During the 2016 presidential election, as the socio-political climate of the entire nation changed, I observed polarization and the creeping normalization of xenophobia in my own high school. This was the moment when I realized that something needed to be done in order to help people translate between various cultures, faiths, and worldviews, so I started the Interfaith Club in my high school. Even though I had always thought about interfaith, this was when I started to think more deeply about it.
When defining ‘interfaith,’ a part of a Sanskrit verse that reads, वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् (vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam) comes to mind. This translates to ‘the whole world is one family.’ For me this is what interfaith is: seeing the common humanity present in all.
It is my belief that engaging faith is one of the most profound ways that a community betters itself. By embracing religious diversity and honoring the service to others that stems from faith, we can truly promote a peace and harmony beyond the self. It is crucial to build understanding, respect, and cooperation among the various faiths and with people around us. When talking about religions and faiths it is very easy to spot differences or recall conflicts. Boundaries are drawn so easily, and they set people and things apart—or worse, against each other.
When thinking about interfaith I see a way to move beyond those boundaries. It is not that the differences do not exist. After all, differences are what make each tradition and faith unique; differences also make individual humans unique. Therefore, the goal in interfaith work should not be to disregard the differences. However, the goal should be to acknowledge those differences and then be able to work together despite them. Doing so, reveals an embrace of collaboration and sense of community. No matter how different we all might be, at the end of the day we are all humans. I believe that remembering that is at the core of what interfaith means. Despite all the differences, as humans there are certain emotions, experiences, and needs that are common to all of us.
Defining and approaching interfaith in this way allows me to really engage in interfaith dialogue and work. When one has their own set of beliefs, it is very hard to be open minded. We as humans have a tendency for confirmation bias; we want to hear and see things that affirm our beliefs. It is also a human tendency to spot the negatives. If there was an entire wall painted white and there was a black dot on it, most people’s attention would be on the black dot. It is just human instinct to spot and hyperfocus on what is different, and many times equate different with bad. When engaging with interfaith work and dialogue, this is not an effective approach. However, it is also not easy to go against strong human tendencies.
As someone who has grown up valuing a very specific kind of vegetarian diet, it is difficult for me to understand religious practices involving meat eating. However, even though I might not agree or fully comprehend those practices, being in safe interfaith spaces like BILI (Building Interfaith Leadership Initiative) gives me an opportunity to engage with people who follow such practices. Instead of passing judgements or avoiding discussions, thinking about the common humanity propels one to engage with the person and learn about their beliefs and practices. It helps me think about how we can each hold our religious beliefs regarding our diets, but still work together in other aspects to create positive change.
Seeing the common humanity within all allows me to truly engage in interfaith dialogue. It allows me to be more open minded and always learn something from everyone. This reminds me of something that is stressed in all of my Education Studies classes: have an asset-based approach. People come from different backgrounds and people are inevitably going to be different. However, just because someone is different does not mean that they are inferior. Remembering that everyone has something to bring to the table that is valuable and focusing on that is what interfaith is all about. There will always be differences, but working together despite them is truly what interfaith is about.