The last few months have been unlike any our faith communities have ever experienced. My best friend had to evacuate her university to be with her family in Qatar. They celebrated Ramadan trapped inside their house in Doha, and my friend hasn’t stepped a foot outside since March 15th. As a Christian, I celebrated Easter through an online service, not to mention the virtual sermons that have replaced in-person ones every Sunday. We are facing unprecedented times, as we are all too painfully aware. College students were sent back home from university or are still trapped in our dorm rooms, and all around the world people are united by the shared experience of being confined at home.
The coronavirus has created a novel sense of global community in shared suffering. I sometimes stop and marvel at the thought that people—billions of us—are feeling the repercussions of this virus. While our limited ability to interact with each other is of course a limitation, I think the coronavirus also offers an opportunity to grow in our understanding of what the term “interfaith” means.
As dark as times have gotten recently, there has never been a greater understanding of our joint, underlying humanity. Lockdowns are occurring all over the world, and people from all faith and non-faith traditions are forced to adapt their spiritual and religious practices to fit within their homes. There are other people who must work, from healthcare workers to those who have no choice but to work because they must earn enough money for their families to survive.1 I’m a Religion major, and it’s been fascinating to see how people continue to adapt and shift their spiritual practice in today’s changing environment, just like they have for all of human history.
As dark as times have gotten recently, there has never been a greater understanding of our joint, underlying humanity.
I just completed a course on the Hindu Worlds, and as a case example, the vast diversity of the Hindu religion and its history allows for a rich plethora of types of worship. Religious traditions, practices, and even sometimes beliefs vary widely. This rich diversity shows how one religion has adapted to change. Hinduism, as well as many other religions, has survived for thousands of years. Those who practice Hinduism thrive despite changes in government, additions of new cultures and people, and every social, economic, biological, and political change imaginable.
The coronavirus is another momentous change in human history—one that will affect humanity and the religions people practice. People will adapt just like they always have. And what better way to increase our sympathies and connections with those from different faiths than a cataclysmic event such as this? Interfaith connection takes on a new possibility. While still honoring our difference, our oneness is highlighted in this pandemic.
I sincerely hope people take this time to reflect on how we are ultimately similar in our biological humanity and capacity to catch coronavirus, no matter who we are. And we can celebrate what makes us all different, even when we eventually return back to our normal routines. Part of our adaptation program to this new lifestyle should include reflecting on humanity’s oneness. We should hone our interfaith skills and understandings while we are stuck in this period of waiting, so that when we are allowed outside again, we will have an enhanced perspective on the world and its people.
Personally, I know this time we are currently in has helped me to focus on what matters most to me. Much has been stolen away from me, although I realize I still have much to be thankful for. There are things to celebrate and take joy in now, and I have an increased gratitude for what the world can offer even as I’ve adapted to this new normal. When it’s safe for me to venture outside again, I look forward to the fresh air and the bountiful opportunities and adventures this world holds to engage in.
But it grieves me that I no longer know if I will be able to study abroad at Oxford University next fall, and I’ve lost even more precious time with my friends at Wellesley College given I might graduate early. However, my faith has strengthened me and I believe God will still use this time for our good. I’ve always known I was interested in employing interfaith aspects in my career, and through the multitude of ways that the Boston Interfaith Leadership Initiative (BILI) has opened my eyes, I see bountiful opportunities to do so. I know whatever career I end up in, it is going to be one in which I interact with people from all faith backgrounds. I’ll have ample opportunities to put into use the many skills I have learned through interfaith dialogue. Some include knowing how to facilitate difficult conversations—and the confidence to have meaningful conversations in a professional setting—active and engaged listening, event planning, and increased understanding of the many different types of people and perspectives this world has to offer.
I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to take part in this year’s BILI fellowship. I’ve thought a lot about the future while cooped up at home, and I hope it is a more peaceful one in which the world realizes that it has the capacity in its shared humanity to work together for the common good. New bonds are forming as diverse people join together to fight this virus.