Recently, I had someone tell me that Interfaith in their area was dead. What they meant was that disagreements between two major faith communities over world events had reached a point of tension where communication between communities was extremely strained. World events can cause strained relations, and has done so many, many times. Heightened emotions lead to words being said that fuel ill feeling and this can give the impression that any positive relations seen in the past are gone. To be sure, the tensions are genuine and make things difficult. But the desire to recover and rebuild doesn’t disappear. Opportunities to reconnect will be sought and gradually relationships ae reestablished. There will be people within conflicting communities who have worked to retain relationships, sharing their sadness that their fellows are in conflict with one another and genuinely hearing the feelings and perspective of each other in order to gain an understanding.
The closure of the Interfaith Network in 2024 might have given the impression that National Interfaith was dead. Happening at a time when tensions were already being felt due to conflicts overseas, the closure due to withdrawal of funding did indeed mean an end to a significant source of support and mediation that had, in previous times of tension, proven extremely important. However, the determination to keep working together and to find a solution to restore a national body to support Interfaith work has never been lost, and work is ongoing to design and create a national Interfaith body that is fitting for today. Other national organisations have stepped up to help maintain connections and enable meetings and facilitate dialogue as part of that determination and dedication to principles of maintaining good relations between different faith and belief communities and many, many local Interfaith groups have continued their grass roots work together. A number of government supported activities have also begun in terms of connecting different communities that will see further development this year. Without a doubt, there are loud voices that communicate in ways that seek to divide and which capture the attention of the media and of members of the public who are struggling with the issues affecting the nation. These give the impression that our society is deeply fractured and cannot be healed. That is not an entirely accurate impression and proving that inaccuracy is something we can all contribute to through making connections with others, engaging in dialogue, learning about one another, exploring ways we can support one another.
This month, all three of the Abrahamic faiths- Christianity, Judaism and Islam will be observing significant festivals. Christians have entered the period of Lent, leading up to Easter. Jews will be celebrating Purim, a celebration of Jewish survival. Muslims have entered the month of Ramadan and celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr at the end of their month long fast and reflection on Allah. Our Pagan celebration of the Spring Equinox also falls in March. It’s a time of balance, renewal and rebirth and fertility. What could Pagans do with those energies that could help improve wider society?
Mike Stygal
Belief and Education Officer
Contact Mike here