Thousands of people are being brutally killed in Gaza, including children, which is why “we must lean into the challenge to ‘love the stranger,’” says Lyla June during this powerful Festival of Faiths talk. “I cannot remain silent on this. We [America] are funding the active cleansing of a people as we speak,” she adds, referencing U.S. tax dollars helping to fund the Israeli Army.

Lyla June is an Indigenous musician, scholar and community organizer of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) and European lineages; she earned a doctoral degree with a focus on Indigenous food systems revitalization, and she blends studies in human ecology, Indigenous pedagogy and the traditional worldview from her upbringing.

Watch the full “Loving the Stranger” session, including an earnest, emotional exchange with panelist Rabbi Ben Freed — a true example of sacred listening and loving the “other” despite differences:    • Wisdom Session: Loving the Stranger |...  

About the Festival of Faiths: 

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, the Festival of Faiths is a nationally acclaimed, multi-day festival that hosts spiritual practitioners, thought leaders and movement makers.

The 2023 Festival of Faiths, Sacred Hearts, Sacred Minds: Embodying Love, celebrated the power of love to cultivate meaningful connections, strengthen communities and transform lives. Festival sessions explored contemporary concerns through the lens of faith and tapped into our unique capacity for love and compassion in order to envision a more loving future.

Connect with the Festival of Faiths — and join us on this journey of conversation, understanding and spiritual nourishment: 

Website: https://festivaloffaiths.org/ 
Facebook:   / festivaloffaiths  
Instagram:   / festoffaiths  
Twitter:   / festoffaiths