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Three faith traditions come together to plan Sept. 11 service Date published: 8/26/2010
BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE
The Rev. Gay Rahn was driving home from vacation when she heard the debate on the radio about a mosque planned near where the World Trade Center towers once stood. As she listened to people talk about the proposed Islamic community center about two blocks from ground zero, Rahn thought back to Sept. 11, 2001. Rahn lived in Dalton, Ga., then and immediately considered an interfaith prayer service. She didn't know if the small southern town had a mosque, but she searched and found one. She called the imam and then the rabbi of the local synagogue. Together, the clergy created an interfaith service. "But we didn't know each other, didn't really trust each other," Rahn said. Nine years later, Rahn is the associate rector at St. George's Episcopal Church in Fredericksburg. Her close friends include Rabbi Devorah Lynn of Beth Sholom Temple in Stafford and Munira Marlow, who worships at the Islamic Center of Fredericksburg. Rahn called her two friends and asked about holding an interfaith service remembering Sept. 11 and praying for those who lost loved ones and for reconciliation among religions. Lynn had already been looking for a service her congregation could participate in. She and Marlow immediately joined Rahn's plans. Last week, the three faith groups--Muslim, Jewish and Christian--came together to plan the service. Marlow brought the Islamic Center's new imam, Sami Shamma, who arrived at the Spotsylvania County mosque this earlier month. Others from the Islamic Center and St. George's joined the meeting. Lynn participated in the planning via telephone because she was away dealing with a family illness. The group laughed and joked throughout the meeting, while also talking about the serious issue of interfaith dialog. The Rev. Jim Dannals, rector of St. George's, teased Lynn over the phone, "Warn your mother that the Christians and the Muslims are praying for her." The meeting was a much different affair from Rahn's interfaith efforts nine years ago. "Relationship, connection makes all the difference," she said. "Once people stop being strangers, the fear disappears," Shamma agreed. "If you have appropriate dialog, not shouting, it builds friendship, and friendship is often a more powerful antidote to society's ailments than many others." The group agreed to hold an event the morning of Sept. 11 at Market Square in downtown Fredericksburg. "This will be common prayers from three faith traditions, celebrating our unity and praying for the victims and families of 9/11," Dannals said. The group also hopes to follow up the prayer service with a dialog about the proposed mosque and perhaps other meetings. "Every one of these events is a small step toward bringing these communities together," Shamma said. "Every one of these events is a positive event taking place on a sad day, rather than an angry event taking place on a sad day. "If we as religious leaders--who can be the most opinionated, because we have God on our side--come together and pray together, we should pave the way for neighbors to talk together, for colleagues at work to talk together, for students at university to talk together in the most respectful way." Amy Flowers Umble: 540/735-1973
Date published: 8/26/2010
What an event! Could we do this all the time? It was a pleasure meeting my neighbors for the first time( nsome for the second). It was truly an honor to stand near breathren from other faiths in commemorations of that faithful day and also in commemoration of each other. I remember New york had become ONE that day. All peoples were one. We need to bring that back and continue running with it.
Jonathan Cohen
Thanks to those who are putting it together.
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