Seasonal confluence of three Abrahamic faiths
The three Abrahamic Faiths, which are all represented in our Diocese will be celebrating special times in February and March this year - Christianity of course, but also Islam and Judaism.
Ramadan is a special time for Muslims; they remember this month when the Qur'an (the Muslim holy book) was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. This year, 2026, Ramadan started the same day as Ash Wednesday. Ramadan will end on Thursday 19th March. Our Muslims friends in the diocese working in local government, the NHS, industry, and commerce will be fasting from dawn to dusk. That can be difficult with busy jobs and families. However just as Christians may observe Lent to devote themselves to spiritual discipline, study and acts of charity, especially remembering the poor; so too Muslims will do the same at this time.
In just two weeks our local Jewish community will be celebrating the Festival of Purim. Unlike Ramadan and Lent, it is not exactly a time of restraint! Parties - especially with children - will have special foods at home and in Jewish community centres. Children will dress up as the characters in the story contained in the biblical narrative of the Book of Esther. Its essential message is the triumph of good (personified in Esther) over evil (personified in Haman). Not much that ties in with our penitential season of Lent … but wait! Lent leads us to Passiontide and then Easter when God triumphs over evil. And so too we enter joy: the joy that Easter morning brings for Christians.
There is much that links our experience of faith at this time.
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