Last October we held a conference entitled “Faith in our Future” The idea came about following a group discussion about religion, how little we understand about other faiths, and how they shape the lives of others.
We heard from three speakers. Arfana, who is a very westernised Muslim woman, talked about Islam, her life, her faith and her work. Karen enlightened us! She talked about the origins of Buddhism and the importance of meditation, inspiring us to take more time looking at and appreciating the world around us, and to worry less about more trivial life events. After lunch Gertie was highly entertaining, with personal stories about Judaism, illustrating her talk about the symbolism and practices of her faith with a huge array of artefacts. And finally Fleur, a member of the Churches Refugee Network, gave us some insight into the plight of refugees, and the Christian teaching that exhorts us all to ‘Love thy neighbour as yourself”.
Apart from the oversight when biscuits (ordered as part of the catering package to be served at tea and coffee breaks) were not put out, the day went smoothly. The biscuit issue was mentioned on pretty much every feedback form, is clearly an important NWR consideration and something which will be uppermost in our minds for future events! My thanks to the organising committee and our AOs for all their help in making the day a success. Kate Lawler
