“The Faith Club”
Today’s column takes on a little different format but the message is the same. I want to offer a review of a book that I just finished reading that I found totally aligned with the message of the OPU column. The title of the book is called “The Faith Club” and was recommended a few months back in an email sent to me by a good friend and a long time reader of the OPU column. She told me that the book was about three mothers (one Christian, one Muslim and one Jewish) who get together in an effort to understand each other's religions and ultimately come to find the common ground they all share. My friend said, “It made me think of you and the message of One Planet United.”
The first thing that I found fascinating when I began reading “The Faith Club” was that these three Moms initially came together for a whole other reason than what eventually came into being. In the wake of 9-11, Ranya Idliby, an American Muslim of Palestinian descent, reached out to the other two mothers to write an interfaith children’s book that would highlight the connections between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They found after their very first meeting that they would have to address their own differences first. They realized that they themselves first needed an open and honest environment where they could admit and discuss their own stereotypes, fears and misunderstandings. The honesty and no-holds barred approach that these women agreed to, created a great amount of tension for me, the reader, from the start.
Some examples of their exchanges included… Suzanne Oliver, an Episcopalian who was raised Catholic, outwardly upset Priscilla Warner, a Jewish woman and children's author, with her description of the Crucifixion story. It sounded too much like "Jews killed Jesus" for Warner's taste. Idliby's efforts to join in on the usual "Judeo-Christian" debate tapped into a sense of alienation she already felt in the larger Muslim community, where she was unable to find a progressive mosque that reflected her non–veil-wearing, spiritual Islam. The three Moms eventually came to call their group a "faith club" and, over time, began to support each other into a stronger belief in their own respective religions. Their honesty at times was brutal and kept me short of breath with tension many times when they got deep into some of their heartfelt beliefs and what was truth to them. It made me realize one more time why it is strongly suggested that we never get into dialogue that includes either Religion or Politics. From Ranya’s graphic defense of the Palestinian cause, Suzanne’s back and forth between her deep faith and agonizing doubt, and Priscilla’s struggles to acknowledge God's existence, there were no topics off limits in their exchanges of feelings, thoughts and ideas.
What makes this book so profound is that what eventually unfolds after a couple of years of gathering for their bi-monthly “Faith Club” meeting is that a powerful love and respect for one another develops and their friendship grows to a deeper level than any other they have known.
I conclude that I am thrilled that these three courageous women took a leap of “faith” and turned this very personal matter into such a great book for all to read. It highlights over and over that the main reason there is very little interfaith understanding in the world is because of ignorance, fear and the habit of hanging out mostly with “our own kind.” The mission of One Planet United is to build bridges of understanding for all people and “The Faith Club” says it as good as can be said. The women all came to a higher consciousness and greater understanding when they took the time to get to know one another at the level of the heart. They came to experience a deep love and respect for one another and found that their fears and misunderstandings disappeared.
I highly recommend this book for all to read. After reading it, I encourage you purchase a few extra copies and pass them on to others. This gesture will help continue the move to a deeper collective consciousness of religious unity and peace in the world. Peace out..
Note: You can learn more about “The Faith Club” or how to start a “Faith Club” in your community by visiting www.faithclub.com
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Jack Bloomfield is the co-founder and executive director of One Planet United, Inc., a non
profit 501(c)3 organization.
One Planet United's mission statement is: To bring unity and understanding to all people through
experiential and educational programs, projects and resources.
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