A very interesting tale in last week’s Church Times about a cathedral in Georgia (the country not the US state) which has allocated space for a Synagogue and a Mosque – the three faiths of the Abrahamic tradition under one roof.
According to the article, this remarkable development grew out of recognition by Bishop Malkhaz Songulashvili of Tbilisi, Georgia, that his cathedral should not only preach dialogue, but embody it. The article describes what happened as “not a matter of physical convenience, but of profound religious symbolism” – expressed though a common front door and a single roof reflecting “the God whose over-arching presence watches over the world and all of us”.
They also created a single communal area where everyone could enjoy food or hold meetings. It was named ‘The Abrahamic Hall’, to reflect not only the three faiths’ common spiritual ancestor, but also his association with hospitality (described in Genesis 18).
Read the full story in the Church Times here.