Over 60 people from varied religious backgrounds packed the Lunda Room in the Alumni Memorial Union during the Amazing Faith Dinner on Monday, Feb. 19, to share stories of their lives and purposefully listen to one another.
The event was hosted by the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee which partnered with Campus Ministry.
Campus Ministry Interim Director Steve Blaha says events like the Amazing Faith Dinner are always good to host because Marquette students, faculty and staff come from a variety of world religions which enriches the campus and helps faith leaders engage with the real questions, needs and concerns of the world.
“These events build community, build friendship and build fellowship,” Blaha says. “They help build bridges for when things get difficult in the world and allow us to accompany one another in our struggles and challenges.”
Each attendee had a unique question to answer, while the other people at the table listened without responding.
“We all have moments in our life whether they are joyful, painful, or anywhere in between,” Blaha says. “What shined through in each person’s answer were the commonalities that we all share. We all come from similar places.”
Part of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee’s mission is to bring people of different faith backgrounds together to provide opportunities for conversations with people of different backgrounds, says Executive Director Ahmed Quereshi, Arts ’81, Law ’84.
“The response from students was enthusiastic,” Quereshi says. “They appreciated the nature of the questions they had never deeply thought about and discussed before. I believe part of the reason a student enrolls at a university is to attend outside-the-classroom events that broaden their life experiences, such as this dinner.”
For more information on Campus Ministry, click here, and for more information on the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee visit its website.
