(08/2007 issue) - Religious Potluck
Common Tables inspires interfaith dialogue...with lasagna and casserole.
JUST THIS YEAR, six Denver-area friends hatched a simple plan:
Bring people from varying religious backgrounds together for an intimate dinner,
let them talk, and see what happens.
Hoping that participants would find dialogue, understanding, and even friendship while breaking bread, they called it Common Tables. Within months, Common Tables has grown into a grassroots movement with more than a dozen members. “We are at a point in this
world—and in this country—that we need to open up,” explains founding partner Frank Albert. “A table gives people a chance to reach beyond the typical spaces where they work, live, and play.” The fi rst groups are currently being organized in Denver, and could
include any potluck-combination of beliefs—from Catholics to atheists and Muslims to Taoists. Groups meet for four dinners over six months with one simple rule: Be open and respectful. To Join: Visit www.commontables.org or call 303-690-3900. $25 per year.
—N.G.
