How ‘Vacation Interfaith School’ helped build connections in Maryland

(Interfaith America)  — On a Thursday night in early August, Tameeka Washington discovered herself standing exterior the mosque on the Diyanet Middle of America campus not removed from her dwelling in Bowie, Maryland. It was the second evening of her newest challenge — “Trip Interfaith College” — and she or he and a bunch of younger college students had been anticipating a tour and to study a couple of issues about how Muslims reside out their religion.

Washington first moved to Bowie together with her husband in 2007. On the time, she had no thought she’d develop into a grassroots organizer, a lot much less one who began an interfaith summer time camp and labored shoulder-to-shoulder with religion leaders and group members from completely different traditions.

However in 2020 because the pandemic began to take maintain all around the globe, she heard a calling. The message was considerably imprecise. “I used to be like, we have to do one thing,” she mentioned. “However I didn’t know who ‘we’ was.”

As a Seventh-day Adventist, she typically finds herself being guided by a have to serve within the right here and now. “I can’t not assist. My religion is an enormous a part of why I do this and what my understanding of who God is.”

That summer time, as massive protests in opposition to the homicide of George Floyd started to unfold in neighboring Washington, D.C., and past, she discovered herself wanting to affix the general public outcry however had some issues. “People had been headed to D.C., and I used to be like, we’re nonetheless in the course of a pandemic. That appears loopy,” she mentioned.

So she reached out to her native metropolis officers and with their help organized a vigil for the residents of Bowie. Amongst those that spoke out in opposition to racial violence that Saturday evening in June had been group members in addition to metropolis and state officers, native regulation enforcement and clergy.

Stephen Weisman, rabbi of Temple Solel, a Reform congregation, was one of many clergy who spoke. He met Washington for the primary time that night and was impressed together with her organizing abilities. The 2 turned buddies. This fortuitous encounter between an Adventist and a rabbi shortly developed from friendship to skilled collaboration and at the moment Washington jokingly refers to Weisman as her co-conspirator in group organizing.

Three weeks after the vigil, Washington organized a web based panel dialogue to speak about religion, race and social justice. Along with metropolis leaders, Washington invited Christian, Muslim and Jewish clergy, together with Weisman, to talk to the group about their issues.

“I do know for me the query is, the place’s God in all of this?” she mentioned. “If I’ve these questions, anyone else has this query. So let’s see if we will’t get some solutions for people.”

The occasion was successful and fueled her want to do extra. It additionally helped crystallize her imaginative and prescient for tips on how to finest give again. She credit Weisman for serving to notice her calling. “I advised her what we’d like is a lay led group that’s going to assist bond clergy collectively throughout moments like this,” he mentioned.

In 2020 she launched the Interfaith Coalition of Bowie.

In the present day the coalition gives a platform for a various group of religion leaders and group members to return collectively within the title of social justice as brokers for change. Even amid a pandemic, they’ve been a daily presence within the public sq. these final two years.

The religion-oriented on-line panel discussions proceed and canopy a variety of well timed points: religion and significant race principle; fostering inclusive group for LGBTQ youth in spiritual areas; autism and faith; and science-based details about the COVID-19 vaccine, to call however a couple of.

The Rev. Emily Holladay, a pastor at Village Baptist Church, is among the many clergy who’s a part of the interfaith coalition. “How many individuals are you aware who say, I’m not a clergy individual, I simply go to church,” she mentioned. “However I would like the clergy to return collectively as a result of I believe they’ll have an effect on the group.”

With hate-based violence and extremism on the rise nationally, it’s this sort of group constructing that cities as various as Bowie are primed for.

Based on the 2020 U.S. Census, of Bowie’s 58,000 residents, 56% are Black, 32% are white, 7% are Hispanic and 4% are Asian.

Bowie State College is among the nation’s 10 oldest traditionally Black faculties. Earlier this yr the college was amongst a variety of traditionally Black colleges throughout the nation that acquired bomb threats throughout Black Historical past Month. College students had been pressured to shelter in place.

Across the similar time, antisemitic flyers appeared in neighborhoods throughout the world.

In response, the interfaith coalition Washington based sponsored a “Bowie United for Peace” rally the place metropolis officers, group leaders and clergy introduced a united entrance denouncing the incidents. Representatives from Bowie State had been additionally readily available. Rhonda Jeter, dean of the School of Schooling at Bowie, advised native media: “I’m excited for the entire folks pulling collectively locally and the religion teams. I believe it’s actually good.”

Interfaith summit desires of America as a potluck, not a battlefield

Creating alternatives for folks to return collectively within the title of a extra tolerant and simply society is an enormous motivator for Washington, however she’s equally obsessed with reaching the group’s youthful inhabitants.

This summer time the coalition organized a three-day summer time camp for 8- to 12-year-olds and known as it “Trip Interfaith College.”

Weisman, who has run Jewish summer time camps prior to now, mentioned, “Trip Bible colleges have a major place within the Christian group. Nevertheless it’s a silo constructing train, as a result of each church runs their very own.” He contends {that a} camp like this one not solely emphasizes a shared understanding amongst these of various faiths (or none), nevertheless it additionally has a means of breaking down silo partitions.

The children visited Village Baptist Church in Bowie, the Diyanet Middle of America in neighboring Lanham and United Parish of Bowie, a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and United Church of Christ congregation.

Storm clouds clear over Diyanet Middle of America in Lanham, Maryland, August 2022. (© Shelby Swann Images)

For the go to to Village Baptist, Holladay organized a scavenger hunt within the church and allowed the youngsters to play the organ and stand on the pulpit. She confirmed them the baptistry and defined its goal and what made it distinctive to Baptists.

On the mosque, the kids realized about why Muslims pray 5 instances day and when.

“One of many little ones was asking concerning the baptismal pool, was it a scorching tub?” Washington mentioned, laughing. “However I believe having the youngsters in numerous sacred areas with out it being a service and having the ability to transfer round and ask questions and contact issues was actually useful.”

Whereas the curriculum remained free for the inaugural model of the camp, Washington desires to construct on what they realized labored and what didn’t and plans to supply it once more subsequent summer time.

Regardless of working full time and elevating two youngsters who’re 8 and 14, Washington is keen to proceed the work and discover alternatives for collaboration. The Bowie interfaith coalition lately partnered with one other nonprofit elevating cash for an Afghan household who’ve come to the world as refugees.

In creating the coalition, Washington has come to appreciate why this sort of engagement is critical at instances like these. “(Earlier than this) there have been issues occurring in my group and I used to be sleepwalking via it,” she mentioned. “I’m so centered on ensuring that my youngsters are OK, my husband’s OK, that I’m OK. I wish to make it possible for not solely are we OK, inside our home, however the people round us are OK, as a result of these are our neighbors, proper? And all of us have to be good.”

A model of this text initially appeared in Interfaith America journal.

Interfaith Trolley gives inspiration and a whirlwind tour of faith in America