“CRAE was the first time I had a good conversation about my faith with someone who didn’t share it.”

Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

The Navigators, an international campus discipleship group, are encouraging dialogue and friendship among people of different faiths through a discussion night hosted in the heart of the Carleton campus. The March 9 event brings together students from diverse backgrounds to talk about what love means to them and through the lens of their faith.

“We find there is a great curiosity to engage meaningful topics, if it can be done in a safe and respectful environment,” explains Jeff Clochesy, campus ministry director for the Navigators Ottawa. “When you walk through Carleton or U-Ottawa, it is a really diverse student body. People come from all over the world to study here. This is one way we can help foster deeper and new friendships among people from diverse backgrounds.”

The Navigators hold these events several times a year, discussing different topics each time. They call them “Curiosity, Respect, and Engagement” or CRAE nights.

Each CRAE night starts with a group of panelists from different faith communities sharing what love (or the topic of the evening) means to them. Then the students assembled are encouraged to sit in small groups with people they did not come with to discuss the topic.

Panelists talk about how their faith educates their understanding of the evening’s topic. Photo courtesy of the Navigators Ottawa.

Clochesy says the main ground rule is for them to “share honestly and allow people to share what they think without arguing. It is a fun atmosphere. There are snacks and music and typically the group is pretty diverse.”

For the March 9 event, Clochesy expects between 75 and 90 participants.

Rosalynn Berti is one of the student organizers for CRAE events. She says engaging with others in this environment has enriched her faith.

“I participated in CRAE in my first year at Carleton. CRAE was the first time I had a good conversation about my faith with someone who didn’t share it. I absolutely loved the chance to share my faith and to hear from others who saw the world differently than I.”

Berti says talking with people of different world views forces you to think through your beliefs more closely.

“CRAE allows you to jump past a lot of the surface-level relationship building to understand the core of what shapes the person you’re talking to: their worldview.”

“CRAE provides an environment where respectful, curious questions are expected. I love the way CRAE encourages me to try to explain topics that are hard to explain to someone who is unfamiliar with Christianity.”

However, she says the thing she has found most enriching is how CRAE events have acted as a springboard for relationships she probably would not have formed otherwise.

“That which is most enriching for me is the relationships that I’ve developed. Interfaith dialogues break down misconceptions about those of different faiths. CRAE allows you to jump past a lot of the surface-level relationship building to understand the core of what shapes the person you’re talking to: their worldview.”

Clochesy says those relationships are one of the main goals behind CRAE events.

“I think there can be good friendships [among people of different faiths] that are full of peace and love and care, but friendships require really knowing each other. For us, from a Christian perspective, this is one way we follow Jesus in being peace makers.”