FaithBridge announces 2015 essay contest for MLK

FaithBridge, a consortium of faith-based communities in McHenry and Lake counties and the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, announces the 2015 essay contest for all students in sixth to eighth grades.

This year's topic is "How do you bring about peace in the midst of challenge and controversy?" It is based on this quote by Martin Luther King Jr.: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at time of challenge and controversy."

Essays of 300 to 350 words should be submitted to faithbridgeessay@gmail.com by the Dec. 15 deadline.

The winner will be awarded $50, plus two tickets to the FaithBridge-Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast on Monday, Jan. 19. The winner will also read their essay as part of the breakfast program.

The breakfast will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at D'Andrea Banquets, 4419 Route 14, Crystal Lake.

The theme for this year's event is "Peace in the Midst of Challenge and Controversy." The program will include a call to prayer plus group prayer with participants from a variety of local faith traditions including Islamic, Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, Christian and New Thought.

The keynote speaker, Ernest Brooks III, will speak on "The World House: Realizing Dr. King's Cosmopolitan Dream."

FaithBridge seeks to promote mutual understanding and respectful relationships among diverse religious communities; to develop interfaith communication, understanding, cooperation, spiritual practice and action; to foster a network of community religious leaders; to create opportunities for interreligious learning, fellowship and dialogue; and to nurture a culture of justice, peace, and healing among all religious communities.