We have an opportunity for a 'better, new normal'

Eboo Patel, Founder and President, IFYC
March 27, 2020

How do we support each other in this “new normal?” This was one of many questions that IFYC’s founder and president, Eboo Patel, discussed in our March 26 webinar about interfaith work during the Covid-19 pandemic. Faculty, chaplains, co-curricular staff, and community members all gathered virtually to discuss with Eboo their questions of concern, their feelings of uncertainty, and their spaces of hope during this unprecedented time. As campuses across the country grapple with the impact of this pandemic, Eboo offered practical examples of campus transformation and sources of inspiration and solace from his own Muslim faith. To view the recording, please click below. You can check out the complete list of resources mentioned in the webinar in the following list: 

 

Inspiration:  

Books, Blogs and Articles:

Recommended resources from participants for this moment: 

Poetry: 

“Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again, come, come.”
- Rumi, 13th century Persian poet and Sufi mystic

“I am a stranger
learning to worship the strangers
around me"


- selected line from These Poems by June Jordan

“We are each other’s harvest:
we are each other’s
business:
we are each other’s
magnitude and bond.”


- selected lines from Paul Robeson by Gwendolyn Brooks

“Let him say there was
a burst of fragrance
from black branches.”


- selected lines from Love Song by William Carlos Williams

If you are looking for a way to become an interfaith leader, work for racial equity and build bridges, please check out our free curriculum "We Are Each Other's" and start your interfaith leadership today. 

more from IFYC

More Than Talk: Why a Bridge-Building Effort is Spreading on College Campuses
The expansion is fueled by concerns over political polarization on college campuses, an infusion of funds from foundations interested in bridge-building, and a merger with IFYC, which has a track record facilitating interfaith engagement.
What Ted Lasso Could Teach Clergy
Ancient rabbis imagined the great chain of tradition, that went from generation to generation, as a ball that is tossed, playfully, from teacher to student. Is there a "Lasso Torah" inside a television show about a fish-out-of-water Midwestern football coach?
The Pandemic Has Helped Religion's Reputation. Do Religious Vaccine Resisters Put this Progress at Risk?
Studies show houses of worship have provided solace during the pandemic, but companies across the U.S. are struggling to respond to requests for religious exemptions to vaccine mandates.
Latino Catholics Are Among the Most Vaccinated Religious Groups. Here's Why.
Catholics leaders have urged vaccination to "protect the most vulnerable," and studies show this outreach is helping improve vaccination rates among Latino Catholics.
‘God Inspires Me’ - How Two Americans Are Helping Resettle Afghan Refugees
Across the country, people from all political divides, faiths and walks of life are coming together to help resettle Afghan refugees arriving at the borders.
Families Of Different Faiths Swap Houses, Lives In Ava Duvernay’s ‘Home Sweet Home’
The first episode of “Home Sweet Home,” which DuVernay said prioritizes curiosity over conflict, features the Wixx family — a “super queer” Black couple with three children.
This Week in Interfaith America: A News Roundup
Each week, we share our top 10 religion stories from journals, news sites, podcasts and magazines.
How Indigenous Religions Can Widen the Interfaith Circle
Dr. Abel Gomez: "If we’re talking about interfaith work and we want to expand the ability of communities to practice their religious ceremonies, I ask my students: if we think about the experience of Native people under the occupation of the United States, do they actually have religious freedom?"
Fisk Jubilee Singers Continue To Sing Spirituals 150 Years Later
The Fisk Jubilee Singers, based at the historically Black university founded by the abolitionist American Missionary Association and later tied to the United Church of Christ, started traveling 150 years ago on Oct. 6, 1871.
Haiti's Diverse Faiths Bolster It Against Waves Of Tragedy
The last several months have been catastrophic for Haiti. The Aug. 14 earthquake left more than 2,200 people dead, followed by Tropical Depression Grace two days later. The country’s political sector has been in disarray & over 22,000 people have officially died during the pandemic.
'Spiritual Convoy' Heads To California Hearing On Apache Sacred Site At Oak Flat
Apache Stronghold will take part in a day of prayer Saturday (Oct. 9) at Oak Flat before meeting with leaders of the Tohono O’odham Nation, who will offer a blessing and prayer for their travels.
Is Social Distancing Unraveling The Bonds That Keep Society Together?
It’s not just interactions with friends and families that are getting cut. Routine yet beneficial interactions with people at fitness and child care centers and volunteer organizations are also being eliminated.
Ismaili Muslim Community and Walmart Collaborate to Vaccinate Georgians 
Ismaili Jamatkhanas are designed to be both places of worship and community engagement, so when the chance to conduct a vaccine drive became a possibility, volunteers mobilized quickly.
On World Mental Health Day and Beyond, Hope is a Powerful Currency
Amid personal and professional crises, the author writes that she finds her Christian faith "one of the most fruitful sources of hope, even in the darkest hours."
Celebrate Facebook’s Outage? Many Faith Communities Couldn’t Talk at All.
Facebook has been a catalyst for religious communities that aren’t defined geographically. For religious leaders who connect with their flocks on the internet, the outage was a reminder to own their information.
Where Serra Statues Once Stood, a Chance to Honor California's Indigenous People
The pedestal that propped up the statue of Junipero Serra looks bare at first glance, but once a smartphone camera is aimed toward it, an animated monument honoring the Tongva, the Indigenous people of Los Angeles, comes alive.
"We're all interconnected": Pagan, Christian Clergy Urge Interfaith Understanding
A Lutheran church in Wisconsin recently hosted an interfaith dialogue between a pagan and Lutheran pastor. They will continue the conversation this month in an event hosted by the Parliament of the Worlds Religions in Chicago.
Top Seven Interfaith America Posts to Watch and Read for Hispanic Heritage Month
The articles and videos are by and about inspiring Latinx/a/o interfaith leaders from diverse religious communities.
This Week in Interfaith America: A News Roundup
Our top 10 religion stories of the week show religious pluralism as an opportunity, not a cause for despair. They're also great reads.
Illinois Passes Legislation to Allow Student Athletes to Wear Hijab Without Waivers
The law, possibly the first of its kind in the nation, is part of a larger effort by women athletes to have more say about what they wear while competing.
Advocating for Haitians, Faith Groups Pressure Biden to End Trump-era Measure
"We are American faith leaders from six different faith traditions, including yours," said a letter to President Joe Biden. "We see our nation continuing to spectacularly fail in welcoming the stranger."

The opinions contained in this piece are solely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of Interfaith Youth Core. Interfaith America encourages a wide range of views and strives to maintain a respectful tone with a goal of greater understanding and cooperation between people of different faiths, worldviews, and traditions.