Easter and Passover: A Call for Religious Inclusion
Strip away the religious nature of Easter and Passover, and at the core these holidays celebrate the triumph of religious freedom over intolerance.

During Passover, Jews recount the story of their ancestors' triumph over slavery, escaping to live and worship as they chose. During Easter, Christians recount the story of rising above (literally) the bigotry and fear that sentenced Jesus to the cross.

Today our world continues to struggle under the bonds of religious intolerance. Our planet's citizens are once again threatened by violent plagues, resulting from that ancient sense of superiority that claims some religions as safe and others as dangerous.

If the stories of Easter and Passover show us anything, it is that the path to the promised land - a world that works for all of us - is a path of understanding, acceptance, compassion and love.

Try this:
This week we are sharing two exercises to strengthen that muscle of understanding: One for those who want to put a toe in the water, another for those who are ready to dive in with both feet.

Try This: Diving In
If you’re feeling ready to build your religious-understanding muscle with gusto: Have a conversation with someone of a different faith than yours.

During our conversation about racial equity back in March, Desiree Adaway shared her experience of inviting people to have a 30 minute conversation about race. You can do the same, about religion.

If you know someone in your real life who is of a different faith, invite them for coffee to learn about their faith. If you are active on social media, ask if someone will talk with you via phone or video chat.

You may have a specific “other faith” in mind. Or you may just say, “I’m Christian, and I’d like to have a conversation about religion with someone of a different faith.”

Listen with an open mind and open heart.
Listen with the intention to learn and understand.
Bonus points for each time you say, “Oh, now I see!” or “I never thought of it like that!”

For ideas about questions to ask, Religions for Peace posted an excellent PDF guide for having dinner conversations like these.

Try This: Putting a Toe In
If you’re not feeling ready for a conversation: Read the sacred texts of a religion that isn’t yours. Bonus points if you read the history of that religion and the big questions that religion answers, to understand the people behind the faith.

If you are Christian, perhaps you might read the Koran.
If you are Jewish, perhaps you might read the New Testament.
If you are Muslim, perhaps you might read the Dhammapada.

Read as a form of listening.
Read with an open mind and open heart, with the intention to learn and understand.
Bonus points for each time you say, “Oh, now I see!” or “I never thought of it like that!”

If you don’t know where to begin, this short list will provide a solid start.

Inclusion starts with each of us. Government acts of intolerance are simply a reflection of our individual and collective fears and intolerances. Which means that you can absolutely make a difference, right now.

The simple act of learning how other people think and what they believe creates building blocks for a world that works for everyone. That is why Catalytic Listening is at the heart of Catalytic Thinking.