Asking the Clergy: How do you share your message ?

On religiously diverse Long Island it’s not unusual for faith leaders to interact with people of different religious beliefs, and to participate in organizations promoting interfaith tolerance and understanding. This week’s clergy discuss how they open a window to their beliefs outside the sanctuary, both in public and private spaces.

THE REV. JOANN BARRETT

Senior officiant, Gathering of Light Interspiritual Fellowship, Huntington Station

If faith is just dogma and doctrine, I may not be the best person to inquire about sharing my faith beyond my congregation. I have a very deep and abiding faith in the Mother Earth and the Great Orderly Design of the universe and for all our lives. This is the source of my strength and conviction. From this perspective, I have faith in the inherent goodness of all human beings. How is this shared? It is said that Mahatma Gandhi said that his life was his message. This is the greatest example to me of living your faith. We share by our living. We share our faith by being the living expression of awareness and loving acceptance. Awareness requires first an internal process of calm, loving discernment. I ask myself if this thought is a response or a reaction. Awareness is also the external acceptance that everyone is fighting their own demons. Practicing patience and loving kindness with everyone we meet demonstrates faith in action. The most important way to share my faith is to serve others. Although we are a community of people personally defining their own relationship with the Divine, we show up for each other and the community at large. I share as I serve.

RICHARD L. KORAL

Clergy-leader, Ethical Humanist Society
of Long Island, Garden City

The question of how we share our message as Ethical Humanists raises two issues: First, what is our message and, second, how do we let others know what we do? Our unique offering is that we affirm that we can be good, that is to say moral, in our individual life choices and active contributors towards good in the world, without any theology behind it. We believe that it is possible and appropriate to be moral just for its own sake and not to need a reward in exchange. Doing good has value in and of itself, without dependence upon other considerations. I find that the best way to share this perspective is to affirmatively do good while being true to my fundamental values. We have often collaborated in charitable causes with other groups representing other traditions all while being clear about who we are and why we are a community of our own — that is to say, a nontheistic community — and let our actions speak for themselves.

RABBI ART VERNON

Congregation Shaaray Shalom,
West Hempstead

I have lost track of the number of churches and mosques in which I have appeared since becoming a rabbi! There seems to be great interest in learning about the Jewish tradition among many non-Jews. I have also been blessed to teach hundreds of individuals over the years who were exploring Judaism although they were raised in a different faith community. America is a marketplace of ideas, among them diverse approaches to faith and belief. As one of the oldest faith traditions, Judaism has a lot to say about how to live a good and meaningful life. These opportunities have come to me because I have chosen to be active and visible in the community. I have developed relationships with other faith leaders, both clergy and lay. And wherever I go, I am a rabbi, representing Judaism and the Jewish people. I have great respect for people of faith and I am eager to learn from them and to share my tradition. Mutual respect and open dialogue have proven successful means of engaging others in learning about Jews and Judaism.