The cantor began:
We pray for healing of the body, we pray for healing of the soul,
for strength of flesh and mind and spirit, we pray to once again be whole.
We pray for healing of our people,
we pray for healing of the land and peace for every race and nation,
every child, every woman, every man.
R’faeinu Adonai v’neirafei, hoshi einu v’nivashei-ah.
Eil karov l’chol kor’av. Ach karov lirei-av yisho.
Hoshia et amecha uvareich et nachalatecha ur’eim v’nas’eim ad ha-olam.
Mishebeirach avoteinu, mishebeirach imoteinu. Ana Adonai hoshiahna.
And we all held our breath until the very last note.
Dr. Opal Lee, Cantor Sheri Allen, Rev. Ryon Price, Dr. Stephen Cady, Rev. Carol Gibson, Rabbi Zimmerman, Rev. Anyra Cano, Rev. Dr. Carlos Valencia, and many others gathered to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. in a moving interfaith service of hope and healing. Held at Carter Metropolitan CME Church, those couple of hours felt like stepping into the Beloved Community—a place where strangers were bound together by love of God and love of neighbor. Bishop James Dixon II challenged us to see not a foreigner, but a neighbor. Not a stranger, but a neighbor. Not the other, but a neighbor in all of God’s people.
We heard many voices speaking in different languages and accents. The combined interfaith choir reflected the diversity of humanity—every person, every shade, every story, every color of the rainbow. As we sang, prayed, embraced one another, and shared our reflections, I felt as though I was weaving all those moments into a tapestry of healing and hope.
The choice to walk in the light of compassion and love, rather than destructive selfishness, rests with each one of us.
The hope for the Beloved Community begins in the heart of each one of us.
The desire to seek godliness and beauty in unity springs from within each of us and draws us together.
Together, we do not just cross the Red Sea; we endure the wilderness.
Together, we listen to one another’s fears and exhaustion.
Together, we stand on the solid foundation of our shared values.
In his sermon, Bishop Dixon urged us to have faith in the future of the Beloved Community, to maintain our fortitude as we labor together, and to keep our focus despite the distractions and divisions that threaten to tear us apart. One of the speakers referenced a photo of the balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, and said, “It’s the photo we’ve all seen so many times.” But I hadn’t seen it. I didn’t know which photo he was talking about. Growing up in Russia, the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States wasn’t part of my education. For a moment, I felt like an outsider. Could I, with my different upbringing, history, and experiences, truly belong in this community?
But as I listened and opened my heart, I knew I belonged here. The Holy Spirit affirmed it with every song, every smile, and every warm embrace. I am human, sharing the same desire as all humanity—to live fully as a child of God. And so, I, too, am part of this story. I am part of the Beloved Community, not because I know all its history or share the same past, but because I share in its hope.
The Beloved Community is not about erasing differences but about embracing them, uniting in the common call to love one another and heal the world. Together, we carry this light forward, reminding one another that God’s dream for us is not just survival but flourishing. And in that dream, there is room for every voice, every story, and every soul.
God bless,
Rev. Zhenya Gurina-Rodriguez, PhD
Associate Pastor of Grace Groups & Discipleship
Interfaith Dialogue is an initiative of FUMCFW Adult Education Council. If you would like to join us in the future for various interfaith dialogue events, email Rev. Zhenya Gurina-Rodriguez (ZGurina@myfumc.org) and ask to be added to the interest list.
We also encourage you to explore all the work that Faith and Justice Coalition of Tarrant County does in our city.
