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Is being the Family of God really about like-mindedness? Only if you mean by that to invite everyone into the hard work of discovering the shared values and commitments we have to serve the common good. It is a miracle every time truly different people come together with mutual respect to bring heaven a bit closer to earth. Across cultures and faiths we knit together common threads of humanity to inaugurate a commonwealth of freedom, justice and opportunity for all God's people. What could be more orthodox and faithful than that?
Rabbi Abraham J. Heschel used to say, “Prophecy is not simply the application of timeless standards to particular human situations, but rather an interpretation of a particular moment in history, a divine understanding of a human situation.” May we approach each other with such respect, hoping to receive divine understanding that informs our service to God and to all of God's creatures and creation.
James A. Kowalski
Dean, The Cathedral Church of St John The Divine, Harlem, NY
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