CRLMC Remarks at Opening Ceremony
2023 Parliament of the World's Religions
August 14, 2023 | Chicago -- Below are the remarks of CRLMC President Barbara Abrajano at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Convening of the Parliament of the World's Religions.
Honored teachers, distinguished faith leaders, local and international guests: On behalf of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago, I welcome you to our city and to this extraordinary Convening of the Parliament of the World's Religions. It is good to have you here in Chicago, the birthplace of this Parliament.
Our Council was founded so that Chicago could hear the voices of its many and diverse faith communities united in speaking to the critical issues we all face. Our work is a direct continuation of the work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sixty years ago, Dr. King convened here in Chicago a National Conference on Religion and Race. This extraordinary meeting of leaders from across this country was convened to issue an Appeal to the Conscience of the American People to take action and eliminate racism. It "marked the first time that the official bodies of Judaism, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism had jointly and publicly conferred to express agreement on anything" (Alan B. Anderson and George W. Pickering, Confronting the Color Line: The Broken Promise of the Civil Rights Movement in Chicago, p. 106.).
Different faith communities working together to serve the common good is the foundation of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago. It is also at the core of the Parliament of the World's Religions. What I want to stress today are two important lessons from interreligious work.
First, interfaith collaboration has tremendous power. No single community of faith working alone can resolve the challenges that all of us face together. Finding common ground can be difficult in a world filled with people who promote fear and division. They advocate subordination instead of equality. They prefer ignorance to evidence. Their answer is violence instead of accommodation or respect. They betray the values of every faith tradition represented in this room. But if we stand together for what we all believe, then our diversity is our greatest strength. We show people that there is another, better way.
The second lesson is that our unity of vision is hollow unless we act on our beliefs. People are comfortable with religious leaders who talk about peace and justice but make no effort to realize these ideals at home. Change only comes when we match the words of our sacred teachings with our daily actions in our communities.
Dr. King knew that living the teachings of Jesus was dangerous. It required discipline. It made other people uncomfortable. It involved personal sacrifice. But Dr. King understood that we must love the neighbors we have and show them that love in how we behave. When our neighbors see our commitment to peace and justice in their lives, then they can join us in creating a better world.
Let us unite on common issues. Let us speak faithfully. And let our deeds match our words, both this week and when we return home. May you enjoy your time in Chicago and at this Parliament. Thank you.
Honored teachers, distinguished faith leaders, local and international guests: On behalf of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago, I welcome you to our city and to this extraordinary Convening of the Parliament of the World's Religions. It is good to have you here in Chicago, the birthplace of this Parliament.
Our Council was founded so that Chicago could hear the voices of its many and diverse faith communities united in speaking to the critical issues we all face. Our work is a direct continuation of the work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sixty years ago, Dr. King convened here in Chicago a National Conference on Religion and Race. This extraordinary meeting of leaders from across this country was convened to issue an Appeal to the Conscience of the American People to take action and eliminate racism. It "marked the first time that the official bodies of Judaism, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism had jointly and publicly conferred to express agreement on anything" (Alan B. Anderson and George W. Pickering, Confronting the Color Line: The Broken Promise of the Civil Rights Movement in Chicago, p. 106.).
Different faith communities working together to serve the common good is the foundation of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago. It is also at the core of the Parliament of the World's Religions. What I want to stress today are two important lessons from interreligious work.
First, interfaith collaboration has tremendous power. No single community of faith working alone can resolve the challenges that all of us face together. Finding common ground can be difficult in a world filled with people who promote fear and division. They advocate subordination instead of equality. They prefer ignorance to evidence. Their answer is violence instead of accommodation or respect. They betray the values of every faith tradition represented in this room. But if we stand together for what we all believe, then our diversity is our greatest strength. We show people that there is another, better way.
The second lesson is that our unity of vision is hollow unless we act on our beliefs. People are comfortable with religious leaders who talk about peace and justice but make no effort to realize these ideals at home. Change only comes when we match the words of our sacred teachings with our daily actions in our communities.
Dr. King knew that living the teachings of Jesus was dangerous. It required discipline. It made other people uncomfortable. It involved personal sacrifice. But Dr. King understood that we must love the neighbors we have and show them that love in how we behave. When our neighbors see our commitment to peace and justice in their lives, then they can join us in creating a better world.
Let us unite on common issues. Let us speak faithfully. And let our deeds match our words, both this week and when we return home. May you enjoy your time in Chicago and at this Parliament. Thank you.