Yesterday, I stepped foot into the Bahá’í House of Worship for North America on the
outskirts of Chicago with my good friend from high school, who happens to be
Jewish. The Baha’i faith is one that is inclusive of all
religions – actually, the Bahá’ís believe “the religions of the world come from
the same Source and are in essence successive chapters of one religion from
God.” After my experiences with religious unity with GreenFaith, it felt so good
to be able to return to this feeling of oneness, this feeling that I did not
need to feel separated from my brothers and sisters of other religions and
other denominations, despite the world’s great attempts to keep us all divided. Growing up in the public school system, I
have always had friends of other religions and denominations, and the divide between
us because of my connection to the Catholic Church has always saddened me. So, it felt good yesterday to be able to
share in worship with someone who, other than babysitting kids at her temple during
Jewish holiday services as a teenager, I had not previously shared a religious
experience with.
As a teenager, I was very active in a Franciscan ministry
program for youth called Capuchin Youth & Family Ministries. The Franciscan
charism then left me thirsting for more than I was able to get from the Catholic church on my college campus, and I began exploring the non-denominational,
ecumenical, and Protestant angles of Christianity, where I felt a unity and
inclusiveness that reminded me of the Franciscan charism I had previously
experienced. Since then I have felt I bridged
a divide between the Catholic Church and non-Catholic Christians. I also had a spiritual awakening during this
time that “we are all one.”
“Holy Father, keep them in your name that
you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are” is a line from a
verse in John 17. This verse, as it
happens, has also inspired others within the Christian tradition to come
together in unity across denominations.
The John 17 Movement seeks
to bridge the divide between Catholics and Protestants, and even includes a
moving message from Pope Francis about unity:
Pope Francis message to John 17 Movement on May 23rd, 2015 in Phoenix, AZ from John 17 Movement on Vimeo.
I am deeply inspired by this movement for unity, and as a
board member of the Franciscan Action Network, which represents all branches of
the family of followers of St. Francis of Assisi – Catholic, Episcopal,
Lutheran, and Ecumenical – I am committed to learning what more we can do to
bring unity to Christians everywhere. We share a common heritage, one of
following the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
Now in this moment in history, when the world has been turned upside down
by Pope Francis, may we ask ourselves, “What Would Jesus Do?”.
May we return to the prayer of Jesus in John 17, and learn
to seek unity between the gaps that divide us.
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