What does it mean when PLU says it’s a place for people of all faiths and none?

For me, this phrase captures the heart of what PLU feels like: a place where you belong not because of what you believe, but because you’re willing to be curious, compassionate, and open to learning from others.

Being “a place for people of all faiths and none” means that your questions are just as welcome as your answers. You don’t need to have a religious background to participate in Campus Ministry, and you don’t need to set aside your own beliefs to be part of the conversation. Instead, PLU creates environments where people with completely different worldviews can sit together, listen deeply, and find shared meaning.

I see this every time I lead an interfaith discussion or volunteer at Community Meal. One student might talk about prayer, another about meditation, another about cultural rituals, and someone else might say they don’t identify with a faith at all but care deeply about community and justice. And every perspective adds value.

It also means students can create and lead the kinds of spaces they want to see. When I organized the interfaith iftar, people from so many backgrounds showed up not just to share food, but to share stories and build understanding. That experience taught me that PLU isn’t just a campus that “accepts” diversity; it’s a place where students are encouraged to build something together out of that diversity.

For me, being at PLU has meant discovering that spirituality, identity, and community can be explored alongside others who might think very differently and that those differences make the conversation richer.