Dear Friends,
Today we begin our reflections for Interfaith Harmony Week. This week of reflections is dedicated in remembrance of the love and wisdom shared with us by Rev. Andrea J. Goodman, Co-founder and President of The Interfaith Peace Project.
World Interfaith Harmony Week is an annual event observed during the first week of February. The General Assembly of the United Nations designated this week to point out that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace. The General Assembly established World Interfaith Harmony Week as a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith.
REV. ANDREA J. GOODMAN
August 30, 1950 – December 31, 2021
Cofounder and President of
The Interfaith Peace Project
May her memory be for a blessing!
THE SUFI TRADITION
Interfaith Harmony Week
February 1, 2022
“I join people from different countries, different cultures, and different religions to reaffirm and celebrate our commitment to peace across the world. May this special occasion be a reminder to us that we should be resilient in our work together, despite our differences, to achieve a global culture of peace and mutual respect for one another. We should call everybody to this journey and leave no one out of an atmosphere of peace.
We should proactively build bridges of peace through activities such as cross-cultural festivals, trips, shared celebrations and humanitarian efforts for people of different backgrounds to meet and have meaningful conversations. When people meet, they see each other as fellow human beings rather than labels, realize their common desires and concerns and become resistant to hate-mongering and paranoia.
Building bridges of peace and friendship is possible by committing to accept everybody in their respective positions and preparing a seat for everyone in our hearts. Through our efforts we may not be able to bring peace to the whole world but we can always set a good example for others to witness and spread.
I pray to God to grant us a world free of violence, discrimination, and dictatorship and a world where we are committed to the dignity of every human being.”
Fettulah Gulen
Sufi Teacher
RESPONSE
Andrea explored and honored the faith traditions
Today I will discover a new faith tradition. I will deliberately seek out a tradition I am unfamiliar with or fear. This is a sacred practice in pursuit of peace and understanding. I will confront any prejudice I might hold in my heart as I seek to discover what other people truly believe, practice and hold dear in their pursuit of life and its meaning.
I will make a decision today and plan to meet people in this tradition realizing religions cannot meet or encounter one another. Only people can come together seeking to cherish the wisdom born of another person’s belief and experience.
As we meet and interact with people from other faith traditions, we open our hearts toward all.
REFLECTION
As we open our hearts toward others, we deepen our faith
and act in service to all.
“What actions are most excellent?
To gladden the heart of human beings,
to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted,
to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful,
and to remove the sufferings of the injured “
Saying of the Prophet Muhammed
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