Difference Makers: Religious unity

WMAZ is sharing with you the stories of Central Georgia "Difference Makers."

We define that as the people who don't just talk about big problems, they take action.

We're sharing a story about a group of women from different faiths who come together to unite people of all religions.

They focus on their shared spirituality, instead of their separate faiths.

On a typical morning at Highland Hills Baptist Church, it might strike you as odd to see Christian, Jewish, and Muslim women together under one roof. But, thats exactly the point.

They call themselves the Women's Interfaith Alliance and got to know each other on a personal level, through the simple act of passing plates of food.

It all started when the Islamic Center of Middle Georgia held an open house in 2011 and welcomed their Christian neighbors.

We thought about making our religion more understood, educating non-Muslims about our belief system, dispelling some of the misconceptions, establishing human relationships, and building bridges between our two faiths, said Eman Abdulla.

Abdulla said that first meeting, and the smaller ones that followed, help foster a stronger relationship and break down misconceptions.

Flo Martin, a Central Georgia Methodist, found her way into the group several years ago.

Many meals later she now calls these women friends and defending their beliefs is personal to her.

And I've just said, that's my family. And when you're family and you're connected, you stand, and so for me it's been a boldness, it's been a way to know that perfect love casts out fear, Martin said from the balcony of her church, Centenary United Methodist.

These women don't just talk, they put their faith into works.

Flo Martin on Atlanta protests

They buy groceries, feed schoolchildren, help refugees through Abdullas work in Atlanta, and gather donations for the homeless.

Betty Taylor worships at Temple Beth Israel and says what she gains from this group makes a difference in everyday life, including trips to the gym.

Some people there know that I'm Jewish and one day I came in and Rosha, one of the Muslim ladies, was leaving we run over and hug each other and Rosha was telling me how later one of the ladies there was saying, 'you know her how do you know her? Taylor said.

She answered that they formed the unlikely friendship by making an effort to listen and over time, understand.

Its something one of her Muslim friends would agree with.

You have to respect other people's journeys as well even though they might take other paths you know but you respect the journey. And also getting to know more and more that we are one in faith you know, we worship the same god, we have very similar ideas on values and we do believe that our religions come from the same source, Abdulla said.

We do have so many commonalities, we laugh over the same things and cry over the same things, Martin told WMAZ.

And they also share joy over the simplest of things.

Learning their faith in a higher power doesn't divide them, it unites them.

At their February meeting, about 80 women attended the Interfaith Alliance lunch.

That's the best attendance they've recorded since they started in 2011 and it continues to grow each month. If youre interested in attending their next meeting, you can check out their Facebook page.

If your church or religious organization is doing something like this to bring people of different faiths together we want to hear about it. Comment in this story on our Facebook page, or send an email to eyewitnessnews@13wmaz.com.

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Central Georgia women set aside different faiths for shared spirituality - 13WMAZ.com