summeR 201 1 Families Weave a TapesTry of faiTh

sT ory for all ages Building Bridges, Breaking Down Walls

olumbus, Ohio, presents a microcosm of the united states’s religious diversity— Ten years historically black Christian churches; primarily white, suburban Christian after 9/11, Cchurches; several Islamic faith communities; multiple Jewish denominations; a UUs and significant Hindu population; and more. Here, the First unitarian universalist Church interfaith of Columbus (First uu) makes interfaith work a priority. work Last September 11, the Belong,” followed by a immigration, anti-poverty, congregation sponsored several hundred-strong and criminal justice as an interfaith “Burn No March for Inclusion issues for attention. Sacred Books” service in through downtown “Interfaith work brings response to the nationally Columbus. And a First us together across color UU-led, interfaith Spruce lines to have conversations Up day has become an about things people feel annual springtime event are important, conversa - and the foundation for a tions we must have to citywide interfaith youth move forward together group. on social justice issues,” First UU’s Racial Diver - says Ray. sity Task Force has led the congregation into “... to claim our interfaith work, pursuing diversity as a source a congregational mission of our strength.” that includes the charge – First UU mission statement “to claim our diversity as © Ray Nandyal a source of our strength.” This resonates for the Reaching out to existing publicized threat by a task force co-chairs: Ray interfaith efforts is one of Florida man to set a Qur’an Nandyal was raised the task force’s strategies. on fire. The next month, Hindu, and his spouse, First UU’s senior minister, The Family pages are adapted from the congregation again Lauri, grew up Baptist. Mark Belletini, notes that Tapestry of Faith gathered Muslim, Jewish, Several years ago, with Columbus clergy have lifespan faith develop - Christian, and Unitarian racial justice still its core long collaborated for ment programs. Universalist clergy, this purpose, the task force social justice. For example, time to lead worship at a turned its focus to inter - Project BREAD is an www.uua.org/ Congregational church faith dialogue, worship, interfaith group that tapestryoffaith on the theme “We All and action, identifying continued on next page

summeR 2011 FamIlIes: Weave a TapesTRy OF FaITH 1 continued from page 1 exploring TogeTher Ladders out of convenes multiple faith communi - ties to engage with city officials to Interfaith Youth Training address issues from health care grant from the Shelter Rock Congregation has allowed the UUA to access to school truancy. And A train youth/adult teams from around the country to lead interfaith recently, the Columbus Council projects. Back in their local communities, UU youth... of Churches invited the Unitarian ... cleaned up a Boys & Girls Club in Marietta, Georgia, working with Universalist congregation to join— school classmates, a college-age Christian group, and others. the first time a non-Christian congregation has been included. ...hosted overnights to raise awareness and funds to help homeless The youth of First UU, however, people. At First Parish of Sudbury, Massachusetts, UU and Catholic youth created a new interfaith group for each brought $5, goods for a local food pantry, and a cardboard box to Columbus. Last year, Lauri Nandyal sleep in. A Maryland overnight involved Unitarian Universalist Church of and her daughter, Samantha, took Rockville, River Road UU Congregation, and Jewish youth. leadership training offered by the ... with a Methodist youth group, mobilized peers from Catholic, Orthodox Unitarian Universalist Association Jewish, Reform Jewish, and United Church of Christ faith communities for a and the Interfaith Youth Core, a Westport, Connecticut, walk against hunger . Chicago-based organization ...organized a candlelight vigil for Haiti in Greenville, South Carolina. founded by Eboo Patel. Then, the ...planned peer trainings in Iowa, Kansas, and Minnesota to prepare for a Nandyals and another First UU Prairie Star district-wide commemoration of 9/11. mother/daughter pair, Susan and Allegra Roscigno, sought community partners to plan an many uu adults were raised in interfaith youth clean-up of a Interfaith Life — another faith; some have multiple faith neglected, inner-city neighborhood. Right in Our connections they want to explore with The Interfaith Center for Peace, their children. I What different faiths

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Up. They continued as an interfaith What respectful ways have you found h o t o . youth group, taking roles in the fall to share aspects of another faith with c o I m /

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gatherings have followed. 1 6 “What feels like success in this work is to see the young people laughing, chatting, and being he together,” Lauri says. T l rea Ray agrees: “We have some food, only s Even if we don’t have all the answers yet... on i and we talk, to bring humanity nati y. anit We all belong, we all belong. together across the divisions society hum er, Farm Even if we are still working to understand paul ublic imposes.” — nal p each other’s lives and ways of living... natio st He adds, “ nter ctivi i lth a We all belong, we all belong. is ideally suited for 21st-century hea Even if we think and feel and respond pluralism because of our beliefs in differently... interdependence and the inherent Va rious We all belong, we all belong. worth and dignity of every human th are e nam Even if we are sometimes sorely tempted being. Lots of other faiths are able of Go es d, yet to think our own ways of doing things are to feel the truth in that, and the reali the ty is O best for everyone else... current cityscape is a perfect place — ne. sikhis We all belong, we all belong. to practice our beliefs.” : m —from a litany by the Rev. Mark Belletini

