Last November, in the midst of feeling pretty despondent about the state of things, I attended an Interfaith Thanksgiving ceremony at Krannert. The Great Hall was filled with people, and on stage, alongside the mayors of Champaign and Urbana, were several chairs filled with local faith leaders. They represented faiths and demoninations from across the spectrum: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Bahá'í...and each leader came up to the podium with a message of unity, community, and how their faith tradition shares the value of the Golden Rule: Do unto others...you know the rest. I left with a bit more hope, a bit more peace, and a greater love and respect for the Champaign-Urbana community. After meeting with two of those faith leaders this week, Pastor Michael Crosby of First Mennonite Church and Imam Sawadogo Ousmame of the Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center (CIMIC), that feeling was renewed.