A quick update from Anthony about how the Seedbeds course is going.

In the first weekend of March, I went up to Birmingham for another instalment of my course.

I find it very useful, since each module covers a different topic, and is presented in a very different way due to a different person presenting each subject.

However, this module was not only classwork!

I already knew we were having a tour of the neighbourhood near to the host church, to get a better understanding of what the community is doing, has done, and is aspiring towards. But there was something not on the timetable…

We, as a group, were invited to take part in Big Iftar, where followers of the Muslim faith break their fast inside their mosque in a shared setting. We went to the Darul Barakaat Mosque, which is near to Birmingham City FC’s stadium.

It was a beautiful, refreshing, eye-opening and humbling experience. I have never seen how other faiths perform worship, and to be treated as a guest and equal whilst being in their sacred space made the experience all the better. The food was incredible, but that wasn’t the main point. The welcome that was provided to myriad faith groups, and representatives of local organisations and institutions made it feel like we were all one big family. It seems there are more similarities than differences.

Hopefully this can be the catalyst for beginning inter-faith relations, something I am keen to explore.

Time to build those bridges!