Getting to the Heart of Interfaith

September 29 Discussion Questions

Question 1.  Pastor Don believes in the transformative nature of love.  In what ways have you experienced this?  How do you see this power of love as a universal value?

Question 2.  If Pastor Don sees love as the central focus of his Christian faith, does that mean Christianity “owns” love?  What if several traditions share a common focus?

Question 3.  Rabbi Ted talks about finding deeper meaning in words he had learned as a child.  Are there texts, songs, or stories in which you are now able to find deeper meaning than they had for you when you first learned them?  If so, how did that additional meaning become clear to your?

Question 4.  Rabbi Ted shared an event that helped open him to a fuller vision of his spiritual identity and through that, to deeper interfaith connections.  Are there events in your own life that have enabled you to understand what you share with those of other faiths and traditions?

Question 5.  Sheikh Jamal found himself experiencing the intensity of God’s compassion even when going through an extremely difficult time of loss.  When have you most been aware of universal compassion and love?  When have you felt most distant from that love?

Question 6.  Sheikh Jamal focuses on the virtue of compassion.  Do you think that every spiritual path needs to reflect this virtue?  Why?

Question 7.  If you were to focus on one central teaching that has impacted you in your life, what would it be?  How did you find that teaching?  What has it meant for you?