I signed up for the Faith Feast last year thinking that I would get to see the inside of houses of worship that I had not seen before and get a taste of foods I haven’t eaten before, but Faith Feast was a much richer experience than I had anticipated.
I was very curious about the Spokane Islamic Center, and a little nervous from hearing too much ignorant media coverage and conservative religious spouting, and so I kind of tiptoed into the center and was pleasantly surprised to find it full of warm, generous people living out their faith in God in much the same way I do; with fear and trembling.
I knew next-to-nothing about Sikhism before that night last March, but after spending a short hour at the Gurudwara hearing the men share about their beliefs and the history of their faith, and enjoying all the fabulous foods they made for us, I now know why they wear the turban and bracelet, and how strongly they feel about peace. Gracious and humble, they made us feel quite at home, and even though all of us visiting women struggled to keep our headscarfs on, we always felt fully accepted as equals. (see photo)
Our last stop on the progressive dinner was at Millwood Presbyterian Church, and they somewhat laughingly offered us “traditional Presbyterian food” — homemade pies, cakes and cookies. Although going to a Presbyterian church certainly wasn’t an unusual experience for me, having grown up in that denomination, for other people on the Faith Feast tour, it was their first time in a church of any kind, thus proving that all houses of faith need to open their doors more often than on Sunday morning if they want to be seen by non-members. Millwood’s message of buying local and living simply was a fitting conclusion to the evening, as it speaks to persons of all faiths to remember their neighbors in everything they do.
Altogether, the Faith Feast was for me an entrance into unknown religions and places of worship, yet more importantly it was an introduction to my neighbors in faith here in Spokane, all of us trying to worship our God in our own way.
This year Faith Feast, which is a fundraiser for Spokane Faith & Values, will begin with appetizers at the The Spokane Buddhist Temple, then guests will travel to Temple Beth Shalom for an entree then have dessert at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Spokane Stake.
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Suggested donation prices for tickets are $50 per person or $80 for a pair.
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