Shem is an Aramaic word expressing the Divine radiance and splendor in all of creation.
SHEM Center for Interfaith Spirituality offers the sojourners of all spiritual paths and faith traditions, as well as those who claim none, a sacred space where all are respectfully welcomed to encounter the wisdom found in the sacred traditions of the peoples of the world.
Christmas, 2024
May the narrative that is ours to write with our lives be one that celebrates life, and not destroy it, one that invites us to hold the newborn child of our dreams in a world of justice, inclusiveness and peace. We join the angels that proclaimed the birth of Jesus asking the world, “Would you like to hold Him?”
The Prophetic Jewish, Interfaith & Secular Voice to Heal and Transform the World
Tikkun uplifts Jewish, interfaith, and secular prophetic voices of hope that contribute to universal liberation. A catalyst for long-term social change Tikkun empowers people and communities to heal the world by embracing revolutionary love, compassion, and empathy. Tikkun promotes a caring society that protects the life support system of the planet and celebrates the Earth and the universe with awe and radical amazement.
A Moonlight Speech, October 11, 1962
Sixty years ago, the first night of the Second Vatican Council, Pope John XXIII came out on a balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square and gave his impromptu remarks now called "the moonlight speech.” I remember it well, making its way into the world via the news media.
A Challenge Grant to Shem Center
Once again The Wolcott/Ebbeler Foundation, our supportive friends of many years, is offering you a way to have your donations to Shem Center increase by way of their matching gift.
Shem Center Programs
Shem Center offers experiences of the prayer, meditation, rituals, and the wisdom of the peoples of the world. In doing so, each takes a place at the table with others whose spiritual tradition may be similar to or different from one’s own.
Martin Luther King Jr.
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. (1929-1968)
An Interfaith Greeting of Peace
SHALOM - SHLAMA - SALAAM
These three words in Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic are used in turn as greetings of peace by Jews, Christians and Muslims, the followers of the three Abrahamic religions.
Inter-Spirituality
Recognizing that the Divine Reality is not limited to any one expression of our journey with God, Shem Center takes its place with many others committed to the task of bringing peace into the world through understanding, respect and friendship.
News
Thurman, Committee Hearings and Authentic Masculinity
by Matthew Fox
Watching the committee hearings on Tuesday that revealed the suffering that January 6 wrought not just on our country but on the individual policemen that defended it bravely was sobering indeed. And also inspiring.
Liz Cheney challenges us: With whom shall we stand?
by Joan Chittister
In 1975, a quote in The Oak and the Calf carried a warning from one of the most profound thinkers of the era. “In our country,” Russian writer and historian Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said, “the lie has become not just a moral category, but a pillar of the state.” It gave me great pause until, now, I…
St. Martin de Porres Sparked Healing for Fr. Thomas McGlynn, OP, 1906-1977
For Fr. Thomas McGlynn, OP, (1906 – 1977) the story of St. Martin’s life sparked a healing at the level of the soul, which then bore fruit in creativity. St. Martin de Porres was a revered healer in 17th-century Peru. The sanador of Lima’s El Rosaria priory, he treated the wounds and ills of his…
Read MoreWelcome to Shem Center. Contact Us!
Shem Center for Interfaith Spirituality
708 North Harvey Avenue
Oak Park, IL 60302
(708) 848-1095
shemcenter1993@gmail.com
Photo Credits: Emory Mead, Stephen B. Starr, Joseph Kilikevice
The Shem Center for Interfaith Spirituality website is awarded a 2022 American Digital Design Award for excellence in design and user experience.
