Interfaith Ceremony Sunday 26th July 2026
On a windy, sunny Sunday afternoon, a rich collection of personalities from different faith groups gathered at the majestic-looking Garrison site to celebrate this year’s Interfaith event. The programme was led by the Mayor of RBG, David Gardner and the Reverend Dr Adam Scott.
This year, the structure was an interesting mix of the solemn and humorous. This included a short personal biography shared with finesse and forgiveness from a Rwandan 1994 genocide survivor, Marie Rose Rurangirwa. The audience was transfixed as she developed a philosophy of rebuilding destroyed family and social relations through choosing a forgiving path. Crossing from despair to hope using the analogy of Choosing the Bridge Over the Wall.
Other contributors relayed similar messages of finding common ground and acceptance of who we are, wherever we are from, and whatever faith we engage in.
Each contributor contextualised this from their own beliefs, and all who attended were better informed in their appreciation of how we are alike.
The humorous theme was provided by the trio of Cantor David Rome, Reverend Canon Charles Pickstone and Swami Surya Prabha Didiji. This contribution from a Jew, an Anglican and a Hindu teacher explored their own personal journey to their individual faith. This included musical harmonies, ironic storytelling interactions and a summary individual soliloquy detailing the main influences on each of their faith pathways.
The event was brought to a close by an eloquent exploration of how the police are trying to fulfil the ethos of Sir Robert Peel who set up the Metropolitan Police Act in 1829. He later became twice a Prime Minister against a background of poor international relations with the US and France and wars in the far east. Chief Inspector Alex Baldwin developed a theme of staying true to those original Peel policing principles in developing a solid working relationship with all faiths based on mutual listening and acknowledgement. The need to do this against a contemporary familiar backdrop obvious to all was the compelling message from The Chief Inspector.
The Reverend Adam Scott brought a very full event to a close late in the afternoon and many stayed to enjoy the diverse display of food offerings in the setting sun of this tranquil and beautiful site.
A perfect setting for a perfect afternoon.
