditions and casually dismiss them as wrong, deluded, or even misguided. Even if I didn’t fully understand their tradition, I almost always experienced a deep authenticity of faith, sincerity, graciousness, and a genuinely warm hospitality. Clearly, these other religions harbored the capacity to foster the best in human nature. But I had been taught that Christianity was the “only way” to God, salvation, and even a moral life. How was I to reconcile these received teachings with my own experiential encounters with those of different faiths? More generally, how is anyone to make sense of these different spiritual trajectories of human faith and our seemingly universal quest for the divine?

These are questions that stayed with me throughout my travels. And upon my return, they provoked me to apply to graduate school where I pursued them with greater depth and intensity. Eventually, I earned a Ph.D. in religious studies with a focus on East Asian religions, Buddhism in particular. After almost thirty years of intensive study and teaching, I still find these questions about religious diversity captivating. Indeed, they provoked me to write my most recent book entitled The Divine Quest, East and West: A Comparative Study of Ultimate Realities (State University of New York Press, 2016).   

I share this summary of my personal odyssey because it explains in part why I think genuine interfaith dialogue and understanding are so important to those of us living in this extraordinarily diverse and globalized world. There was a time when only the most adventurous travelers might encounter people of a radically different faith and worldview on a daily basis. Now, however, it is virtually impossible not to encounter religious practices and beliefs different from one’s own, particularly for those of us living in the United States. Even if we don’t have direct relations with followers of other faith traditions (or no faith at all), we cannot help but be aware—through the news, other media sources, and simple daily existence—of their presence around us. Given this reality in which we of the 21st century find ourselves, interfaith engagement and understanding is not just an option, it seems to me, but an imperative—if we are to create the hospitable society and peaceable community in which we would all like to live.

Interfaith understanding and cooperation are not about proselytizing to the “other”; nor is this about creating an indiscriminate melting pot or simply becoming more “tolerant” (i.e., allowing others to practice their faith free of discrimination). The goal, rather, is to facilitate learning, understanding, respect, and even cooperation between and among belief communities and groups. Oftentimes, this is accomplished less through comparing our different “belief” systems, and more through doing things together…like reading books, sharing our contemplative practices, or learning about the arts, music, dance and even food of our different cultural and faith traditions.

What is more, there is a deep need for this kind of work, now more than ever. It is widely noted that America is one of the most “religious” and religiously diverse countries in the developed world. Almost 60% Of U.S. adults say that religion is “very important” in their lives. Roughly 90% believe in God, to one degree or another. And yet, our religious literacy is appallingly low compared to other developed nations. A Religious Knowledge Survey conducted by Pew Research Center in 2010 “shows that large numbers of Americans are uninformed about the tenets, practices, history, and leading figures of major faith traditions—including their own.” Ironically, atheists scored highest on the religious knowledge test.

There are numerous reasons for our collective ignorance, but a significant contributor is the lack of religious studies in our public schools. The Pew survey revealed that many people think that the constitutional restrictions on teaching about religion in public schools is stricter than they really are. Just 36% know that classes on comparative religion may be taught in public schools. So it is not surprising that school boards and administrators might be reluctant to authorize such classes.

Given this state of affairs, it is incumbent upon non-profit organizations like Interfaith Winston-Salem to step into the breach to foster greater understanding within our community. Why? Because ignorance and misunderstanding about other religious traditions and those who follow them can lead to misdirected anger, resentment, and even violence.

While I have not fully resolved all the questions that arose from my world travels many years ago, I can say that my many encounters with religious “others” over the years have, as many interfaith participants have noted, actually served to deepen my own religious faith. In some cases, the teachings and practices of other traditions have helped me discover a thread of my own that I never even knew existed. But the differences are also revealing and important. In the end, I cannot put it any better than His Holiness the Dalai Lama did to a predominantly Catholic audience at St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York: “Harmony among the major faiths has become an essential ingredient of peaceful coexistence in our world. From this perspective, mutual understanding among these traditions is not merely the business of religious believers—it matters for the welfare of humanity as a whole.” Amen.

…..

Dr. James L. Ford is Professor and Chair of the Department for the Study of Religions at Wake Forest University where he has taught since 1998. He has served on Interfaith W-S Board of Guidance since 2014.

