It is a holy time for worshipers in Lycoming County. No fewer than three religions have been or will be observing holy days in the coming month. This week, Christians of both Protestant and Catholic traditions observe Holy Week in preparation for Easter. Earlier this month, the Islamic fast of Ramadan began, and it will continue into next month. And in late April, the Jewish community will celebrate Passover.

   This week, articles describing each of these holy times have appeared in this publication, written by representatives of the Christian (both Catholic and Protestant), Islamic, and Jewish communities of the Williamsport area. My purpose, however, is to make the case that it is important for us to learn about one another.

   Given that these religious observances are quite different from one another (for example, one is a fast, the other a feast), can we find any sort of common ground, other than the fact of their nearness to one another in the calendar?

   The short answer to this is yes. One commonality is all three of these faiths claim the same roots. All three claim to worship the same God who created Adam and Eve, saved Noah from the flood, and promised descendants to Abraham.

   Yes, there are some differences in belief among the three that are difficult to reconcile, but doing so is not the intent of this article. There are many beliefs upon which followers of all three can agree. For example, our dependence on God, a concern for the poor, and God’s expectation that we love our neighbor.

   In the Christian tradition, this is perhaps best illustrated in Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan. In that story, Jesus lifts up a religious outsider (the Samaritans were no friends of the Jewish people in those days) as the model of what it means to love one’s neighbor. This bears additional significance when Jesus affirms that loving one’s neighbor is one of the most important expectations God has of us. You can read the whole parable in Luke 10:25-37.

   I am not aware of a similar story in either Judaism or Islam, but I do know that both have very similar teachings regarding the principle on which the story was made: God wants us to love one another.

   So, given that we really do have a lot in common, particularly a command to love one another, I would suggest that it is important for us to learn from each other. To learn about Holy Week is to learn about a God whose love for us knows no bounds. To learn about Passover is to learn about the goodness of God who delivers from bondage. And to learn about Ramadan is to learn of the dedication of those who seek to do God’s will.

   And, perhaps most importantly, to learn about one another’s tradition is to learn how to love one another. Given the state that the world is in today, I can think of few things more important.

   And so, whether you will be observing Holy Week, Ramadan, Passover, something entirely different, or nothing at all, I wish you blessings during this holy time in Lycoming County.