Hello, friends. It was horrific last night to learn of another tragedy in a house of worship: at least 50 people killed and more injured in a Catholic Church during Pentecost services in Nigeria, a country so often torn apart by severe religious hatred and violence. There are sadly too many instances of violence around the world to acknowledge them all, but after having recently spent time with my Nigerian interfaith colleague Fr. Gokum Richard in Rome, it was hard to hear this as I urgently messaged him to check in. You can see us both in this video from last month's conference:
What can we do? How do we respond to such hatred? As you can imagine, my urging remains the same: meet each other. Ask questions of your neighbors. Try to overcome that fear in your gut that maybe we "shouldn't bring up religion," and instead take the leap and learn and share. If Fr. Richard can continue the work, continue forging connections even in the midst of such grave circumstances including the presence of Boko Haram, all the more so are we called to do it, as well. These relationships strengthen our societies, strengthen our own convictions, and can play an immense role in helping shift the dial going forward. Please join me in this work every day, however you can. #interfaithallthetime (If you want to watch the video in Spanish instead: https://www.romereports.com/2022/05/29/dialogo-interreligioso-de-la-universidad-al-terreno/)
Now please, please go out and love one another.
<3,Allyson
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