Interfaith Trolley Tour promoted common values between religions and faith
On Sunday, April 2, around 70 members of religious communities joined an interfaith tour to visit and learn about five religious sites in north suburban Chicago.
Last year, the same type of tour was held on April 24, and visited five important religious sites on the south side of Chicago.
This year, the month of April begins a most divine month for most faiths. For example Christians are celebrating Good Friday and Easter Sunday, and Jews celebrating Passover. Sunday is Easter, and the Muslim are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan.
Several interfaith members were joined by their friends, family, neighbors, and acquaintances to learn more about many faiths and its practice.
For the first time in 30 years, in the month of April, many religions' holy days like Ramadan, Passover, Easter, Vaisakhi, Ridvan overlap and many faiths like Muslims, Jews, Christians, Baha'i, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists, are observing their holy days in the month of April.
"Today we got an incredible opportunity to come together to educate our communities and shape the public narrative about what it means to live well together amidst our religious, Peace and cultural diversity," said Josh from Hyde Park, Chicago.
"Today is a beautiful sunny day in Chicago and we are hosting such a beautiful interfaith event, vommon values between religions and faith," said Kim Schultz, coordinator of creative initiatives at the InterReligious Institute, part of Chicago Theological Seminary.
The event was sponsored by the American Islamic College, Chicago Theological Seminary, Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice at the Lutheran School of Theology and Niagara Foundation.
Sara Trumm, director of A Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement of Peace and Justice, said, "This tour is an opportunity for members of the faith and the community to engage and understand at various levels people from other traditions."
"Our Interfaith team brings us to the Interfaith Trolley Tour, an occasion to visit several sacred spaces in the suburbs of Chicago to promote religious diversity," said Dr. Ferhat Kazkondu, director of Community Engagement & Outreach, Niagara Foundation.
Chicago's interfaith community visited the first Black church of Evanston, Second Baptist; a social justice, and interfaith-centered synagogue, Sukkat Shalom; the beautiful Bahai Temple of North America; and Muslim Mosque, Dar-Us-Sunnah in Evanston.
The tour featured two charter buses taking guests to each worship place and free dinner at the end of tour at Parkes Hall at Northwestern University.
The trolley tour ended with an interfaith dinner at Northwestern University where Tahera Ahmad, director of Interfaith Engagement and associate chaplain at Northwestern University, highlighted about Ramadan and its benefits. An Azan "Call of Prayer" was performed by campus youth.