A surprise day was planned for two school classes. Most of the Year 8 pupils were Muslim. Following a negative incident during a school trip, the teachers felt it was important to give the pupils opportunities to engage with cultural and religious diversity. So I had invited them on a guided visit in our catholic church. The first class arrived. I gave them a very warm welcome outside the church. There was a visible tension in the teachers’ eyes. I had decided to share many of my personal experiences with Muslim believers. Within moments, an atmosphere of deep attention and trust had developed. The young people began asking questions about the Christian faith and about various objects in the church. An unexpected sense of joy and light-heartedness grew. To conclude, I invited them into a large tent set up in our church and read out a prayer written by a Muslim woman, which she had entrusted to me. Sacred moments. I invited everyone present to say one more word that they now felt in their hearts. A teacher began: “Relief” – the young people picked up on this: “Gratitude” – “Astonishment” – “Joy”… Then we said our goodbyes. After a few moments, three girls came back into the church. Beneath their headscarves, six eyes beamed at me: “We wanted to say THANK YOU again – it was so lovely being with you!”
