The Ichthus church in 's-Gravendeel hosted a special meeting in April that built bridges between different cultures. Turkish families from the Hoeksche Waard organised an iftar, a traditional meal during the fasting month of Ramadan. Some 30 members of the congregation were invited. A gathering that symbolised solidarity and mutual understanding.
Make contact
The road to this memorable evening began several years back, during the corona period, when the missionary team started distributing coffee along the doors. During one of these meetings, the team struck up a conversation with a Turkish family, who had come to the Netherlands as political refugees. From this conversation, a bond developed and the family's desire to establish contacts and learn the Dutch language.
Culture differences bridged
After the missionary team contacted the Auxiliary, warm contacts developed between the Turkish family and some members of the congregation. These relationships grew into weekly meetings, where cultural differences were bridged by friendship and understanding.
Invitation
A few weeks ago, members of the congregation were invited to celebrate an iftar with some Turkish families as a thank you for the valuable contacts that had been made. However, the question arose how to deal with this as Christians? Advice was sought from our former pastor Coen Legemaate, who has experience of meetings between different faith traditions.
Universal values
Finally, on 20 March, some members of the missionary team, the church council and others gathered with the Turkish families at Ichthus. The evening began with a reflection on Psalm 130 on the importance of forgiveness, a universal value cherished in both Christianity and Islam. This was followed by praying the Lord's Prayer together, as a sign of communion. During the meal, the question What does forgiveness mean to you? was discussed, while the smells and tastes of Turkish cuisine filled the room.
During the evening, Ismaïl, the father of the Turkish family who met the missionary team three years ago, gave an inspiring speech, emphasising the importance of connecting cultures. There was also a performance on a Ney, an instrument made of a hollow reed stem, which brought peace and reflection with calm and melodious sounds.
Bridge between cultures
An emotional moment was the handing over of a gift from the Turkish family to a sister, in gratitude for the friendship and understanding she and her husband had shown. This gesture symbolised the valuable bridge that had been built between different cultures, and the hope for a harmonious society based on mutual respect and understanding.
text and photo: missionary team 's-Gravendeel