2 FamIlIes: Weave a TapesTRy OF FaITH summeR 2011 ashes, bridges across chasms — remembering 9/11 © i s t o

c Oranges and Oranges k p h o ass around a bowl of oranges. ask everyone to take one and t o . c

o “get to know their orange.” m P / i d Then invite each person to tell a story about their orange based e a b

u on a feature they noticed. The stories can be as silly or as serious g as you like. after the stories, mix up the oranges in the bowl. Have everyone find their orange again, as fast as possible. ask: are you sure it’s your original orange? most will know they have found it. Now, have everyone peel their orange and return it A Ritual of to the bowl. mix the oranges, and again, ask everyone Remembrance to find theirs as fast as possible. This will be harder. A Unitarian Universalist ritual to this den got t wh ck mark a death can take many forms, nge en tru ora it a but it will certainly emphasize our be - y h its w g in M da wit broth as travelin lori ers lief that the person who has died lives m F . It fro es to g lov eling on inside us through the love they ays tri et to es trav alw the shared and in the world through their and to p o good actions. Include children in a rit - f the pile. ual. A ceremony can be appropriate at Eat your oranges, and discuss: I any time to remember someone who How did you feel coming up with your died long ago, even before the child orange story? Did it make you like your orange? was born, or people who died in a I Why was it hard to find your orange the tragedy such as 9/11. second time? : Invite a child to contribute a © I How is this analagous to differences and

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or write what they remember and m /

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loved about someone who has gone. r c i

n unique qualities and stories—matter?

All over the world, everybody always strikes out at the enemy, and the pain Sin g the Living Tradition— escalates forever. Every day we could and Meet Our Sources reflect on this and ask ourselves, Religious pluralism is a foundation of unitarian “Am I going to practice peace, or universalism, mentioned in our Bylaws. Our sources am I going to practice war?” include teachings from all world religions, as well as —pema Chödrön, prophetic voices from inside and outside our uu faith. Tibetan Buddhist nun Not surprisingly, the uua hymnbooks Singing the Living [W © e] Tradition and Singing the Journey invite access to i s t have made multiple faith traditions through music and read - o c k y p ou nations and ings. Browse the hymnbook sections dedicated h o t tri o bes that ye may to specific sources. learn to sing something . c o m come to know new. Our tradition is “living” because we / p r i one a n nother. believe truth is not sealed. We can always c e s —Qur’a s n learn from others’ faith beliefs and practices. d l a f

summeR 2011 FamIlIes: Weave a TapesTRy OF FaITH 3 parenT reflecTion Ten Years Ago, Before I Was a Mother ASK YOURSELF: By Susan Dana Lawrence •Where were you on y 2001 opened with a crisis. On New Year’s Day, my 10-year-old September 11, 2001? What M dog couldn’t stand up. Within a couple of days, a diagnosis, a is your 9/11 story? How can decision, and Nellie was gone. As deaths go, it was not a bad one. The you tell it to your child? What grief was sweet, the remembrances warm, and the new, dog-free life part of the story do you need had some compelling charms. Not so bad at all. your child to know? The year was to unfold, however, with more events that would change •How are you a post -9 /11 my life. In June, my daughter was born to an Ethiopian woman in the parent? When you feel town of Awassa—I would not become her mother for another three protective of your child, are years. Then, in September, a planned terrorist air attack took down the you using caution, or fear? How Twin Towers and killed thousands of people on United States soil. The can you know the difference? outcomes from that event began instantly, inside and around me. First, the search for relatives and friends. For me, this was quick—my •Ten years later, many still brother and sister-in-law were not in their lower Manhattan offices that believe 9/11 excuses—even day. Then, the stories, rippling toward me, each just degrees of separation justifies—blanket mistrust from a personal impact: Someone’s brother had been stuck in traffic and of Muslims, words and thus, late to work, and safe. The sister of an old high school friend had actions of hate and revenge. died on a plane from Boston. Firefighters from my town traveled to New How will you help your child York to volunteer at Ground Zero. discern? How will you teach By the time I flew to Ethiopia to meet my small daughter and bring her them to recognize hateful home, 9/11 had receded from my day-to-day life. Yes, I knew I could not stereotypes and fight against pack liquids or knitting needles in my carry-on them? bag; I submitted to a barefoot security •How does your family scan. I worried about the frightening, handle news of death and tightening tone of political life around ©

disaster? Have your children i s

me, and felt disgust at our govern - t o

visited a memorial site? Spent c k

ment’s rush into combat in Iraq. p h

time with people who are o t

Yet, I never articulated: How o . grieving? How prepared are c o

will I raise a child in pos t-9 /11 m /

you to bring your children d e

Amer ica? Ten years later, it is e into these experiences? a u

more timely than ever to ask. v i l

FIND OUT MORE Parenting Hope heals. •“Supporting Children in the Face of Disaster” by Tracey L. Hurd, in the Families section of UUA.org •On the Teaching Tolerance website, “Combating Anti-Muslim FAMILIES: Bias” and “Commemorate 9/11 by Confronting Islamophobia” WEAVE A TAPESTRY OF FAITH •On the PBS website, “Talking with Kids about News” Provided by the Resource Interfaith Work Development Office of the •Find out about interfaith leadership training for UU youth/adult Ministries and Faith teams; contact Jessica York, youth programs director: [email protected] Development staff group of the Unitarian Universalist Association. •Join the Interfaith Youth Core’s online community of youth leaders: http: // bridge-builders.ning.com Susan Dana Lawrence, Editor •The Interfaith Alliance sponsors a youth program:www.weleadd.org Judith A. Frediani, Jessica York, •Books to read: Acts of Faith by Eboo Patel; Building the Interfaith Youth and Alicia LeBlanc, Contributors Movement edited by Eboo Patel and Patrice Brodeur. Ann Casady, Graphic Design www.uua.org/tapestryoffaith

4 FamIlIes: Weave a TapesTRy OF FaITH summeR 2011