Chelmsford Unitarian Fellowship

Articles Interfaith Harvest Festival Inter Faith Forum

(The following article appeared in the Essex Chronical

Interfaith Harvest Festival or How many faiths does it take to make a harvest festival?

Opening Mid Essex Inter Faith Forum's third One World Week Celebration, the Deputy Mayor of Chelmsford, Councillor Alan Arnot, suggested that people fall into one of three categories. Those who do not wish to join dialogue with people with different religious beliefs, those who are prepared to dialogue, and those who say "a plague on all your houses". He welcomed the willingness of everyone present at the Quaker Meeting House last Sunday to join in dialogue. Councillor Arnot was accompanied by the Deputy Mayoress, Mrs. Jacqueline Arnot.

The theme for One World Week was 'Growing Together'. Rev Ivor Moody, convenor of the Forum, invited Anglican, Jewish, Muslim, and Quaker children, and representatives of the Bahai, Brahma Kumaris and Unitarian traditions to add their contributions of fruit, flowers, vegetables, and other fruits of the earth to the central table. There were references to special foods used in festivals, the importance of agriculture and of preparing food with love, the need to ensure that the bounty of the Earth continues, and the different circumstances facing people round the world as they work to grow food and bring up their children.

This year's Celebration was a real family occasion. The Chelmsford Youth choir under conductor Simon Warne sang two songs, One World and Green Fields, beautifully and with great confidence. Muslim children attending the South East Essex Cultural Centre and from other local families gave a very lively rendering of Pizza in His Pocket, illustrating it with the foods and dress of the countries mentioned in the song. Together these songs illustrated vividly the themes of the Celebration – that we all share this world, that we need to care for the Earth if it is to continue to feed us, and that we need to avoid greed and ensure there is enough for all, wherever they are.

Victoria Beckinsale spoke of the work of Little Havens Children's Hospice, this year's beneficiary of the event. Following the Celebration people were invited to take away any of the contributions and leave a donation in exchange. £ 176 was raised for the Hospice.

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(The following article appeared in the Inquirer 31st May 2008)

Chelmsford Unitarian Fellowship invited Dr Muhammad Ahsan, FRSA, to lead the discussion at their regular meeting for Worship and Discussion on 13th April. Dr. Ahsan has a PhD in International Relations. The meeting arose from a conversation between himself and Jane Howarth from the Fellowship on an interfaith picnic: what made the golden age in Moorish Spain possible? Could we learn from it today?

We were joined by Muslims and Quakers from the Inter Faith Forum, and a member of the Baptist Church which kindly lent an OHP for the occasion. Pat Baxter's opening worship was a feast for the senses with music for the ancient, universal harp, an exhortation that we hold in our minds our vision of our shared universe and the mystery behind and at the heart of it, a beautiful photograph of deep space from the Hubble telescope, and meditations, one by Rev Cliff Reed on a Surah from the Koran.

The thrust of Dr Ahsan's message was that Christians, Muslims and Jews had lived harmoniously together for 800 years because there was tolerance and goodwill between the communities, and because people from all the communities were involved in positions of authority. He pointed to the high levels of education – 800 schools in Cordoba alone. Contacts between scholars, such as the respected Jewish scholar Maimonides and the influential Muslim scholar Averroes, led to fruitful exchanges of ideas.

Dr Ahsan said that he did not believe that the idea of a clash of civilisations was a natural one. However the conflict that arises from powerful nations seeking to ensure their oil supplies, the huge rise in inequality between rich and poor countries, and writers whose works raise fears about our ability to live together, all make our task very hard. We must realise that global insecurity is in no-one's interest. Muslim countries should explore ways of using their resources more equitably. And in religion we need to focus on what we share – principles of mutual respect and tolerance. These enable us to manage our differences.