Every time we turn around, we seem to be in challenging times. Every time we turn around there seems to be something more that threatens to divide us even further. Increasingly…
There is a growing skepticism among young people toward the category of “leader.” This is evident in both a defensive and protective posture towards those who identify as…
When we think of leadership, perhaps we think of individuals who seemingly occupy a lot of space in any given arena–the shiny politician, the savvy entrepreneur, or the…
The landscape of interfaith relationship building has undergone a seismic shift since the Hamas attacks of October 7th, 2023 and the resultant renewal of attention that event…
With the psalm wrapping up, the Time was fast approaching. Organ notes shifted to a hauntingly familiar prelude to my morning anxiety. Deep breath in. Deep breath out…
For decades interfaith activists have been searching for “flint” to create the positive sparks needed for interfaith engagement and collaboration. In the beginning we would look for potential partners from different religious communities, speak to them separately, and then invite them into a wider circle for dialogue. We would lay the ground work and then praise the merits of their coming together, encouraging people to find a common language, to become comfortable with one another, share information about their religious practices, and “bond.” We wanted to create a non-threatening environment which we hoped would ultimately lead to a relationship of trust and then inspire more opportunities to engage the larger community. Sometimes it would take months to create that first encounter. Sometimes that first encounter would backfire because the individuals weren’t quite ready to go beyond their comfort zone.