More than 150 people attended a formal twinning of faiths when Khalsa Diwan Society executives and members attended a Nexus Church service April 3 at the Legacy Building in Abbotsford Exhibition Park.
The event marked the first union of Khalsa Diwan Society and the Nexus Church as part of an interfaith twinning initiative being organized by the Abbotsford Building Connections Project.
The project aims to create a friendship between the two communities and foster intercultural and interfaith connections.
“It’s great to see our Sikh neighbours and Nexus members eating together, talking together, and praying together,” said Heather Peters, Nexus Church member. “It’s amazing to be a part of something that is truly in the spirit of bridging the cultural divide.”
“Tonight is about embracing two cultures as one, and about accepting diversity, openness, truth, and honesty,” said Jasbir Singh, from the Khalsa Diwan Society. “It’s been overlooked that these two cultures actually have a lot in common.
“Today’s Nexus service reminds us about being present in the moment, about extending acceptance and that is why this initiative is so great.”
The Nexus Church congregation will be attending the KDS Sikh Temple service and luncheon on May 1 as part of the program.
The Abbotsford Building Connections Project is a city-wide initiative on diversity and inclusion that aims to build interfaith and intercultural connections and thereby reduce issues of social alienation, racism and discrimination.
The Faith Twinning project culminates in the “Run for Water” event scheduled on May 29.