From the Office of Religious and Philosophical Life

This week, we’re sharing a reflection from Senior Associate University Chaplain Lynn Cooper, first published in Tufts Together on October 1. Our weekly reflections are now published there first, and you can explore the full archive on our website. If you didn’t have a chance to read it then, we invite you to take a moment with it here.

On Friendship

Lynn Cooper

In the upper shelf of the Interfaith Center kitchen, a green and pink floral ceramic cup towers above the rest of the mugs. This cup was a gift to me from my friend Rabbit back in 2012. Rabbit and I had a lot of friends in common, but we really did not know each other very well. We traded numbers one night at a party and quickly made plans to spend an afternoon together on our days off. At the time, I had just settled into a new apartment in Cambridge. I was supposed to have moved in six months earlier, but due to a series of delays and errors, I had only just gotten my keys. Suffice to say, it was a profound relief to finally be unpacked and connecting with the neighborhood.

On that September afternoon, I met up with Rabbit in Central Square and we walked down to the Charles. We were both in major life transitions. We had little history as friends, but we connected deeply with one another, navigating those bumpy bricks and talking for hours. Before we parted ways, she reached into her backpack and placed in my hands a little bag with a bow on it. I sorted through layers of tissue paper and slowly unwrapped the treasure within: the green and pink floral ceramic cup. I was so surprised by this unexpected gift! It was beautiful and delicate. It was something I would have never bought for myself but that I instantly felt a tenderness toward.

I was so moved by this gesture, and I asked Rabbit about it. She told me that she wanted to help celebrate and mark this new season of my life. And then, right there on the sidewalk, she starting chanting, “New era, new era, new era!”

Through two moves and years of life and work, this cup has remained. It once bore a green silicon lid and green ribbed sleeve, but those accessories have been lost to time and circumstance. At some point, I must have taken the cup with me to work and simply left it here. For a long time now, it has been fixture in our tea and hospitality ministry. I have heard students comment on how beautiful and unique it is. I delight in those comments. Each time I see the cup, I do not just think of Rabbit, I feel the warmth and care of her friendship pouring through the present moment. I marvel at how students who were only a few years old in 2012 now use it and enjoy it, bringing to new life this gift of kind-heartedness and comfort.

That afternoon was the first and last time Rabbit and I hung out. Our lives and social circles diverged as often happens. Nevertheless, I still feel a deep connection to her and to the joy and wonder we shared that day. Friendship takes many shapes throughout our lives and sometimes those connections are fleeting but they are no less true, no less important.

This week, I invite you to pause for a moment and reflect on the friendships in your life. You might think about reaching out, sending a text message, placing a phone call, or tossing out some other arrow of love. Or maybe you want to simply give thanks for someone like Rabbit—someone whose presence in your life was brief but meaningful. However you spend your reflection time, may it fill your cup.

Lynn Cooper
Senior Associate University Chaplain

Featured Events

Russell Lecture on Spiritual Life and Solomont Speaker Series Event
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Lecture: 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Goddard Chapel
Reception: 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Eaton 260

Join for the 2026 Russell Lecture on Spiritual Life featuring Dr. Fatimah Fanusie, AG01. Dr. Fanusie is a historian and scholar whose work explores African American Islam, the Civil Rights Movement, and African Diaspora culture. Her lecture, “America’s Buried Inheritance: The Forgotten Story of the Qur'an and the Formation of Human Freedom,” will examine the often-overlooked influence of Qur’anic thought on ideas of liberty, reason, and human freedom. The lecture will be followed by a Q&A and reception. Registration is requested. All are welcome.

Water, Spirituality, and Environmental Justice Two Part Program
Friday, October 16, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 
Friday, October 23, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 

Join Tufts students from the Interfaith Ambassadors and Sustainable CORE Fellows for a cleanup along the Alewife Brook and conversation about how our many wisdom traditions call for the protection of natural resources. Part Two of the program will be a brunch on October 23, when participants will hear from local community members, water quality experts, and the Mystic River Watershed Association about the challenges facing Alewife Brook and how we can further help. You can email student leader Tyler Kwong, A27 or Associate University Chaplain Anthony Cruz Pantojas (Anthony.Cruz_Pantojas@tufts.edu) with any questions. 

Breathing Room: A Care Circle for Tufts Staff & Faculty
Tuesdays, October 20 & November 17, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., Interfaith Center Lounge

You care for students, colleagues, and this campus every day. Join fellow Tufts staff and faculty for an hour of reflection, quiet, and being together, making room for what work and life are asking of us, and what sustains us. Open to all spiritual, religious, and philosophical backgrounds. Snacks as well as coffee and tea will be provided! Questions? Email Associate University Chaplain Anthony Cruz Pantojas (Anthony.Cruz_Pantojas@tufts.edu). 

Religious and Philosophical Events and Gatherings

Sacred Inquiry: The Art of Meaningful Exploration 
Fridays, October 16, 23, 30 & November 6, 2026, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., Interfaith Center  

Facilitated by Associate University Chaplain Anthony Cruz Pantojas and CMHS Staff Clinician Matilde Torallas Huerta. Join a small community of students for four gatherings that blend inquiry practices with evidence-based wellness approaches. Together, we will explore the art of becoming more human—with all its complexity, beauty, and challenges. No matter your spiritual, philosophical, or ethical background. Whether you’re wrestling with purpose, seeking connection, or simply curious about life’s questions and how spirituality or values-oriented systems inform mental health, this space of sacred work is for you. Food will be provided, so please RSVP using the link below. For any questions or concerns, email Associate University Chaplain Anthony Cruz Pantojas (Anthony.Cruz_Pantojas@tufts.edu). 

Goddard Chapel Refresh Presentation 

Sunday, October 18, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Goddard Chapel 

Join the Office of Religious and Philosophical Life for an overview of the Tufts University capital project to refresh the Goddard Chapel sanctuary. The changes to this space will better accommodate and host Tufts’ many religious and philosophical communities, and will increase the University’s capacity to host communal gatherings and events. We’ll share a brief history of Goddard Chapel, its role on campus, its history of renovations, and the current project! You can email the Office of Religious and Philosophical Life (orpl@tufts.edu) with any questions. 

Rooting with Yoga
Tuesdays, October 20, November 24, and December 1
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Tufts Interfaith Center

Join us for Rooting with Yoga, with Sabbi Lall an MDiv student at Harvard Divinity School who studies Hindu and Buddhist traditions and shares the Sanskrit teachings' underlying yoga. RSVP using the link below. Please contact Program Coordinator for Buddhist and Hindu Life Prakruthi Ramesh (Prakruthi.R@tufts.edu) if you have any questions.

Partner Programs

Let’s Talk: Community Town Hall
Thursday, October 15, 2026, 4:00-6:00 pm, Eaton Hall Room 260

Recent news from Cornell University has resurfaced painful questions about campus sexual violence, and our campus is not exempt. Join for an evening of dialogue-based activities and a town hall on reporting and advocacy, community care, and accountability. It’s a space to process together, build an informed voice, and shape next steps for us as a community at Tufts University. Confidential support will be provided. Hosted by: The Women’s Center, Care, Counseling and Mental Health Service, and the Office of Religious & Philosophical Life. 

Book Talk with Britt P. Tevis
Thursday, October 22, 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Laminan Lounge, Olin Building

Join Britt P. Tevis, J.D./Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History and the Backer Professor of Jewish Studies at Syracuse University, for a conversation on her new book, Sanctioned Bigotry: A Documentary History of Antisemitism in the United States. Light refreshments will be served.