Earthquakes and Eboo

Hey all!  

So in some interesting news, we had an earthquake in Chicago on early Wednesday morning at about 4:00.    It was only a small one but I woke up for it and remember thinking my room was moving; however, I shook it off as a dream.  I didn't find out it was an earthquake until I was at IFYC and my supervisor asked me if I had heard about it.    

In other exciting news.  I got to meet Eboo Patel today, which I had hoped would happen eventually. It was still really g to actually get to introduce myself and get to shake his hand! He is a man I admire greatly for all the work he has done for something he is passionate about.  I know most of you Luther-ites know of him, and hopefully went to the Opening convocation to hear him speak this fall.  For those of you not from Luther or don't know much about Eboo, first know that you should read his book, Acts of Faith.  Second, even if you are from Luther and did go to Convocation but especially if you didn't, you should listen to his message, you can download it from iTunes U (I can't find a link right now but when my internet is being better behaved I will try to get one posted.)  

His message of acceptance of all, is one that I don't think we hear often enough. More often than not religion is painted as a dividing force rather than a uniting cause.   In this acceptance, Eboo, and IFYC, believe that accepting others in their beliefs does not mean we leave ours at the door.  Instead it means finding the shared values that exist in our beliefs-compassion, service, justice,  hospitality and charity.   Rather than focus on defining right and wrong, the focus becomes defining and sharing personal experience. In this sharing of beliefs and stories, I don't believe we lose any bit of our faith.  No, I believe that being open to hearing other's views and other's stories and in return being willing to share ours,  is the only way to strengthen our believes.  This is what IFYC stands for.  This is the work I get to participate in this semester.  And 50 years from now, when we look back on the Interfaith movement like, we now look back on the Civil Rights movement, I will be able to say:  "I was a part of that."