October 2020

A Guest Blog by Niamh Margaret Dillon. Niamh is a parishioner of St Augustine’s Church, Milton, and wrote an earlier blog about her experience of lockdown on Holy Isle. Niamh now studies law at Edinburgh University.

The Future of Faith feature was produced by the Edinburgh Interfaith Association, in partnership with the Coexistence Initiative, as part of the organisation’s coronavirus resilience response: Interfaith Insights & A Spotlight on Faith. Both programmes explore various topics pertinent to faith groups during the pandemic- ranging from uplifting musical performances, to discussions on mental health and wellbeing throughout lockdown, giving a platform to spiritual perspectives on dealing with isolation, and, ultimately, demonstrating how faith can strengthen communities, and push individuals within those communities to do great things. This instalment was particularly engaging, due to it being led by activists aged 25 and under- all only kick starting their careers and embarking on their life missions now, but doing so under circumstances that no one could have predicted. Despite this unprecedented adversity, what was palpable in each young person was a true belief in the causes they advocate for, each demonstrating equal measures of infectious enthusiasm and compassion when sharing their views.

The word that unintentionally became the heart of this dialogue was “community.” Inadvertently, each panellist centred their own testimonies and ideas for moving forward in a post-COVID society around this word. It quickly became clear how instrumental a sense of community is in shaping a person’s faith, and, no matter where you come from or what you believe, how fundamental a driving force it is within all human beings. The nature of the virus has certainly tested this principle, pushing everyone to consider new ways of approaching both how we practice our faith, and how we reach out to create bonds with our neighbours. JoAnn, a young Christian woman from Northern Ireland whose first experiences with cross-religious dialogue were informed by her country’s marred past in the Troubles, spoke on how she’s witnessed the pandemic mobilise people to tangibly live out the principles of their faith, and, instead of failing to practice what they preach, many churches- both Catholic and Protestant- have once more become hubs emblematic of goodwill and charity in a time where the virus has left many struggling to make ends meet.

In my view, stories like these are a moving display of the good that can be achieved when we bring our values beyond the pulpit, and apply them to cultivate change in our own lives and the lives of those around us. It’s evident that, through the pandemic, community has emerged as a stronghold of connectivity, reliability, and source of joy in people’s lives, and it is my sincere hope that we have all been inspired to continue to live out these principles, even when the virus and memories of lockdown seem far behind us. The voices of people like JoAnn, who grew up in a place like Northern Ireland, are invaluable in reminding us of how crucial it is to not only engage in dialogue, but to actively work alongside other religious groups in aims of producing outcomes informed by each individual’s truth and beneficial to everyone, so that we can substantially prevent a conflict like The Troubles from ever happening again.

Moreover, for Zain, who is Muslim, attending a Catholic school was his first contact with a different religion, compelling him to begin thinking about his own relationship to faith and finding common ground with others at a young age. Indeed, while there is a great amount of work still to be done, it’s evidence of great progress and should be a source of pride for Scottish Catholics that our schools serve as a safe space for people from a variety of backgrounds to have their first encounter with other beliefs, while still having their own spiritual boundaries respected. This shows there is ample opportunity for Catholic schools, specifically, to continually nurture these interpersonal cross-community bonds, and encourage children to approach something that, on the surface, may appear different, with curiosity and compassion.

I was particularly moved by the words of Sydney, an inspiring young Jewish woman from Calgary, Canada, who has lived in many small Jewish communities around the world and is now working through Scotland, and, moreover, within whom the pure joy of living out her faith and using what she’s learned to help others is abundantly clear. Currently volunteering on a Highland farm, she is immersing herself in a culture different from her own, but finding within this new climate how her own religious practices fit into this lifestyle. Her two contrasting experiences- one with interfaith projects across world, in places like Mumbai, and the other where the majority of her personal and professional endeavours are deeply rooted in her own faith and customs, work in tandem to inform one another. These experiences facilitate this deeper understanding she evidently holds, of the threads that bind humans from all backgrounds together, and that our differences should be celebrated, and cause for unity – an understanding which, in these times, is a great gift. You can read more of Sydney’s reflections here: https://www.sydneyswitzer.com

The aforementioned ubiquitous appeal of community makes it ripe with opportunities for diversity and inclusion; how powerful it is when people from all different backgrounds can come together, united in the goal of making their communities more representative, prosperous safe spaces. These young people represent shared values that can actively serve to improve our country, all while giving the sense of being firmly rooted in and proud of their own faith systems and traditions.  It’s clear that the future of faith in Scotland is in the very best of hands.

This instalment was such a success that it has now been commissioned as a monthly feature, where in a panel of incredible young people dialogue on how their faith has inspired them to make change in the world. You can find more details on the Edinburgh Coexistence Initiative and Edinburgh Interfaith Association Facebook pages.