July interpath Commentary

Interfaith Winston-Salem Promotes a Thriving Triad
Richard J. Wyderski, MD is a native of Dayton, Ohio and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Dayton International Peace Museum, is a current member of Interfaith Winston-Salem’s Programs Committee.  The opinions in this article are opinions of the author and may or may not represent the views of Interfaith Winston-Salem.

The Truth.

We all seek it every day. We shop for cars, phones, appliances, and groceries and try to wade through all the hype to find out which products are worthy of our dollars. We listen to news items on television, radio and the internet and try to decide if we are being told the whole story. We hear people running for government offices promising us that they will make our lives better, and wonder if it will really be so. There is so much contradictory and confusing information in our world, but we try to make sense of it all to live our lives the best way we can. We intuitively know at a deep level, though, that we can never understand everything. After all, we’re only human.   

The most important truth of all is the One that our faiths help us know and understand. We know The Truth by different names. The cultures from which we come shape the way we think about The Truth and the customs we observe as we worship and pay homage. The people of Interfaith Winston-Salem believe that we all know The Truth in different ways and understand from different perspectives much as people standing far away from a prism may only perceive a beam of white light shining through it as a particular color. Our cultures and upbringing color the way we perceive The Truth. Yet even those of us with faith have disagreements, and because of them we divide ourselves into different religions and denominations as we try to come closer to The Truth.

Many of us were shocked and saddened by the recent display of violence in Orlando directed toward our brothers and sisters who are different than most in their sexual orientation or gender identity, and event that unfortunately is already fading from public awareness. The attack made us realize that much work is yet to be done, and that we cannot forget this tragedy and its implications for our country. We as volunteers of Interfaith Winston-Salem must work to educate the Triad not only about our differences so that we have a better understanding of each other, but also highlight our similarities to help us better support each other and bring us closer as a community. The massacre in Orlando reminds us of what our Muslim friends in Iraq and Syria are suffering at the hands of others who claim to know all there is to know about The Truth, and wish to force their beliefs upon others through terror and slaughter.

Some may wonder why this is important. Some have gone so far as to state that no Muslim should be trusted because of the few who are violent.  Such thinking will not allow Winston-Salem and the Triad cities to be the best and most successful communities they can be. In the years and decades to come, our part of North Carolina will be growing, not only because there will be more people like us but also because people from around the world will seek us out to further their educations, develop their careers, and raise their families. We foresee the City of Arts and Innovation attracting not only the most talented people from North Carolina to join our community, but also the most talented people from around the world.

Three years ago the Winston-Salem City Council unanimously adopted the Charter for Compassion, a resolution that promises us that all of our people will be treated equally and equitably as we would wish to be treated ourselves. This commitment embarked us upon a transformational journey to become one of the premier cities of the world. Our arts community is second to none, the surrounding beauty of the landscape is breathtaking and Wake Forest University offers high quality education that is internationally recognized. These and others are marvelous foundations upon which to build to make such a transformation possible. We in Winston-Salem and the cities of the Triad must live up to our commitment to each be Compassionate Cities. We need to welcome people as they join our community and nurture their talents and their lives.

Quite frankly, the truth is we will never completely know The Truth, at least not within our lifetimes. After all, we’re only human. The truth is we will come closer if we all share our understanding with each other, accept each other’s differences, and realize our own imperfections. Everyone in our Triad and our world will be the better for it.

Featured Program for July: The Carlton Mitchell Interfaith Series

            When the late Dr. Carlton Mitchell was chair of the Department of Religion at Wake Forest University he placed a high value on working with faith communities to enhance interfaith understanding.

            Through the leadership of Nan Griswold, one of Mitchell’s students in the 1960s, Dr. Mitchell’s interests are carried on today through the Carlton Mitchell Interfaith Series, established by Interfaith Winston-Salem in 2013 to honor Dr. Mitchell.  The Series offers activities that challenge the head and touch the heart, including lectures, concerts, discussions and other events that build the kind of community that Dr. Mitchell envisioned.

            The Mitchell Series this fall presents a lecture by Dr. Charles Kimball, Presidential Professor and Director of Religious Studies at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. The lecture will be delivered at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 22 in Brendle Recital Hall on the campus of Wake Forest University and is open to the public.

