Emouna is the name that was given to a course currently being offered at the Sorbonne. After the Paris attack of 2015, this prestigious university created this curriculum aimed at promoting inter-religious dialogue. For, to know each other better is to better understand each other and to better accept each other. Several pastors of our union have already taken this course, that is covered in 15 sessions during the year, and which takes place each time within a different religious community or at an emblematic spot dedicated to citizenship engagement. At the same time, it allows participants to dig into the fundamentals of the religious institution hosting guests and to understand its symbols and rituals while they are visiting its place of worship.
Last February, Pieter van der Hoeven, the person in charge of Emouna Belgium/The Netherlands, contacted us because the venue chosen for the course was no longer accessible. It was with pleasure that our building, located at Rue Ernest Allard, welcomed the twenty-something students, where they met our president, Yves Pierre, who seized the opportunity to explain to them the fundamentals of Adventism, the basis of their thoughts and practices. The discovery of the sanctuary at the ground floor was an occasion for the guests of the day to ask further and relevant questions, especially on baptism and on the communion service.
The day continued with the visit of Notre Dame de Sablon and discussions on the topic of “Reason and Revelation,” or “Faith and Reason, an Impossible Reconciliation.” Thereafter, they visited the Jewish Brussels Museum.
To open up oneself to others is not easy. However, it is the approach that has been chosen by these students, drawn from various religious backgrounds, in a constructive and honest spirit, leaving behind polemics aimed at convincing others. In fact, the objective is not to convert the other or to come up with a common organization but rather to learn to know each other and to understand the basics and the dynamics of each other’s faith. Among them were Catholics, Muslims, Anglicans, Protestants, Jews, Evangelicals, and Buddhists. So, if you too desire to take a step closer to know other believers, do not hesitate to consult the Emouna website.
We are delighted to have been able to contribute to this beautiful project which equally made it possible to make ourselves known as well as to share our values.