A Rabbi, An Imam, and A Pastor Walk Into a Wedding
I was so humbled and honored to be a part of an interfaith wedding in Seattle. The young couple had Muslim, Christian, and Jewish parents. So the couple and their families reached out to Rabbi Anson Laytner, Imam Jamal Rahan, and myself. We were all happy to participate.
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PTU Awarded a Grant for Let’s Go Together
Let’s Go Together focuses on rebuilding trust between members of small towns, cities, and exurban areas by gathering diverse cultural and wisdom groups to
Eat and share stories (no politics or policy)
Do a service project together
March in a parade to show public unity
A big part of this work is to prepare Christian congregations for one big question: Why are you hanging out with them?
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US vs US
PTU is busy at work creating our Let’s Go Together resources. We have big plans, hopes, and dreams. But it is important in this moment to also attend to the small things, the little interactions, the small kindnesses, that can help open one another’s hearts to the fact that we are in this together. In fact, this kind of interaction is what Let’s Go Together is designed to create.
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When to Speak
I asked my Jewish and Muslim friends what they thought I should do at Holden in this week. Should I lead a study of the Christian scriptures or not? We all agreed that people had listened well, had been respectful, and curious when they engaged with both Islamic and Jewish teachings. But then my partners agreed with this: We need Christian leaders to model how to be Christian AND to be in conversation with, and to learn with, people of other traditions.
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Freedom to Love
Whatever your tradition, find in that tradition what gives you freedom to resist social pressure, to evaluate the ethics of the cool kids club, and to make a principled decision for the common good – remembering that the common good is also good for each of us.
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Acting Out of Compassion
I told Father Treacy that I think we underestimate the power of an act of compassion. But every time I have had a major change in attitude in my life, it is because I got to know someone and experienced respect and care from them.
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Forgive Us Our Sins
I have been reflecting and meditating on Pope Francis’s public apology for the role of the Roman Catholic Church in Boarding Schools. I appreciate that his leadership will lead to many such reflections. In the course of my work, I talk with leaders of many wisdom traditions. These conversations are really, really fun. Sometimes I…
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Story of Origin
But the way we tell our stories of origin can dehumanize the wisdom traditions before us, and thus absolve us of looking at the ways our own tradition contributes to or blesses injustice. It can sow seeds of supremacy that later grow and choke out much that is good.
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Let’s Go Together Instructions
A Few Things to Know: The course material is on the distance learning service of Paths to Understanding called the Paths Network. Your group is accessing the online course: Let’s Go Together The Paths Network uses a platform called Mighty Networks You should have free access to the course Let’s Go Together. If you don’t,…
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