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This article was written by Michael Evers, who has served as an interfaith scholar for the past two academic years, and is currently the president of DePaul Hillel. He is a junior at DePaul, pursuing a major in political science.

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My name is Michael Evers and this will be my third year at DePaul, second year as an Interfaith Scholar, and one of many as a person of spirit and action. If you were to ask me what my “religion” is I would reply that I am Jewish – identifying religiously and culturally with a healthy dose of curiosity in between. The appeal that I find participating in interfaith activities is that they give me a chance to interact with my Judaism in a way that is distinctly non-Jewish (while still deepening it), while also allowing me to meet people that I may have not otherwise ever come to know. I see interfaith action, as a way to bring people of our generation (yes, you) together in order to further community, civic engagement, and expand the knowledge and thought of oneself in relation to others. In short, our faiths bring us together. And not only does it bring us together, but it brings us together to do things – community service in our neighborhoods, expanded views of the World, and dialogues around tough, but pressing, issues.

Now, why is this at all relevant to DePaul? DePaul is unique in many ways; first, it is a university, and you are supposed to have your assumptions, prejudices, and bias tested, broken down, and reformed here. Its good for you and it expands your mind. Second, the DePaul environment already brings numerous people of diverse backgrounds together through the Vincentian Mission and its focus on helping those who are less fortunate. We are here together, as a community, looking to strengthen our ties to one another so that we can lend a hand in times of need, despite our differences in race, religion, culture, or political beliefs.

Interfaith is, inherently, about reaching out and building bridges with all sorts of people – Jews and Muslims, Catholics and Protestants, Humanists and Independent Seekers – bridges that allow us to talk with one another, understand each others’ customs, and have shared experiences. DePaul, in many ways, has the foundation set for interfaith cooperation; it is just a matter of choice whether or not we want to build onto it. In my time at DePaul, I have worked on building bridges by being involved in interfaith cafes, raising money through DePaul Hillel for bed nets in Africa to combat malaria, even living with a Catholic roommate. All of these and more are the precursor to a major buildup of interfaith action and cooperation on our campus. My friends, our moment is now; it’s just a matter of if we want to grasp it.