Tsunami Interfaith Service Near D.C. Builds Community

January 5, 2005

Source: The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48988-2005Jan5.html

On January 5, 2005 The Washington Post reported, "The faithful of many faiths gathered last night in Montgomery County to speak words of peace and welcome in Arabic, to chant Buddhist prayers and read Old Testament Psalms. They spoke in many tongues, but all called out to God for the same purpose: relief for the victims of the deadly South Asian tsunami. Gathering at an interfaith prayer service at the Muslim Community Center in Colesville, worshipers who included representatives of the Hindu, [Jewish], Muslim and Christian traditions sat side by side to hear sacred texts and listen to words of unity and encouragement in the face of catastrophe... Spiritual leaders, male and female, reminded their audience that although prayer serves always to unite believers, this is especially true in times of tragedy and disaster."