9 November 2026
This week marks Inter Faith Week 2026 (8 to 15 November), themed ‘Lighting the Way for a Shared Future’. The Venerable Mike Power, Archdeacon of West Ham and dicoesan lead for interfaith relations, reflects on the importance interfaith relationships in our communities.
Inter Faith Week 2026 invites us to share light through listening, honest conversation and practical cooperation. In this difficult time of division, getting to know our neighbours is an important act of hope.
Light speaks across many faiths and traditions, suggesting truth, guidance, and welcome. Inter Faith Week began yesterday on the 8 November which is both Diwali and Remembrance Sunday. Both these distinct occasions invite reflection on peace, sacrifice and light overcoming darkness, and on the future we can build together.
Interfaith work is not simply about formal meetings or polite agreement. Nor does it ask anyone to water down their beliefs. It invites us to meet those of another faith honestly, with humility and genuine interest. We can remain confident in our own faith while learning from another person’s wisdom and experience.
This matters because prejudice grows when people remain strangers. Antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred and hostility towards other beliefs feed on fear, misinformation and labels. Sharing a meal, visiting a place of worship or having a conversation will not solve everything, but can turn suspicion into a real relationship and start to challenge stereotypes.
Strong relationships also grow through working side by side. People of faith and belief support food banks, schools, refugees, youth groups and environmental projects. Inter Faith Week offers an opportunity to celebrate this service and discover what more we might achieve together.
Cooperation does not mean ignoring differences. Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, people of other faiths and those with non-religious beliefs understand responsibility differently. Yet we can all recognise the needs of a hungry family, a frightened refugee, an isolated older person or a young person seeking belonging.
Lighting the way begins with ordinary choices: defending a neighbour whose community is being attacked, offering hospitality without expecting anything back, checking a rumour before sharing it, or joining forces to meet a local need. Such actions make our commitment to a shared future visible and credible.
Taking part need not require a large budget or elaborate programme. A parish could invite neighbours from a mosque, synagogue, gurdwara or temple for tea. Local groups might arrange a peace walk, environmental project or charity collection. Music, readings and reflection can welcome those new to interfaith encounters.
A shared future grows through everyday decisions about how we speak, whom we welcome and whether we stand beside those being targeted. Hope is more than a cheerful feeling: it is an opportunity to build relationships when public conversation is tense or progress seems slow.
The Week brings national attention, but its deepest impact is local: in streets, schools, workplaces and places of worship. The invitation is simple: meet someone, learn something and do something together. Through curiosity, friendship and cooperation, we can challenge hatred and help everyone feel that they belong.
Find out more
Find out more about Inter Faith Week 2026 by clicking the link below