By Taylor Bryan Tbryan@paducahsun.com
Religious leaders from a variety of backgrounds gathered Tuesday to provide an interfaith service for those struggling to find togetherness amid the nation’s political divisiveness.
Grace Episcopal Church in Paducah (Kentucky, USA) hosted an interfaith healing service Tuesday night. Church leaders said it was an opportunity for people struggling with the current state of affairs to receive communal support. The service was open to all religious backgrounds, and Christian, Jewish, Islamic and Islamic faith leaders were present. The event included prayers, hymns and readings from several different religious texts.
Pamela Hutson and Bob Hopper — both faithful Grace Episcopal attendees — made a point to be there. They both said they wanted to support their church and others in the community.
“I love the idea of bringing together different faiths to focus on what we have in common…instead of focusing on all the differences, because I think people really have more in common than they have differences. And, they should be able to find those and connect with each other and the community,” Hutson said.
“Given the times we’re living in, when there’s a lot of hatred, bigotry, religious strife, political strife, this particular congregation, Grace, is kind of an open environment. Not everyone is expected to agree with everyone on everything, but it’s a very welcoming place,” Hopper said.
Rev. Charles Uhlik said that’s exactly what he prayed for when organizing the service, a safe place for people with heavy hearts to lighten their load.
“God created us in God’s image to help us all know our similarities. It was only through our darkness that we found that we are different and that we found that we must feel like we have to treat other people differently,” Uhlik said.
Hopper said community gatherings like the interfaith service are needed. “When there’s so much religious bigotry and hatred and political bigotry and hatred, we need a place like this where people can come and gather,” he said.
Uhlik said he planned the event after roughly 100 people contacted him expressing anxiety about the current state of the nation. About 30 people attended the service.
– Source: The Paducah Sun
