Sharing Practices
One afternoon shortly after the start of the Iraq War, I went to a mosque in downtown New York to pray for peace. The Sufi leader there, Shaykha Fariha al-Jerrahi, had invited some of her colleagues to help lead the service. Each presented a practice distinctive to his or her tradition and answered questions about it. A Jewish rabbi led us in chanting "Shalom." A Hindu priest sang a chant in Sanskrit. A member of the Zen Peacemaker Order had us take a vow. A Presbyterian minister had us read sections of a peace and justice litany based on passages from the Hebrew Bible. And Shaykha Fariha led us in a zikr (Sufi chant).
It was an incredibly powerful experience. Here were people of different faith traditions sharing their practices for a common intention. Our desire for peace brought us together; the practices helped us join arms and feel a deep sense of unity.
I thought of that afternoon when I was watching today's "New Morning" episode on "Building Bridges." In one striking scene, two college roommates are in their room. One, a Hindu from Bombay, sits on her bed meditating. Her roommate, a Conservative Jew, stands nearby reciting from her prayer book. Although they are not doing each other's practices, they are obviously respectful of each other's tradition. In conversation, they admit that although they come from different backgrounds, they have many of the same convictions on social justice issues.
Later in the program, we see another example of people sharing a practice. The Dances of Universal Peace, which originated within a Sufi order, are now a multifaith phenomenon. As Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jews, and others learn these dances, they become comfortable chanting and praying together. This opens the door to deeper communication among faith groups.
A simple way to get started sharing practices is to learn a variety of prayers from the world's religions. You can find collections of prayers online. I also highly recommend the book God Has No Religion: Blending Traditions for Prayer by Frances Sheridan Goulart. Included are prayers of the day, prayers for healing, hope, peace, justice, and gratitude; blessings, vows, creeds, affirmations, mantras, and more. Goulart quotes religious historian Karen Armstrong: "By learning to pray the prayers of people who do not share our beliefs we can learn at a level deeper than creedal, to value their faith."