Rabbi Mark Kula and Imam Khalid Salahuddin
are looking forward to attending church Sunday.
Yes, church.
The pair are two of several religious
leaders who will take part in an interfaith service at 4 p.m. Sunday at the
Coral Gables Congregational Church, across from the Biltmore Hotel, at 3010 De
Soto Blvd.
The fourth annual service, organized by
MCCJ, formerly known as the Miami Coalition of Christians and Jews, is themed,
“Pursuing Peace: A Common Path.”
“What we see, what we believe, affects the
way we interact with people,” said Kula, of Bet Shira Congregation, a
Conservative congregation in Pinecrest. “If I believe we are all children of
God then, fundamentally, we have something in common that compels us to find
peace between one another.”
Representatives from various faiths will
take part in the free service, which will include an interfaith choir from several
local congregations.
“We want folks to know they are welcome
here,” said the Rev. Dr. Laurinda “Laurie” Hafner, senior pastor at the church.
“I think it’s great to bring the kids, and expose them to different music and
cultures.”
The service is the result of a partnership
among the Archdiocese of Miami, Coalition of South Florida Muslim Communities,
P.A.C.T (People Acting for Community Together), Faith in the City, the
Rabbinical Association of Miami and South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice.
Although the MCCJ has been hosting
interfaith dialogues for some 70 years, this particular event started as a way
to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with a
prayer session. It has kept the tradition going by holding an interfaith service
at various houses of worship across the county once a year.
“It’s extremely inspirational and
uplifting,” said Roberta Shevin, the executive director of the MCCJ. “Come and
spend an hour and you’ll be glad you did.”
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