Grand Valley Interfaith Network

  Chevra :   simply ask for joy   This past weekend, the People of the Book (or  Ahl al-Kitāb )* celebrated an occasion of interfaith dialogue and cooperation experienced every 33 years! The rare overlap of Easter, Ramadan, and Passover presents the possibility of  truthful  and  just  unity on this shared religious journey.  The convergence of Passover, Easter, and Ramadan occurred alongside the Sikhs’ and Hindus’ Vaisakhi , the Jains’ Mahavir Jayanti, the Baha’i Festival of Ridvan , and the T heravada Buddhist New Year .  The diversity in our faiths, journeys, and identities unifies our humanity and joint fight to preserve everyone’s dignity.   Our Muslim brothers and sisters celebrate and honor Ramadan, 30-days of deep spiritual reflection, rejuvenation, gratitude, and giving during this month. As we uplift the joy and sacrifice of our community members, we must also do our part in supporting our neighbors, friends, colleagues, and comrades as it is also a time of holy fasting from

                 GVIN Hosts April Foods Day NEWS – event April 23 2022 For Immediate Release                                               Contact:   Carlene Goldthwaite Submitted: April 6 2022                                                   (M) 970-250-2927                                   GVIN Member from  American Lutheran Church   GVIN Hosts April Foods Day   Grand Junction, Colorado – On Saturday, April 23 (9:00am-Noon), Grand Valley Interfaith Network (GVIN) is hosting “April Foods Day,” collecting non-perishable food and other items to fill the pantries of five local charities that feed people throughout the valley. All spiritual communities, non-faith based organizations, and individuals are invited to participate! GVIN provides customized shopping lists attached to empty grocery bags. Each list is unique to a specific food bank and helps ensure the agency receives their most needed items. The food banks being supported through this event are: Child and Mig

  Ramadan brings people together to fast, eat Several years ago, I was in Morocco during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and found it very  interesting. All around me, people were fasting during the day and focusing on their spiritual practice. Starting tomorrow night, more than 25% of the world will be observing Ramadan. This holiday commemorates the revelation of the Quran by their prophet Mohammad and is a deeply spiritual time. I reached out to our local Muslim community to learn more about its traditions during Ramadan. Each day, there is pre-sunrise meal called suhur. This meal is full of nutrients to help support a person as he or she fasts until sunset. Some of the foods eaten might be fruit, cheese, eggs, vegetables, bread, tea and water. The rest of the day is spent fasting for those over the age of 12 who don’t have any underlying medical conditions. Many religions in the world include fasting as part of their traditions. Abstaining from food and water is thought to help e