Going For The Gold-Building on Faith
September 28, 2006 at the Silver Dragon, Chinatown, Downtown Oakland.
Inspirational Words by Barbara Hamilton-Holway
Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley
I am honored, humbled, and glad to be here
among all of you who are doing such amazing, inspiring
work.
Congratulations and thank you, Housing Rights, Inc.,
on your good work for our community!
The congregation I serve, the Unitarian Universalist Church
of Berkeley,
and all of us here tonight support your work,
and we share your mission and your belief
that everyone has a right to decent, affordable housing.
The world is crying out for understanding among religions and cultures.
What we are doing tonight isn’t in isolation;
it is part of the bigger picture of our world.
When I was growing up, talking of religious diversity
meant among the various Christian denominations,
or between Catholics and Protestants, or Christians and
Jews.
Look what all we have to put our arms around now.
So much is going on in the world that affects local housing
rights,
that affects interfaith understanding
and our shared work for justice and compassion.
What happens in the world affects us.
We all know the Pope’s reference to a 14th century Byzantine
emperor’s words
“Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new,
and there you will find things only evil and inhuman,
such as his command to spread by the sword the faith
he preached.'"
The Pope used the terms "jihad" and "holy
war."
He didn’t cite the long stretches of time in history
when Christians have used violence.
He has since apologized and invited dialogue.
Some Islamic leaders were offended
the Pope was perpetuating misconceptions of Islam.
The Prophet Mohammed had restricted the use of force
in religion.
The Pope’s speech comes at a time when the world
has seen
the hooded figure tortured at Abu Ghraib,
heard stories of the desecration of the Holy Quran.
Since the speech, a group of Muslims burned the Pope in
effigy;
a nun was killed; there were rioting Christians, rioting
Muslims.
There is no one single Islamic response,
just as there is no one Christian response.
You may have heard spiky-haired, young Muslim feminist
Irshad Manji, author of What’s Wrong With Islam?,
who said she’d read the Pope’s whole speech
and no apology is necessary.
She supports the Pope’s invitation to religious
dialogue,
but does wish she could convert the Pope to feminism!
…Then at the United Nations,
there was Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
criticizing President Bush, who criticized Ahmadinejad
as serving his own interests and not his citizens.--
Venezuelan President Chavez repeatedly called President
Bush the devil
and said President Bush had come to the U.N.,
talking like he owned the world.
Representative Nancy Pelosi called Chavez a “thug.”
In the San Francisco Chronicle’s two cents
column
where people share their opinions, an Oakland citizen
said,
“Every patriotic Venezuelan is ashamed of the parts
[of Chavez’ speech] that were false;
every patriotic American is ashamed of the parts that
were true.”
The muck human beings are capable of has been on full
display.
Whether religion or government,
Muck and magnificence is the nature of human
beings.
All humans, religious and non-religious, fall short of our ideals.
These religious and political leaders in the news are
irresponsible
when they ignite stereotypes, kindle fear, and arouse
violence in their followers.
Television journalist and social commentator, Bill Moyers
says,
“The world's aflame with intolerance, and millions
of true believers
are passing buckets of kerosene to throw on it.”
The Middle East, the meeting place of the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers,
is called the cradle of civilization,
the birth place of art and architecture, the humanities
and sciences.
Now what we see of the Middle East is devastation,
bombed out buildings, soldiers in camouflaged uniforms,
women grieving, a grave yard of humanity.
The misery in the Middle East creates misery on the streets of our towns.
Wars perpetuate misunderstanding and stereotyping among religions and cultures.
Wars perpetuate poverty.
The money that goes to support war is taken from the money to support housing, health care, education, social services and community well-being.
When there’s a military draft, more people oppose
war.
You have to ask: Is this why our country keeps
with a volunteer army?
How many young people volunteer for the army
because it is the only way they can see to turn their
lives around,
to get a job, training, and education?
If the ranks of the army are filled by poor people,
does the country have an investment in keeping people
in poverty?
And what happens when those young people
return from war injured in body and spirit?
Who cares for them?
The world is crying out for understanding.
Interfaith dialogues and interfaith action may not get
as much attention
as faiths in opposition with one another, but they are
happening
and here we are.
Our linking together here—people of many faiths,
and people who are not a part of any religion,
people whose compassion leads them to action
—is where we find hope, where we begin.
The fact that we are here together is huge, vital.
Joining in interfaith and larger community efforts
to house and protect housing rights for all people is
counter cultural--
counter to all this news grabbing, name calling, heart
breaking,
community-shattering, life-draining craziness.
Inequity in our country and our world creates war, terrorism,
and violence,
fills our prisons, our morgues and our streets.
Many of us have benefited by privileges, opportunities,
and just plain luck
while many people in the world have had their opportunities
and needs thwarted.
Those who find themselves with so much have the responsibility,
the obligation,
and the joy to share.
All of us human beings are vulnerable.
How many of us are a pay check away from economic disaster?
How many of us know personally or have loved ones who
know
what it is like to have your life affected by addiction,
depression and mental illness?
All human beings have the same needs to love and be loved,
to be respected and to offer respect, to receive and
to contribute.
All of us have fears and longings. We are all in
this together.
No one should be made to feel lesser, to feel shamed.
Everyone has the right to a bed, a hot shower, a place
to belong,
a table around which to share talk and meals with loved
ones,
to feel safe and trusting.
We know we fall short of all we might do.
Still, here together we are learning to stretch our hearts
and hands and pocketbooks in the service of love and
justice.
The world is longing for us to come together like this
in respect, in compassion,
in community-repairing, life-giving, justice-restoring,
peace-making,
hope-bestowing generosity of spirit.
Here we are together, knowing each person has inherent
worth and dignity,
knowing each person deserves decent, affordable housing.
Here we are together, knowing our shared worth and
dignity
is in building the beloved human community.
With gratitude for the gift of life and for the earth
our home,
may we join in pouring our energy and our strength
against oppression of all shapes.
May we keep faith with humanity
and with the Source of Amazing Grace, with the Source
of Life.
Some day, some day, dear friends,
on this green earth, under the blue sky,
everyone at the table, everyone with a home,
some day, some day,
dignity, respect,
receiving and contributing,
loving and be loving,
some day, some day,
Rome, Iraq, Iran,
Israel, Palestine,
California, New Orleans….
East, West,
All One
courage,
spirit,
power,
justice
some day, some day,
Shalom. Salaam. Pax. Pace.
Peace, Peace, Peace.
Yes, oh, yes. Amen.