Thanksgiving Interfaith Service

My Synagogue participated in a joint Interfaith Thanksgiving Service on Sunday. It was very touching and created feelings of fellowship, optimism, and hope, regardless of our differences. No matter what your beliefs are, the basis of each religious leader’s message still carries weight in how we should treat one another.

Participating was Rabbi Joel Mishkin from Congregation Beth Ohr, Tariq Sharif, a lay leader representing the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Father Joseph Thippabathini from St. Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, Pastor Benjamin Adjei from Glorious Faith of God Ministries, and the host, Reverend Kevin G. Davis from Simpson United Methodist Church, all from Old Bridge, New Jersey.

While each religious leader shared readings and then personal messages making references to their Faiths, everything each one said was fully applicable to anyone who attended and congregants from all five faiths. The common word was that we are all loved by God, and when we look at anyone else, we should be mindful of God’s love for them and treat them as God would want them treated. Even for those who don’t practice a faith-based religion, the message holds true that we are all human beings and deserve to be valued and respected.

There were readings from each faith’s Bible showing we have much more in common than differences, and we should be aware of this. The Bibles have different word configurations, but I did not hear anything that was limited to the religion that produced that bible. The words might have been different, but the messages were the same and adding an “Amen” after each reading was a touching thrill for me. Further, each speaker was a true professional with a pastor’s passion and fervor. They were good!

If only we could all live the way their words suggested. To look at one another through a lens of love. Regardless of our differences and whether we practice faith in a higher power or not, what binds us together should be compassion for humanity. We should all strive to act with kindness and dignity toward one another.

I have a Thanksgiving invocation for the readers of this message. Look for and celebrate the similarities in those you encounter. Be curious and accepting of the differences that make us unique. Rejoice at the grander matters that bring us together rather than picking at the trivial issues and differences that tear us apart.

Have a thankful Thanksgiving.