(RNS) — As Jews and Muslims have just concluded the holidays of Shavuot and Eid al-Adha, I have found myself thinking less about theology and more about neighbors. The two holidays commemorate very different moments. Eid al-Adha recalls Abraham — Ibrahim in the Islamic tradition — and his willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. Shavuot marks the revelation at Sinai and the receiving of the Torah. One centers on submission and sacrifice, the other on law and teaching. Yet both begin with the same foundational recognition: that the individual human being is not the center of the world. Humanity stands before its Creator. That idea has become harder to sustain in our time. People speak with certainty about histories they have never studied, religions they have never encountered and conflicts they know only through fragments and slogans. In recent weeks, attacks targeting visibly religious people have served as reminders of how quickly fear and hatred can enter everyday life. Across Europe and beyond, houses of worship increasingly require levels of security once …