Religious and interfaith organizations hold festivities to educate and celebrate
Chaplain Rev. H. Scott Matheney believes that holidays are often rooted in stories of “mystery, salvation, liberation,” and “life,” and that these stories can help us make sense of our lives.
“Regardless of your beliefs, we all can learn about those stories, what they are teaching, and what they represent,” Matheney said in an email to The Leader.
As such, several religious and interfaith groups across campus have found ways to celebrate holidays and traditions on campus during the upcoming holiday season as well as throughout the year.
For instance, Elmhurst University senior Ben Bollinger will be speaking at an Elmhurst Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU) meeting in early December to talk about the Christian belief that God has reincarnated into flesh and why Christians believe that is important for salvation.
He stated that he wants to spread awareness about the history behind Christmas.
“I feel like nowadays where Christmas is so commercialized and turned into a Hallmark holiday where it’s all about just presents and family and fun,” Bollinger said.
He continued, “As a Christian organization, we want to acknowledge the goodness of all of that of course but also realize that there is a reason why Christians have historically set this day apart from other days.”
Graphic by- Abbey Mark
Other religious organizations have a similar goal of educating people about their faiths. For example, the Muslim Student Association (MSA) and Spiritual Life Council (SLC) held an Iftar, a meal in which Muslims break their fast for Ramadan, last year.
According to third-year student Afrah Ahmed, Vice President of MSA, the purpose of the Iftar was to celebrate the breaking of the fast and educate people on its importance.
MSA also held a potluck last year to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr, and Ahmed explained that she enjoys seeing people benefit from such gatherings.
“As someone who gets to organize and sort of be a part of these events, I feel like the reward of being able to see other people, enjoy these events, get something out of these events, learn more, make new friends out of it — I see that, and it’s something that just feels really rewarding,” Ahmed said.
Senior Nolan Fraaza, President of Every Nation Campus (ENC), attended MSA’s Iftar last year and felt inspired to organize an upcoming Christmas dinner, which is set to take place this year on Dec. 5 from 6-8 p.m. in the Alexander Room.
“It [the Iftar] was great,” Fraaza said. “I learned a ton about the faith, I learned a ton about Ramadan and Iftar because of it, and I thought it was just such a great event that helped educate people on their faith and their religion, and I thought there should be something similar [for ENC] I took a lot of inspiration from what they did for it.”
Matheney also noted the importance of education about various faiths, emphasizing “religious literacy” as an important part of honoring different holidays on campus.
In addition, SLC is partnering with several organizations to help them organize their festivities.
Senior Grace Wadsworth, President of SLC, stated that SLC is working with Hillel to coordinate a Hanukkah event and a few Christian groups to coordinate the Christmas dinner.
Additionally, SLC is having an end-of-the-year celebration to celebrate different holidays with a dinner at the Chaplain’s house.
Wadsworth said that the goal of religious and interfaith events is two-fold.
“A lot of it is creating a space on campus for students who celebrate those things to do so with their peers,” Wadsworth said. “… But it’s also an educational event to come and learn more about your religion or about other religions.”
Matheney believes religious stories and celebrations can help bind everyone together.
“All stories have a purpose… to bring freedom and joy,” Matheney said. “And these religious holidays help us remember we are loved, worth more than our grades. And that our life has purpose and meaning.”
