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This is the first article posted by Caelin Niehoff, a freshman at DePaul University and an active member of DePaul Interfaith. This article comes as a reflection on the themes of an Interfaith Cafe two weeks ago.

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Food, Faith and Friendship: unique topics that provoke both insightful discussions and lively atmospheres (needless to say the workings of a superb Interfaith Café!).  Within my interfaith experiences, food has always been an essential component. What better way to establish an inviting environment for conversation than with hummus and pita chips? The Interfaith organizers certainly know how to win over my heart (and my stomach).

Food, although passed and shared, has yet to make its way into the center of the Interfaith table: the focus of inquiring dialogue.  That is, until this spring. A recent café topic proposed the idea of food and community as an influential component of our faith traditions and belief systems. As a Roman Catholic in the midst of the Lenten season, I was intrigued.

Through a group exchange of experiences and ideas, the café participants, including myself, came to realize the influence of food in our everyday lives: often coinciding with our faith traditions, but also at the mercy of our hectic, ever-changing schedules.  Important “who, what, where, when, why and how” questions surfaced. Why do religious groups fast? Why do we choose to restrict what we eat? Where does our food come from? With whom to we share our meals? Terms that persisted amongst these questions were community, friendship and family.

Personally, I too traced my ideas of food and faith to my family. From humble blessings whispered over hot holiday feasts to aromas of dishes whose ingenious creators have long but passed.  Memories of food well shared connect our past, present and future traditions; food, as a comfort, sustains and builds bridges between those we cherish most.

More than peached with my café conversations, my Interfaith “plate” was anything but cleared. I continued along the Interfaith “buffet” with a trip to Devon Avenue: a naan lovers delight (I will now try to refrain from the further use of food references, but it shall be extremely difficult). The evening spent amongst the company of Interfaith friends only enhanced the week’s café.  Devon’s dynamic and lively culture, paired with one fabulous Indian restaurant, reaffirmed the presence of food in our lives. Chicken Boti and baskets of naan catapulted conversation and laughter. A table for twelve sat more than new and old faces alike; I couldn’t have learned history, faith and culture in a more welcoming and comfortable environment.  My experiences at the Interfaith Café and Devon field trip exemplified the potential food and community have in promoting understanding. So, who’s hungry? Let us pass around our traditions, beliefs, hopes and promises one meal at a time.