Current sponsors for the 2016 lecture include Interfaith Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University Department for the Study of Religions, Knollwood Baptist Church, The Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem, and members of the Mitchell family.

Dr. Kimball is a frequent lecturer in universities and church-related settings as well as an expert analyst on the Middle East, Islam, Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations, and the intersection of religion and politics in the U.S. Between 1996 and 2008, Dr. Kimball served as Chair of the Department of Religion and the Divinity School at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem.

            Dr. Kimball’s lecture will be the third program in the Mitchell Series.  The series was inaugurated in April 2014 with community interfaith concerts by the Afro-Semitic Jazz Ensemble. In the fall of 2014, the series featured the Rev. Dr. John Philip Newell, a poet, author, minister and scholar internationally acclaimed for his work in Celtic spirituality, as part of a lecture weekend at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem.

Dr. Mitchell, who died in January 2013, was Professor Emeritus at Wake Forest University, specializing in American church history, religious education and psychology of religion. He taught in (and also chaired) the Department of Religion at Wake Forest for 30 years (1961-91). He received degrees from Campbell University, Wake Forest University, Yale University, Union Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from New York University. During his career, he served as associate, interim and pastor of more than 40 churches in North Carolina, Missouri and New Jersey, retiring as pastor of Westview Baptist Church in 2008.

Dr. Mitchell also served an additional 200 churches in capacities ranging from consultant, lecturer, supply minister, study course teacher, seminar leader, and spiritual development director. A retired commander in the Navy Chaplain Corps, he served as Chaplain for the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets and for the Marines in Korea. 

Assisting Refugees Coming to Winston Salem

The refugees are coming, and our Work (Opportunity, Responsibility, Privilege) is beginning !!!  everal congregations are preparing to meet the newcomers by gathering items for Cleaning Kits, Housekeeping Kits.and or Toiletries Kit, along with Kitchen Items. Additionally, the following items are being collected:

1) Gift Cards (for markets, Target, Walmart, etc.) would be greatly appreciated to help tide families over until work and transportation are arranged.  If you would prefer writing a check to buying a card, or shopping around for items, Checks can be payable to: World Relief, Winston-Salem Refugees.  All donations are tax deductible.

2)  Blankets, Sheets, Pillows and Cases and Towels are always needed. More beds are not needed at the moment.

3)  Basic tools (A hammer, screwdrivers, etc) and small sewing kits are very helpful.

4)  Gently-used Vacuums, Blenders and the like are always appreciated. Also, Bikes and Box Fans.

5) No Large Items will be accepted at this time - Furniture, Washer/Dryers are not currently needed but may be in the future.

Storage space is limited but that may change in the upcoming weeks. The community is preparing a list of large items and the plan is for World Relief to pick items up as more refugees arrive. Please contact Interfaith Winston Salem for more information on how to get involved at interfaithws@gmail.com using the subject line refugees

More than Manna: Tree of Life Planting

Interested in planting a seed for developing a Bioregional economy? More Than Manna (a local company located in East Winston) would like to invite you and your community to plant a Tree of Life(Moringa tree) at local schools, religious grounds, or simply in your yard. We are bringing together people across the interfaith community to work with our younger generations to build a regenerative vision for past, present and future generations. There are two ways you can participate:

1. Individual Planting: You can pick up your tree between now and July 22nd Please stop by Konsikrated Moringa Farm Monday through Friday between 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Calling for an appointment is preferred: (336) 473-6531.
2. Community Planting Workshop: Please come out on July 19th and join community members from across the region and learn how to plant a Tree of Life (Moringa Tree). The planting workshop will be from 6:00 till 7:00. After the workshop, the kids will have a chance to plant trees at the farm. Event will end promptly at 9:00

What is Ramadan?

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is a month-long observance that commemorates the first revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, according to Islamic belief. It is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and will last between 29-30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon. We wait for this month the whole year because it is the month of blessing and mercy.

Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, said that the month will begin with a period of mercy, followed by a period of forgiveness and then finally Allah (God) will forgive all of your sins.

What happens during Ramadan?

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn (first light) until sunset. They fast from food, drink, smoking, and other physical needs. Before dawn we will share a small meal, Suhoor, which will give you strength to get you through the day. After that we pray the Fajr (Dawn) prayer, which is the first of 5 times of prayer during the day. We will read some of the Qur’an and begin our day with Allah’s blessings. During the day we act as normal, going to work or school, etc. We make time to pray Dhuhr around 1pm and at around 5 o’clock.

