“Let's be grateful ": with this theme for its Scriptural Reasoning on Sunday 24 November 2024, Dialogue & Alliance could not help but evoke Thanksgiving. Celebrated every year on the last Thursday in November in the United States, this typically American feast also has universal significance. This is evident from the sacred texts of various traditions on thanksgiving and the attitude towards nature's bounty.
Journalist Cíntia CABRAL led the face-to-face meeting at the Espace Barrault in Paris. People from nearly ten countries also followed the programme by videoconference.
Dr Mohamed Larbi HAOUAT provided a Muslim perspective. The President of ASILEC (Association de Solidarité pour l'Intégration par les Langues, l'Éducation et la Culture, in Sarcelles), read and commented on several verses from the Koran. The concepts of recognition and gratitude appear in 59 Suras and 71 Verses. He selected around ten of them and presented a number of hadiths from the Prophet that confirm the importance of gratitude in relations between people and God, and also in interpersonal relations, especially in the family and in the city. Gratitude goes first to God, then to our fellow human beings, so that we can better live together.
The second reading brought an American and Christian perspective. The Reverend Robert M. BAXTER, founding pastor of Le Bon Berger Church in La Plaine Saint-Denis, read and commented on verses 4 and 5 of Psalm 100. He and his wife have been missionaries in France for 37 years. He recalled that Thanksgiving celebrates the first harvest of the Pilgrim Fathers of the Mayflower, who arrived in Massachusetts. He also explained three major waves of spiritual awakening and spoke about the historical context in which this celebration was created. The values expressed by this festival are truly universal.
The short musical break was taken from the album ‘Reconnaissance’ by Christian musician Sylvain FREYMOND with the group ‘Louange Vivante’. Sylvain Freymond, a Swiss national and graduate of the Lausanne Conservatory, has been a music teacher for over 30 years. He serves churches in French-speaking countries through teaching and worship.
The third speaker, Rabbi Dov LELLOUCHE, Rabbi Mohel of Creil, Hauts-de-France, brought the perspective of Judaism, with colourful anecdotes. This remarkable speaker knows how to bring the message of the Bible up to date for any audience. He emphasised that in Judaism, we must acknowledge our mistakes, and recognise the goodness and patience of God, who helps us to get back on our feet.
The meeting concluded with a question-and-answer session, moderated from Paris by Dr Laurent LADOUCE.