In a world that seems to be dividing at alarming rates, we need more opportunities to come together across cultural, religious, and political differences. Thankfully, many of our religious traditions have spaces built into the regular rhythms of life to make this even more possible. Having conversations while sharing a meal is a fundamentally human way to connect. Unfortunately, our culture has deemed certain topics as taboo and, worse, has deemed certain people as unwelcome. Luckily there are many people who work against this dynamic and intentionally set a table for conversations across lines of difference to write new stories about our communities.
During the month of Ramadan, the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign hosts The United States of Love Over Hate: A Ramadan Supper Series. The primary goal of this effort is to identify, support, and connect people to Iftars open to interfaith guests across the nation, in order to help facilitate local relationship-building among Muslims and those of other faiths, cultures, and backgrounds.
We collaborated with our friends at The People’s Supper to help people make room for storytelling and building bridges between guests at their interfaith iftar. We’ve pulled together everything you need to know to host an interfaith supper — from pointers on how to create an inviting and intimate space to how to break the ice.
This conversation will dive into the People's Supper and what they have learned over the years about what works, what doesn't, and what joys await people who dare to meet someone they don't know or disagree with for an intentional conversation and meal.
About the People's Supper
The People’s Supper equips communities with the tools they need to build trust across lines of difference and to overcome sources of rupture and long-simmering conflicts. It is a program of The Dinner Party Labs, which designs approaches to community healing with those impacted by isolation and fragmentation.
K Scarry, Director Partnerships
K (she/her) has always been enamored with the life that can be shared around the table, and the way those spaces invite us to be fully human together. Driven by a conviction that people should have consistent space where they are welcomed in, K launched an open community meal in her hometown a few years ago that continues today. Before joining our team, she worked in a number of non-profit organizations exploring different manifestations of community: with women coming out of sex trafficking, in a fraternity house, as an associate pastor, and as a chaplain in a maximum security women's prison. She's currently finishing up her Masters of Divinity at Wesley Theological Seminary. As you read this, she's likely either journaling or doing the Cupid Shuffle — her two all-time favorite things.