At sunset we come together to break our fast by eating dates and drinking water, then we pray the Maghrib prayer, and then we eat a full meal. After eating, we prepare ourselves to go to the Mosque and pray the Isha’a prayer, the final prayer time of the day. During Ramadan we have a special prayer called Taraweeh that we will end our day with. From this month-long commitment Allah will forgive our sins, purify our hearts, and strengthen our spirits.  

Why do Muslims Fast?

Muslims fast to please Allah because Allah has ordered us to do so. It is considered to be one of the five pillars of Islam. Fasting helps us to clear our minds and open our hearts. By experiencing this struggle within ourselves we are able to empathize with the struggles of the poor and hungry and less fortunate. It helps us to truly appreciate the blessings we have in our lives. We are encouraged to go forward and help others, and to give more of what we have (whether time or money). We try our best during this month to act in good and righteous ways and this will allow our spirit to experience closeness with Allah.

All Muslims make this commitment together for the same period of time which unites us all for a common goal and purpose: to please Allah and to be better Muslims who can help others, feel for others, and share what they have with others. By making the choice to give up our physical needs for one month our spirit grows stronger and is purified and we are better able to face life’s challenges and temptations with integrity for the rest of the year.

Why is Ramadan special?

Ramadan is referred to as the month of the Qur’an, which is the word of Allah as revealed by the Angel Gabriel to Prophet Muhammed. In this month, the Qur’an began to be revealed to Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him. We commemorate the night of the first revelation, called the Night of Power (Laylat Al Qadr). If you spend this night worshiping, praying, reading Qur’an, and making supplication to Allah, he will accept your good deeds and reward you greatly. You will receive a better reward for worshiping with sincerity on this night than if you spend 1,000 other months in prayer and worship. There will be peace and blessings on this night from Maghrib prayer time until the Fajr prayer.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is a month-long observance that commemorates the first revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, according to Islamic belief. It is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and will last between 29-30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon. We wait for this month the whole year because it is the month of blessing and mercy.

Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, said that the month will begin with a period of mercy, followed by a period of forgiveness and then finally Allah (God) will forgive all of your sins.

What happens during Ramadan?

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn (first light) until sunset. They fast from food, drink, smoking, and other physical needs. Before dawn we will share a small meal, Suhoor, which will give you strength to get you through the day. After that we pray the Fajr (Dawn) prayer, which is the first of 5 times of prayer during the day. We will read some of the Qur’an and begin our day with Allah’s blessings. During the day we act as normal, going to work or school, etc. We make time to pray Dhuhr around 1pm and at around 5 o’clock.

At sunset we come together to break our fast by eating dates and drinking water, then we pray the Maghrib prayer, and then we eat a full meal. After eating, we prepare ourselves to go to the Mosque and pray the Isha’a prayer, the final prayer time of the day. During Ramadan we have a special prayer called Taraweeh that we will end our day with. From this month-long commitment Allah will forgive our sins, purify our hearts, and strengthen our spirits.  

Why do Muslims Fast?

Muslims fast to please Allah because Allah has ordered us to do so. It is considered to be one of the five pillars of Islam. Fasting helps us to clear our minds and open our hearts. By experiencing this struggle within ourselves we are able to empathize with the struggles of the poor and hungry and less fortunate. It helps us to truly appreciate the blessings we have in our lives. We are encouraged to go forward and help others, and to give more of what we have (whether time or money). We try our best during this month to act in good and righteous ways and this will allow our spirit to experience closeness with Allah.

All Muslims make this commitment together for the same period of time which unites us all for a common goal and purpose: to please Allah and to be better Muslims who can help others, feel for others, and share what they have with others. By making the choice to give up our physical needs for one month our spirit grows stronger and is purified and we are better able to face life’s challenges and temptations with integrity for the rest of the year.

Why is Ramadan special?

