In search of common ground

Religion has always been at the forefront of social change. Houses of worship are powerful forces for advocacy because few institutions can match their ability to bring people together on a regular basis and get them behind a cause.

However, different faiths don't always agree on the problems their communities face or how to deal with them. Finding common ground can be a challenge.

On Tuesday night, some 1,500 Southern Nevadans gathered to address divisions of faith and unite multiple congregations under a single umbrella for the good of the valley. Folks of all faiths, ages, races, backgrounds and political leanings came together to sing, inspire and, most importantly, listen.

The dialogue that unfolded was more than a sermon. It was a reminder that, even amid the partisan chasm of a presidential election, people who fundamentally disagree on some matters can sit in the same room, hear each other out and find agreement on other issues.

This is how problems get solved. This is how a sprawling metropolis becomes a better place to live.

The first Las Vegas Valley Community Convention for the Common Good aimed to link these faith groups through a single organization, Nevadans for the Common Good. Among the issues participants were asked about: education, housing blight, immigration, sex crimes and elderly care. It's one thing to seek unity on a problem everyone can agree on, such as the prostitution of minors. It's another thing entirely to seek consensus on the Dream Act and higher taxes for schools.

But you can't get there without first having a conversation. Tuesday was the important first step in that process. That alone should be something all Southern Nevadans can get behind.