Muslim and Christian Youth working together for the Homeless

Fifty years ago it would not have happened.  During Christmas, 2010 Muslim young people from the Ephraim Bahar Cultural Center and Christian youth of the Focolare Movement engaged in an interreligious experience of “dialogue of life.” Living out together one of the principal tenets of both religions—to recognize the presence of God the poor—we demonstrated how the world can be changed for the better.

Early on a bitterly cold Saturday morning, December 18th, eleven of us from the Focolare joined our Muslim friends at the Ephraim Bahar Cultural Center .

We worked together for an hour, preparing bagged lunches and sorting donated clothing. Then we loaded everything into four cars and a pick-up truck, and set off to Chicago neighborhoods where there was the greatest need.

At a Christian ministry site, we dropped-off clothing. Next, at a sparsely furnished warming shelter we brought sandwiches, water, socks and toothbrushes to the fifty homeless men and women who sought relief there.

Our last stop was a men’s homeless shelter. As the residents came out, we could see how much they needed what we had brought.   In the windy 15° weather, one man had only flip-flops to cover his feet. We tried to love them by offering them not only food and clothing but most importantly a warm greeting and a smile. Many of the men offered a grateful  “God bless you” in response.

We Focolare young people, together with our Muslim counterparts, seek to do all we can to help as many people who are facing hard economic times as we can. One of the Muslim women who rode with us summed up the day: “It seems to be a small thing, but if we all keep doing these small things together, we can change the world.”