With a country so politically divided these days that it’s hard to come to agreement on much of anything, it seems counterintuitive to decide that a collection of essays centered around one of the most contentious subjects in American life — religion — would help unify the nation.
But that’s precisely the premise of a new collection of essays in which some of the world’s most popular practitioners and experts in theology use their faith as the foundation for a new American story — one that’s diverse, tolerant and inclusive — and one that includes a spirituality that goes beyond Christianity and Judaism.
“[We] We must strive to see the divinity in everyone, even when the circumstances are difficult, even when others do not see the divinity in us.” – Simran Jeet Singh
The book, “Religious Perspectives on the American Story: The Search for a Fair, Honest, Inclusive, and Positive Narrative,” is a collection of eleven essays by scholars, writers, clergy, and thinkers deeply involved or practicing across a range of religions. It was commissioned jointly by the Aspen Institute’s Religion and Society Program’s Racial Justice and Religious Groups and the Baha’i Faith’s U.S. Office of Public Affairs.
Many beliefs, one message
A statement about the book’s release from the Aspen Institute describes the book as “a collection of essays with contributors from Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Baha’i, Native American, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities” that aims to “invite readers to a vision of America with a positive narrative through the lenses of racial justice and religion.”
Audrey C. Price, the book’s editor and associate director of the institute’s religion and society program, said the book is intended to spark conversations about diversity and move readers and the nation toward a more perfect, sacred union.
“We were looking for questions that could be entry points, questions that could fill a gap or uncover a needed resource,” says Price, who co-edited the book with Selvi Zabihi, economic justice officer for the Baha’i Faith in the USA. “We chose religion as one of the sources that, at its best, could have transformative power.”
Price also said it was important for the essay to explore religions other than Christianity and Judaism, the country’s main faiths.
In her essay, Simran Jeet Singh, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Religion and Society Program, wrote about her own Sikh faith and how it serves as an example for an inclusive society.
“At a time when we struggle to address the differences among us and around us, Sikhism offers a model for creating a more open, inclusive and loving culture,” he writes. “The Sikh philosophical system is built on ideas of oneness and connection.”
“If we are truly interested in transforming ourselves and the stories we share, we must challenge ourselves to see the divinity in everyone, even when it’s difficult, even when others don’t see the divinity in us,” Singh says.
Ending poverty
In her essay, Yolanda Narva Savage writes about her grandparents and describes a society where people see and are inspired by the divinity in each other. Her work left readers wanting to read more stories about their grandparents.
“My vision for the future is one of wholeness and spirituality,” she writes. “I believe that in order to make memory and imagination a reality, we must return to seeing each human being as b’tzelem Elohim, ‘images of God.'”
“My story is that no one in this world lives in poverty,” Narva Savage writes. “It means that everyone has the dignity of minimum wage. It means that everyone can bring their whole self to any table and be accepted.”
During a livestreamed book launch event, the Rev. Frederick Douglas Haynes III, senior pastor of Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, delivered a time-honored message from the gospel tradition that included call, response and reconciliation.
He said he was pleased to be able to contribute to a book that focuses on religion as a catalyst for positive change because too many bad people have exploited and manipulated faith for their own selfish gain.
“Sadly, I think we can all agree that we live in a world where religion is giving God a bad reputation,” said Haynes, who stepped down after briefly succeeding the Rev. Jesse Jackson as leader of Rainbow PUSH.
“We have seen religion, in the name of God, indoctrinate bigotry and condone white supremacy, racism, Jane Crow and Jim Crow laws, homophobia, xenophobia, and more.”
“Jesus was hell for women and for people who were created against what white male supremacy defined as the norm,” he said, suggesting that churches, or rather people of faith, must offer a gentle but sincere antidote that is welcoming to curious people.
This collection of essays is now available as a tool for those who want to take advantage of the opportunity to do the right thing.
