Seventeenth Church of Christ Scientist is so grateful to have been a part of this interfaith activity!
Chicago has served as the site of a nine-month pilot program designed to foster interreligious dialogue and understanding, using a resource most religious and spiritual communities already have at their fingertips—spaces to gather.
The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions’ (CPWR) “Sharing Sacred Spaces” project consisted of “open house” type events at eight spaces of local religious and spiritual communities, with the intention to “deepen appreciation for the diverse religious and spiritual traditions by focusing on the spaces that are sacred to these communities.”
A final, culminating event, “Sacred Solidarity,” took place in downtown Chicago, at which representatives from the eight participating communities gathered to sign a pledge committing to work to maintain the ties of trust and friendship built during the last eight months.
“At a time when hatred and violence erupts over religious differences internationally, [this] quiet collaborative effort in Chicago has forged alliances and fostered new friendships across religious lines”, said Rev. Dirk Ficca, executive director of the CPWR.
The Council for a Parliament of World Religions just posted on their website a lovely recap of June 10’s Sacred Solidarity Celebration held on Federal Plaza. CLICK HERE to read the story and view a slideshow of the event. Pictures in the slideshow were taken by Chicago’s famous photojournalist, John White!
Last Sunday, June 10, 2012 members of Seventeenth Church gathered with seven other religious and spiritual communities on Federal Plaza to celebrate our collective journey of the past year! What a glorious celebration it was!!!
Over the past eight months, we have forged bonds of friendship and trust through the “Sacred Spaces” series of events sponsored by the Council for a Parliament of World Religions. The pledge we signed at Sunday’s event symbolized our ongoing effort to honor and respect their different traditions, as well as committing to spread this effort to the surrounding community.
The solidarity pledge was written by representatives of each faith community and ratified by our own membership at May’s member meeting. The eight communities are the Midwest Buddhist Temple, Fourth Presbyterian Church, St. James Episcopal Cathedral, Chicago Sinai Congregation, First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple, Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist, Old St. Patrick’s Catholic church and the Downtown Islamic Center. The pledge is as follows:
“Sharing Sacred Spaces” Solidarity Pledge
We, communities of faith and spirit serving in the Chicago metropolitan area, acknowledge and commit to these ideals:
that the work of cultivating the religious and spiritual life of human beings is an essential part of the strength and progress of our wider community
that supporting those who are committed to cultivating religious and spiritual life strengthens the entire fabric of our community
that we honor the wider traditions of those affiliated with and worshiping or practicing with the communities listed here
that we actively look for ways to stand in solidarity with each other and to serve our wider community
that we stand together against any public attempt to disrespect or harm the well-being of any community of faith or practice or its sacred space
and we celebrate our shared values of compassion, justice, peacemaking, and harmony in diversity.
Commitment Statement
Read by a member of Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist
at the Council for a Parliament of World’s Religion – Public Rally, June 10, 2012
Why should we as Christian Scientists commit to this pledge?
just as a Christian Scientist wants to be known as the child of God made in God’s image and likeness, so we want to honor others as the children of God regardless of their creed or theological point of view.
Why should we as Seventeenth Church commit to this pledge?
as a church family, we know the strength we feel in supporting one another and we want to honor the support other COMMUNITIES OF FAITH are giving to the spiritual growth of individuals.
Why should we as a religious community in the Chicago Loop commit to this pledge?
as part of the Chicago Loop, we acknowledge that the roots of this great city are not primarily secular and material, but spiritual and transcendental. Values like compassion, justice, peacemaking, and harmony in diversity are anchored in the Divine, and we acknowledge the need for the power of God to further the progress of Chicago communities.
