We are living in difficult times filled with divisive conversations through this election season. Many are dealing with isolation, illness and loss of life due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Regardless of the election’s turnout, there will be those who are hurt and angry. With the continuing pandemic, sadness and despair weigh heavily for many of us. However, there are ways to heal, and turning to faith is often a powerful resource.
Focused on providing an outlet for healing, The Faith Always Wins Foundation/SevenDays® (FAW) will host a virtual Interfaith Panel at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, — “Leaning on our Faith for Inspiration & Hope.” A similar panel was part of SevenDays® 2020 virtual experiences in April. The free panel will be a Zoom program, and all are encouraged to participate. The program will include a question and answer session as well as “breakout” rooms for discussion.
FAW President and Founder Mindy Corporon said the timing was right to gather again, albeit virtually due to the pandemic.
“The feedback we received last spring encouraged us to host more interfaith panels educating people about other faiths and our commonalities. We chose the date for this panel based on the request of our attendees and due to the election,” Corporon said. “We continue to offer a platform for people of faith and non-faiths to gather for crucial and civil conversations.”
This interfaith panel will be moderated by Bill Tammeus, former columnist for The Kansas City Star and an award-winning religion writer. Panelists include:
Dr. Joshua Paszkiewicz (Buddhism), also known as Sunyananda, has been teaching full time as a Zen Priest since 2010. He has a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies and master’s degree in religion, as well as a Doctor of Ministry in pastoral psychotherapy. He has a board certification as both a pastoral counselor and a clinical chaplain. Active nationally and internationally, Sunyananda attended the first White House Buddhist Leadership Conference.
Rev. Dr. Emanuel Cleaver III (Christianity) is senior pastor at St. James United Methodist Church, located in Kansas City, Missouri. A graduate of Philander Smith College, Cleaver holds a Master of Divinity degree from Methodist Theological Seminary as well as a Doctor of Ministry from St. Paul School of Theology. He is active in the community working with numerous organizations including the Concerned Clergy Coalition.
Zoya Khan (Islam) is a third-year law student at Brooklyn Law School. She has been actively involved with interfaith work for a number of years. At the University of Kansas, she earned a bachelor’s degree in global and international studies as well as political science. At KU she was active in the Muslim Student Association, Student Senate and Students for Refugees and has been recognized with the prestigious Ex.C.E.L. Award (Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership) for her efforts to further inclusivity and diversity.
Rabbi Sarah Smiley (Judaism) is a pulpit rabbi with The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, Kansas City’s largest Reform congregation. She is passionate about youth engagement and creative Jewish education for all ages. A graduate of Indiana University, she earned a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters in 2009 and was ordained the following year at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She spent time as a rabbi at Temple Emanu-El in New Jersey and was the director of religious life at The Ohio State University Hillel.
To register for the panel, visit www.bit.ly/FAWNov1220. You will receive a confirmation email with additional instructions on how to join the Zoom meeting.
The mission of Faith Always Wins Foundation is to promote dialogue for the betterment of our world through the pillars of kindness, faith and healing. For more information, visit www.faithalwayswins.org/.
