When I researched the etymology of the word “interfaith,” I found that its two components, “inter” and “faith,” have roots that stretch back thousands of years. “Inter” has roots in Latin, Greek, and old Persian words, all of which have a variant of the definition “between, among.” “Faith” has Latin and ancient Proto-Indo-European roots in a word which means “to trust, confide, persuade.” Putting the etymology of “inter” and “faith” together adds an additional meaning of “trust between.” Perhaps interfaith is the art of learning how to build trust between people.
Over the past three years of interfaith dialogue in MIT Addir and the past year in the Boston Interfaith Leadership Initiative (BILI), I have reaped the benefits of learning how to develop dialogue and build bridges of trust between differences in spiritual/ethical/religious worldviews/traditions. Some of my dearest and most trusted friendships have been a direct result of learning to develop shared vulnerability and understanding in this in-between interfaith space. In my academic life, as part of my history thesis “Queer Mormon Women: Navigating Gender Ideals in the Modern U.S.,” I used interfaith dialogue skills to build trust between myself and interviewees as they shared how their understanding of spirituality, sexuality, and gender identity has evolved throughout their lives.
Because of BILI, I have learned more about interfaith theory by reading excerpts from a variety of books and perspectives that have made my dialogue sessions more intentional. Through panel discussions, I learned how people apply the principles of interfaith in their journalism, activism, chaplaincy, and other organizing efforts. I learned how to apply interfaith in religious services by watching Rev. Tom Reid’s beautiful Presbyterian ordination service which included a Jewish melody sung by a rabbi and a prayer from the Quran. I learned about the spiritual/ethical/religious experiences of students from a variety of schools in the Boston area and organized a successful interfaith retreat with them.
Interfaith work relies on the idea that between any set of different parties there is at least one common principle which they share…
While it is easy to reflect on what I have learned now that I have completed BILI, thinking about how to apply interfaith moving forward is a bit trickier. Especially in a world of pandemic and personal uncertainty, how can I plan for the future? As a fresh high school graduate, I would never have been able to guess any of my undergraduate extracurricular and academic pursuits except studying computer science. Now as an almost college graduate, how can I even begin to anticipate what opportunities my graduate school self and beyond will pursue? BILI has taught me the settings to apply interfaith are endless. Fundamentally, interfaith work relies on the idea that between any set of different parties there is at least one common principle which they share, whether it be commitment to dialogue, feeding the hungry, or climate justice. Interfaith work hopes that by developing shared trust in one or more common principle(s), trust will eventually expand to fill the spaces between differences, and all parties will come to a shared commitment toward embracing a thriving pluralistic society. As someone committed to both trying to help make the world a better place and resolving conflict, I find interfaith work appealing.
However, sometimes it seems like conflict is never-ending, and with my wide array of interests, the possibilities of where to begin are endless and overwhelming. Additionally, my personal experience has taught me some of the limitations of interfaith. Finding common ground and developing trust despite difference is easier in some cases than in others. Trying to build bridges of trust between myself and others, especially when there are strong differences in fundamental core values, is hard work. Despite my best efforts, bridges can unilaterally burn and collapse. Sometimes creating trust between myself and others does not always create agreement or resolve conflict. Sustaining these relationships requires a certain degree of sacrifice.
Despite these drawbacks, as I have developed the ability to use interfaith principles in various capacities, it has become one of my most valuable tools. For me it is not a question of whether I will continue using interfaith. Instead, it is this: Given the constraints of my time and energy, how do I determine when, where, and how to apply interfaith next? For now the answer is making that decision one day, one conflict, and one opportunity at a time.
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay.