Many faiths come together to celebrate Thanksgiving

By Paress Huebner

Eden Prairie’s fourth annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration is bringing many faiths of the community together to dissipate stereotypes and misunderstandings in a united effort to find beauty in a broken world.

The celebration takes place at 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, at Pax Christi Catholic Community and is hosted by the American Muslim Community this year. Hosting responsibilities rotate each year to an audience mixed of many spiritual faiths including Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and Native American.

This year’s theme, “Finding beauty in a broken world” uses the metaphor of a mosaic, taking broken pieces to create something extraordinary and the eight principles of a mosaic, as discussed in Terry Tempest William’s book, to guide the service. Art, visual DVD presentations, a combined choir, dance and Native American drumming will also be featured.

The planning process for this event alone has really strengthened ties and educated the religious leaders in the community about other faiths.

“This has really been a heart-warming experience,” said Muslim Community chair and host of this year’s event, Saleem Adam. “We have been building bridges, removing stereotypes, skepticism and negativity so often seen in the media.”

The planning committee has worked hard to find a balance between each of the religions in conversations about the similarities and differences within each faith, according to Joan Pullis of Pax Christi Catholic Community.

“We learn something new about God and each other, but at the same time find elements that are clearly unifying,” said Pullis.
“We are building a global community,” said Rev. Mike Miller of Eden Prairie United Methodist Church. “Think globally, act locally is really put in place through this event.”

This interfaith celebration has been gaining momentum with about 750 people in attendance at the first year’s service and about 1,200 people at last year’s event according to Adam.

“We hope to continue to get the word out with more participation from more communities” said Pullis.

The ultimate goal of this event is unifying people of Eden Prairie and the Southwest suburbs, said Pullis, and educating its members, said Adam.

Participating communities include the American Muslim Community Center, Adath Jeshurun Congregation, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Eden Prairie United Methodist Church, Hindu Mandir of Minnesota, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Pax Christi Catholic Community, Prairie Lutheran Church, St. Andrew Lutheran Church, and the Somali Muslim Community.