Both Sides
By Rev. Nina D. Grey
December, 2000
A few years ago I went to a Meadville/Lombard Midwinter Institute on the theme of religious pluralism. Diana Eck of Harvard was the guest speaker, and it was a wonderful experience. One thing stands out in my memory. It was the very different meaning "interfaith" has in our country today. Once interfaith meant Christians and Jews or maybe Catholics, Protestants, and Jews. Today it means much more, as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and many other religious traditions and heritages inform our understanding of "interfaith." Additionally, communities which express and live this wide variety of faiths dot the national landscape.
And I think of this diversity in relation to our winter holiday season. Even if most of us do not believe in the literal meaning of the Christmas stories, still many of us honor the beauty and power of Christmas and seek the meanings in it that support our life and faith as Unitarian Universalists. We may be deeply moved by the music of the season, by the hope that the children represent, by the wonder of their voices at our Christmas Vespers. We may love the idea of birth as a gift which Jesus' birth represents, enjoy the giving and receiving of gifts, or reflect on the resilience of light amidst darkness, the solstice hope of the sun's returning. At the same time, it is important to remember that not everyone celebrates Christmas. Some celebrate other meaningful holidays such as Chanukah or Solstice, or other religious or cultural festivals of light. We may choose to take time, this season, to learn about the holy days of differing faith traditions.
In her book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, the great naturalist Annie Dillard told us how important diversity is for the health of the planet and our lives. Yet other scientists have taught us that everything is connected in a fantastic interdependent web of existence. Dillard reminds us we are here to abet and witness the wonder of creation. In this holy time of year may we lift up the wonder of creation's diverse expressions. May we continue to work for a world that honors and cherishes diversity, yet also seeks our common bonds and nurtures the living ties that hold us together.
With loving wishes for warm and happy holy days,
Nina