Interfaith Thanksgiving encourages respect, offers hope

Understanding, cooperation, harmony, peace — not everyday buzzwords from headlines past and present. Yet the future always has room for them. Why not start in this room — with these words?

“We give thanks this day for our common effort to practice religion in the pure sense of the word; the search for the values of the ideal life; a life where religion unites rather than divides the human race, a life where no one condemns and seeks the destruction of other humans because of their personal philosophy.”

Few principles are more deserving of an “amen” than that interfaith prayer, contributed by a Humanist participant in the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada’s Thanksgiving Observance on Nov. 23. As an annual celebration, the event rotates among local houses of worship and was held this year at Congregation Ner Tamid.

“My mom and dad always said you should never miss an opportunity to give thanks, but I would add to that you should never miss an opportunity to provide an opportunity to give thanks,” said Ner Tamid’s Rabbi Sanford Akselrad, who hosted the event. “Doing it as an interfaith project allows us to say that through diversity there is strength. By acknowledging how different we are, but more importantly how much we have in common despite our differences, it makes us aware of our common humanity.”

Faiths represented by local clergy, in addition to Judaism and Humanism, were Roman Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam, Mormonism, Lutheranism, Baha’i and Sikhism, with passages from several incorporated into the service.

Among the other representatives were: the Rev. Kathy Morris of Anthem’s New Song Church; Baha’i leader Aleda Nelson; the Rev. Mary Bredlau of Grace in the Desert Episcopal Church; Aslam Abdullah of the Islamic Society of Nevada; Sikh leaders Teji Singh Malik and Dr. Amarjit Pannu; Dennis Ortwein of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Summerlin; Mel Lipman, former president of the Humanist Association of Las Vegas and Southern Nevada; Rabbi Yocheved Mintz and Chaplain Sanford Marks of Congregation P’nai Tikvah; and Ricky Rhinehart of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who conducted the Interfaith Choir.

“It’s really important for us in the community to understand that we’re a microcosm of the larger world,” said Gard Jameson, chairman of the Interfaith Council. “A great Catholic theologian, Hans Kunz, said there will never be peace on the planet until there is peace between the religions.”

In a 90-minute service, the local clergy filed into the sanctuary in a processional to the beat of a youth corps of taiko drummers. After lighting candles, they moved onto the stage to share readings of the interfaith Thanksgiving prayers.

One excerpt, contributed and delivered by a Sikh speaker, addressed events from the recent past, its tone both accusatory and hopeful.

“Who do we thank for our existence?” it read. “Who do we thank for the wars by us against each other? Who do we thank for the carnage in Darfur and in other parts of the world? Who do we thank for the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and at the Sikh Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and many other atrocities committed by us daily against each other? Let’s all plead guilty first as humans so we can thank ourselves with a promise to become better as peoples.”

Highlighting the ceremony was a talk by guest speaker Brian Neely, executive director of the Stillpoint Center for Spiritual Development in Las Vegas, who holds a bachelor’s degree in pastoral studies and a master’s degree in theological studies of Hebrew scriptures.

Recalling his childhood, Neely told the assemblage that he was raised in a religious environment often dominated by bigotry and hate.

“Everything I always knew about God and about faith was always stated in the negative,” he said. “I was always taught that everyone else was wrong and only our particular small group was right. The anger and negativity I experienced in church sometimes seemed overwhelming.”

Seeking a wider perspective, Neely said he found it in literature, particularly the works of Russian writer and philosopher Leo Tolstoy. “Writers offered a picture into a different way of life,” he said.

Interwoven into the service were musical moments including vocalist Francyl Gawryn, accompanying herself on guitar, singing “Amigo”; a performance of “Faithful” by the New Song Horn Quartet; “Modim Anachnu Lach” (“We Are Grateful to You”), sung in both Hebrew and English by Ner Tamid Cantor Jessica Hutchings; and several selections by the 14-member Interfaith Choir, including the Christian hymn “We Gather Together” and “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” from the LDS tradition.

“There are a lot of good people here,” Humanist Lipman said. “Some of us are good because of God; others are good without a God. The important thing is that we’re all good. There are bad people who are also religious. Everybody here is also an atheist — they’re an atheist regarding everybody else’s religion. But this points out the commonalities, and that is so important.”

Added Chaplain Marks: “Once we have respect for everybody, we have peace. No religion is better than the other. No one religion is right or wrong. We just have to live and work together.”

In a heartwarming finale, the youth choir of Ner Tamid performed a spunky rendition of “One Day” by Jewish rapper Matisyahu that got the multifaith congregation clapping along.

In the infectious tune, the lyrics condemn conflict and violence (It’s not about win or lose/’cause we all lose/when they feed on the souls of the innocent blood) and look ahead to peace (All my life I’ve been waitin’ for/I’ve been prayin’ for/for the people to say that we don’t want to fight no more/they’ll be no more wars/and our children will play, one day.)

“Nobody has a corner on the truth,” said the Rev. Bredlau of Grace in the Desert, summing up the night’s spirit and spirituality. “At least it opens a spot in our hearts, and we can let some of this echo in our hearts.”