Ramadan began this past week, and it runs until March 19. For Muslims, it’s a sacred time when they pray and fast daily from dawn to sunset, seeking to grow closer to God.

While Ramadan is for Muslims, other religious groups can see it as a good opportunity to learn more about Islam — including during Christian worship services.

That’s the view of Anna Piela and Michael Woolf in their new book, Confronting Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice. (Judson Press.)

In the book, the married couple say that taking time to learn about Islam at church can help Christians combat Islamophobia and be better neighbours to Muslims in their communities. As a bonus, it can also help them develop a deeper understanding of their own Christian beliefs.

You can find religion most everywhere in life today — politics, culture, entertainment, economics and sports. That includes the Olympics.

The games in Milan-Cortina are halfway done. As we watch the competitions in Italy, it’s a good time to recall the pivotal role religion played in the creation of the ancient Olympics, and how it influenced the modern revival.

When created in Greece in 776 BC, the Olympic games were part of a religious festival in honor of the Greek god Zeus. Along with the athletic events, which were dedicated to him, there were sacrifices to Zeus and athletes and spectators took part in religious rites during the competitions.

Athletes also invoked the gods, with winners interpreting their success as a sign of favour from the gods — not unlike how some athletes today thank God when they score a touchdown or game-winning goal.