Leaders of Diverse Faiths Unite for Interfaith Prayer Breakfast at Colorado State Capitol

By Corey Christiansen, Denver Metro Area News Media Specialist

At a moment when much of the country’s focus is on challenges that can divide us, an incredible display of unity at the Colorado State Capitol showed there is still value in seeing the good in all of our neighbors.

On the morning of February 4, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hosted the Interfaith Prayer Breakfast at the landmark golden-domed building in downtown Denver in conjunction with World Interfaith Harmony Week. The theme for the event was “Many Faiths, One Humanity.”

Members of Sikh, Islamic, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist and Baha’i faiths plus Monastic traditions all gathered together in the Capitol’s old supreme court chamber. During his opening remarks, Elder Thad Brown, Area Seventy for the Church of Jesus Christ, spoke about the utmost importance of love in our lives.

Elder Thad Brown, Area Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints

“We do things out of duty, out of faith–and the highest reason of all is out of love,” Elder Brown said. “My friends, you are here today because you love. You love this nation, you love your community, you love your family and you love your God. All of those things that you feel are driven because we are many faiths, but one humanity. Today as we celebrate our similarities that draw us together, may we recognize love is the founding reason–the vision–of what carries us forward as one nation under God.”

Hocine Abdelhadi from the Denver Islamic Society was enthused to see so many people from different faiths come together for the event. “It’s important to build bridges between communities and to be good to others,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, your background or your skin color. We are all brothers and sisters. We need to respect each other. It doesn’t matter what you believe. This is what’s beautiful about America–freedom of religion and freedom of speech.”

Following a brief program that included prayers, readings and reflections from many Denver-area faith leaders, attendees joined members of the Colorado state legislature on the Senate and House floors. There, a rabbi and an imam offered interfaith prayers to open the legislative sessions.

At the conclusion of the prayer breakfast, Chaplain Brian Larson from the Colorado Army National Guard emphasized how essential it is for the Denver faith community to work in harmony. “It’s an opportunity for people to come together, to understand and to learn from one another,” he said. “It’s so important that we hear from others who maybe we don’t know what their background or faith is. It gives me the ability to connect with people on a deeper level.”

Sergeant Austin Faux who is also a chaplain with the Colorado Army National Guard said, “I think people are really missing out in Denver if they don’t talk to their neighbors of different faith traditions. There’s something really special about getting to know the heart of your neighbor and what motivates them to love and worship God, to love their neighbor, to love even their enemies. That opportunity to connect on a much deeper level is not something that you get too often in the world. Everything is superficial and at surface level. But when you actually get to see into your neighbor’s heart, you usually find a connection that you didn’t know was there and blossoming friendships develop.”