Make room for all our neighbors

Yesterday, I attended an interfaith breakfast held at the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation here in Brooklyn. Antonia, whom many of you know as the director of the Healing Center, introduced us to the powerful force of the spirit and grounded us on how love transforms the culture of violence that surrounds us all.
 
It is indeed hopeful to witness our human capacity for resistance to and resilience against the persistent, violent and dehumanizing forces that seem to prevail. The gospel speaks of and demands the transformation of our hearts and spirits so that we can make room for our neighbor. It is a spiritual law that by acknowledging the other, our own humanity is uplifted and protected. It is a fundamental principle in our Christian spirituality to embrace all humanity. Thus, any minimizing or distorting of that humanity, either personal or institutional, is an offense against our divine source.
 
In that spirit let us embrace and celebrate our diversity.
 
Rev. Juan Carlos Ruiz