I joined the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship (JLF) with the hope of building a stronger connection between my Jewish ethnicity and my Christian faith. With this cohort’s focus on economic justice I was excited to gain a deeper understanding of how both faith traditions approach economic justice. I was especially interested in learning more about the similarities between the two traditions as I sought to strengthen their connection in my life and work.
As always, I was reminded that “many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21). The fellowship explored economic justice from Christian, Jewish, and Islamic perspectives. In my motivation for joining the fellowship, I overlooked what turned out to be the most impactful part of my fellowship experience, which was learning more about the Islamic faith tradition—something I knew very little about before JLF.
At the beginning of the fellowship we heard from previous JLF fellows about their experiences, as well as the ICJS scholars. Matthew D. Taylor, the Protestant scholar, shared a story about the outcome of his youthful attempt to “convert” his Muslim roommate by being the most devoted and pious Chrisitan he could be. At the end of their time together, his roommate told him that he was so inspired by Matt’s commitment to his Christian faith that it helped him reconnect with and deepen his own Islamic faith.
While Matt’s “conversion” attempt may have backfired, it was a powerful example of what I also experienced during the fellowship: the more I learned about others’ faiths, the more it inspired me to deepen my own relationship with God and my own faith. For example, I learned from our Islamic fellows about their experiences with prayer and fasting during Ramadan and the deep joy and connection to God that they felt during this time. These conversations reignited my excitement for prayer and fasting in Christianity, and I was able to participate in 21 days of prayer and fasting through my church and commit that time to reconnect with God. Rather than divide us, I experienced how our religious differences can be so inspiring and complementary. It was a beautiful reminder of what can happen when we approach one another with love, curiosity, inclusivity, and respect, which were all so very present in our fellowship journey.
One of the most impactful presentations for me was our session that took place during ‘Ramadan at the Dar Al-Taqwa Masjid in Ellicott City. This is the place of worship for several of our fellows and they welcomed the group with open arms. We heard from several of our JLF fellows about their experiences during Ramadan, as well as from leaders at Dar Al-Taqwa about Ramadan and economic justice. We participated in the iftar breaking of the fast, a prayer service and iftar dinner. This was an experience that I believe deeply strengthened the bond between our cohort and promoted a greater understanding and connection than we could have experienced through our on-site meetings at ICJS alone. As a guest, being welcomed into the place of worship of some of my JLF fellows during the most holy time of the year was an experience I will always cherish.
Outside of the formal meetings and presentations, I had the great fortune of being part of a community of practice group that was focused on economic justice for women. We had two Muslim women and two Christian women in our group. Getting to know them over the course of the fellowship, from conversations about family and kids to our work, faith traditions, challenges and celebrations was one of the most impactful parts of my fellowship experience. While we each had vastly different life experiences, as women we connected over so many things and even used our project as an opportunity to explore ways in which we could help to create those types of connections through virtual events for other women across different faith traditions from various parts of the world.
While I entered the fellowship hoping to build a connection between my Jewish heritage and Christian faith, I left with a much greater understanding and deep respect for the Islamic faith as well, and the many similarities between our three faith traditions. I also found my own faith to be inspired and strengthened throughout the process. As I go forward in my life and work, my experience as an ICJS fellow has helped me to see that I do not need to be an acclaimed scholar in each faith tradition in order to connect and make an impact in interfaith settings. In fact, entering with an open mind, curiosity and vulnerability to share my own experiences and hear from others is a powerful first step that can take us farther than we might imagine.
Emily Thompson is the Co-founder and Grants and Finance Manager at PIVOT, INC., and was a 2022-2023 ICJS Justice Leaders Fellow. Learn more about the ICJS programs for community and nonprofit leaders here.
Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race, and community. Members of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship consider how Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teachings and practice can contribute to the public conversation about (in)justice. Opinions expressed in this blog are solely the author’s. ICJS welcomes a diversity of opinions and perspectives. We do not seek a single definition of justice between or within traditions.