Letter to the editor: Love, respect will guide us

To our beloved community of Monroeville and beyond,

The Monroeville Interfaith Ministerium reflects the diversity of our community, nation and world. Each of our faith traditions — Hindu, Unitarian Universalist, Baha’i, Sikh, Jewish, Jain, Christian, both Catholic and Protestant, and Muslim — share a common core of love and respect for our neighbor. This love and respect transcends all differences that exist within our community.

It is this mutual love and respect that has guided us and will continue to guide us into the future. It is this mutual love and respect that invites us to stand beside one another in the midst of such a beautifully diverse community. It is this mutual love and respect that can bear witness to our differences, while at the same time embracing the personhood of one another. And it is this mutual love and respect that will guide us through the uncertainties of today and tomorrow, that will equip us to overcome divisions and debate, and will empower our community as a beacon of hope and promise of a beloved community.

In this season of discernment, anxiety and uncertainty, we know that when we see one another as precious creations, our differences fade into the background and we come together as the beautiful community that we have been, are and will be. We invite you to continue loving your neighbor as yourself. If you feel overwhelmed, reach out to a religious leader, spiritual guide, counselor or confidant; we are all in this together.

Harilal Patel

Monroeville