A few weeks ago, I spent several days at my first URI North America regional leadership gathering in Nevada. We were hosted by Gard Jameson, a wonderful and hospitable member of our team. (He, his children and wife certainly lived into URI Principle #6 to “give and receive hospitality.”)
Our dynamic family of 10 leadership council members (one who joined virtually), two global support staff and myself spent three very full days dreaming and visioning the way forward for URI in the United States and Canada. We came away with action items, commitments to projects and a renewed grasp of what lies ahead.
But, for me, the most important outcomes were the relationships we built among each other and with new family members.
Our leadership team ate pizza and enchiladas together. We sat in silence together and engaged in dynamic debates. We took turns loading the dishwasher and making coffee. We each shared how we got involved in interfaith work.
There were also the new relationships we built. On Sunday night, I attended one session of the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada’s Fall Forum. I was absolutely blown away by each of the panelists - all under the age of 27. While there, I met Karen and Lisa, both who welcomed me with open arms.
On our final night in Nevada, the Jameson family hosted a group of about 30 community members who are involved in interfaith work. We sat in a circle and each person shared about their work. We also participated in an appreciative interview led by Sally Mahe.
I could literally see the principles of URI coming to life and feel them facilitating long-lasting relationships.
“I met my soul sister!,” one person said in reporting back her experience with the appreciative interview.
“I just found out she is starting a women’s interfaith dialogue group and I have founded one 13 years ago,” exclaimed another.
The next week, Sally Mahe picked up her phone and heard the voice of a women she met that night. They are now working together on a presentation for the Parliament of the World’s Religions next year.
As watched these relationship unfold, I realized, this is URI -- these connections, this sharing from depth of ourselves, this partnering in responsibility and duty, this understanding of each other. It’s done on small scales everyday in each of our lives and ripples around the world through our URI brothers and sisters, who are held together by common principles and practices.
