"Green Blue Sea"

"Green Blue Sea” profiles an Arab-American youth of Palestinian descent. Here’s the surprise for main-stream Americans – his Muslim values have instilled in him a deep love and respect for nature and the world around him.

This is contrary to the media stereotype of "young Muslim terrorists." The fact is, young Muslims have more than one story to tell. If you care about world peace and learning more about our neighbors, this may interest you and any Muslim friends you may have.

Eboo Patel, founder of the Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core, writes “The Faith Divide” column in the Washington Post. He says, regarding this four-minute film, “At my organization, Interfaith Youth Core, we couldn't agree more with the idea that while we share the earth, it's more important to work together than argue over our views of heaven."

Film Description

An inspirational profile of a young Muslim Scuba Diver with a deep love and respect for the sea and the world around him.

Heart to Heart

Chicago - site of annual

Leadership Prayer Breakfast

Rabbi Sherre Hirsch, author of "We plan, God laughs," was the keynote speaker at the Chicago Leadership Prayer Breakfast last Friday. She’s a young rabbi, wife, and mom. Speaking from the heart is a good way to connect with your listeners, and Rabbi Hirsch succeeded.

Here are some significant conclusions she shared:

What happened after 9/11 was magical: to see people bring their divine light to the world… was absolutely extraordinary… regular people doing what they do... to repair a broken world is the way that we are supposed to partner with God.

Our job is to light up the world and to help other people realize how much they matter, how much they are integral to being a partner in God’s creation – regardless of your title or your pocket
book.

As a young child, I thought to be in God’s image means that I look just like God. Not the case. Being in God’s image means to carry that spark, to hold that spark and to know that it is my task in life to light and repair the world.

She made delicate reference to the terrorist killings a couple of days earlier in Mumbai, India where two rabbis and their wives were among the victims.

For a compassionate and informed comment on that tragedy, I refer you to the following link. Here Eboo Patel, whose Interfaith Youth Core also made a presentation at the Prayer Breakfast, opens his heart.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97981229

So our prayers too can embrace the families of those whose lives have been forever changed.