Purposes and Benefits of Multifaith Prayer
Multifaith prayer is an effort to symbolize and actualize the aspiration toward interreligious unity. More specifically, multifaith prayer:
- Acknowledges the rich diversity of humankind’s spiritual traditions.
- Affirms the unity and solidarity of the human family while respecting religious differences. “Unity amidst diversity” is the keyword here.
- Provides an occasion and a safe environment to build and nurture relationships among faith traditions and among individuals in these traditions.
- Appreciates common ethical values and a common search for truth.
- Exposes individuals to the prayer, meditation, musical and ritual expressions of other religions.
- Inspires common action in the realms of charity, healing, community service, social justice, scholarship, global issues and spiritual and religious care.
- Provides an occasion to practice interreligious hospitality.
But how does the experience of multifaith prayer impact on the individual participant? Here, the hope is that through one’s exposure to and even participation in the spirituality and religious culture of other traditions, one will not only grow in appreciation for other faiths but also be renewed in terms of one’s own faith experience.