The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities and Interfaith Youth Core have launched a partnership in hopes of building new bridges across religious divides.

Religious and cultural divides dominate our national headlines. Images of violent extremists storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, some wearing T-shirts with Christian symbols, play on repeat as we continue to process and Congress continues to investigate what happened on that horrific day. At the same time, many evangelical leaders have publicly condemned the attack and the Christian nationalism that fueled it.

Recent surveys show that Americans’ trust in members of the other party has reached the lowest levels in recent memory. The pandemic has shone a spotlight on historical racial and socioeconomic inequities — and we’re further divided on how to address them. Amid this division, the Biden administration is calling for unity and Americans are looking for a way forward.

As an evangelical Christian and a Muslim, we have a different story to tell. We represent communities that are often misunderstood and too often pitted against each other. We know that people of all faiths and philosophical traditions hold shared values that can serve as a foundation for a common life together.

Our two organizations, the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities and Interfaith Youth Core, have launched a partnership to equip evangelicals to build bridges across religious divides by working together on social service projects.

This year, educators on 50 Christian campuses across the country are using the “Christian Leadership in a Multifaith World” curriculum to explore the biblical foundation for interfaith engagement, learn about the practices and beliefs of other religions, and examine the intersection of interfaith cooperation and racial justice.

Source: Religion News Service (RNS)