Ramadan is referred to as the month of the Qur’an, which is the word of Allah as revealed by the Angel Gabriel to Prophet Muhammed. In this month, the Qur’an began to be revealed to Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him. We commemorate the night of the first revelation, called the Night of Power (Laylat Al Qadr). If you spend this night worshiping, praying, reading Qur’an, and making supplication to Allah, he will accept your good deeds and reward you greatly. You will receive a better reward for worshiping with sincerity on this night than if you spend 1,000 other months in prayer and worship. There will be peace and blessings on this night from Maghrib prayer time until the Fajr prayer.

Commentary: On Faith

(The opinions in this article are opinions of the writer and may -- or may not -- represent the views of Interfaith Winston-Salem. It is written by Alan Williams, IFWS board member and professor of history at Wake Forest University.)                                                        _______________________
 
On Faith
I do not see myself as a person of faith, I don’t belong to any faith community, and even the word faith itself makes me uncomfortable.  Yet I am a member of an organization in whose name this word figures prominently, Interfaith Winston Salem.  What am I doing collaborating in a project founded on ways of approaching the world I do not share?  One answer is that I admire the people I’ve met in this organization; but still, is there anything about this thing called faith I can honestly say I share with my religious friends?  If so, perhaps it can be found in the answers three prominent variants of religion give to one or more of the following questions about faith:  What is it?  Does it enhance our lives?  Can it be acquired, and, if so, how? (read more...)
 
Catholics, the Protestant Reformers (Luther, Zwingli, Calvin), and Muslims concur, I think, in conceiving of faith as as a human capacity--the capacity to respond in trust, with appropriate practice, belief and emotion, to an omnipotent deity and “his” revelation(s) about the way things are and how one is to live.  They also see the practical and cognitive dimensions of this response as “surrender” or “submission” and describe its emotional content as some mix of fear, love, and gratitude.  But on the matter of how and whether we can acquire this capacity, they disagree.  While Muslims and Catholics see us as capable of playing some part in the attainment of faith, the Protestant Reformers do not.  Faith is beyond the reach of human volition or effort, they argue.  It is wholly the work of a deity, not something we can get, but a gift we receive, bestowed on a few and withheld from most for reasons inscrutable and unimpeachable.   As for whether faith is worth having, all three of these communities believe it to be not only valuable but essential.  Muslims do not see human beings as afflicted with some original sin from which they must be redeemed by a savior, but, like Christians, they do see faith as necessary if we are to obtain essential truths and gain the ultimate good of an eternal life passed in a variously construed hereafter, rather than in some unending condition of torment.  Clearly, none of these communities see any reason to doubt that faith enhances our lives.
 
But the problem I started with is that I do.  The various forms religious faith takes have too often served among us as occasion and rationale for reciprocal exclusion, fear, hatred and mistreatment.   Religious faith too often brings with it a confident and determined certainty about how things are and how to conduct our lives, a certainty that sometimes leads its possessors to close their own minds and hearts, while, proud of their humility, they intrude their “gospel” officiously into other peoples’ lives.  And finally, if faith is, in the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the capacity to respond to a deity and his revelation so as to become “a man [who] submits his will and intellect to God,” ready to believe what Kierkegaard acknowledges is “absurd” and then do, upon this deity’s command, what Abraham, whom the same Catechism identifies as the Sacred Scripture’s “model of obedience” (Articles 142-44), was prepared to do, I can find nothing in faith so understood to value. 
 
And yet, despite all I’ve just said, there is some piece of this thing we call faith I do honor and hope I share with my companions on the Interfaith Council.  Faith, I’ve said, seems commonly understood to be a capacity for responding appropriately to another being.  For my religious friends, this other is a deity, a being as wholly different from themselves as it is possible to be; but the people of faith I have looked at here are, nonetheless, called upon to hope they find in themselves the capacity not only to trust this ultimately unfathomable other, but also to believe that from their welcome of “Him” into their lives will come essential new truths and a better hereafter.  Having found or acquired such trust in relation to an ultimate other, some of these people then find it possible to trust and welcome the lesser forms of otherness we all bring to one another and to do this with evident good will and grace.  It is faith, in this sense, faith as the capacity to trust my fellow creatures that I aspire to share with my religious companions.  For me this capacity, this trust, comes neither in whole nor in part as supernatural grace, but as the gift of other living things and of my own persistent effort in the face of all hesitation.  Through this faith I too hope that I may always welcome others and otherness into my life with trust and gratitude, believing they and it will show me truth and joy I would never otherwise have found.

Alan Williams