This week we began our conversations in Skagit County to form a local multi-faith partnership. Local groups are putting together a planning team that will lead communities with different wisdom traditions to do partnership activities in 2023. This is part of our Let’s Go Together program. Over the last six months I have been talking with people about the idea. So far, almost everyone has been very interested. There is something about this simple idea of eating, sharing stories, working for the common good, and a public solidarity event that just makes sense. It evokes interest because it is simple, powerful, and replicable.
This week I am working to engage with Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Indigenous, Unitarians, and Spanish speaking congregations, and the Roman Catholic community here in Skagit. There is much conversation yet with each group. Yet the energy has been really great.
What we want to find are people who are cross connectors: people who relate to and are respected in various groups. These cross connectors already have some cross cultural skills. They have access to and have gained the trust of different groups. Let’s Go Together is a way for groups that live in a community but have been operating in silos to make connections to each other, work together, and show respect to each other.
This part of the work begins. This is an exciting part of the work! I enjoy seeing the possibilities light up in people’s eyes. One group we met with said that they could see this working across the State. We were all excited. But then we said “Let’s give it a go here and then we can talk about that.”
We have had some hopeful beginnings this week. I am encouraged. There is much more to do, but we will follow the flow of energy where it goes until we move from us versus them to all of us.
Photo by Jonas Von Werne on Unsplash