Today’s edition of Justice Saturday features Mayor Ginther’s city-wide call for people of faith to speak to the importance of what we need to do to flatten the curve our community in this time of pandemic. In a two-part series, faith leaders from around the city offer messages of solidarity and hope.
Karen Dawson, president of IACO (Interfaith Association of Central Ohio), is introduced by the Mayor and addresses the work of IACO as well as how IACO connects with the community. The link for Karen’s talk is here. The Mayor’s introduction of Karen begins at 17:03.
I offer my thoughts as a Unitarian Universalist on the “Interfaith Experience Playlist – Part 2 “. I am the 10th speaker on the playlist.
The following is a letter from the Mayor.
Greetings Reverend Stewart,
In a spirit of gratitude, I would like to express my appreciation for your participation in part one of our Virtual Interfaith Experience. Like many of our residents, I left that experience feeling inspired and deeply grateful for your thoughtful words of encouragement. I am proud of the solidarity and unity shown by each of our diverse faith leaders. Without hesitation each of you came together in response to the needs of our residents in a way that respected all religious identities while still maintaining your authentic voice.
As we move forward in safely opening our community, we will continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19. In the coming days and weeks ahead our residents will need hope and inspiration as we continue to endure the implications of COVID-19, and I am proud to be able to call on you. Columbus has always been blessed with strong leadership from our faith community. We all have a role to play in keeping our community safe, and I ask your help in encouraging our residents to continue to do their part and act responsibly to help stop the spread of this virus. I believe that by working together we can increase our impact and better serve the needs of our communities.
Please feel free to share both parts of our Virtual Interfaith Experience with those you feel could benefit from an encouraging message. Part one consists of last Thursday’s WebEx video call, the second part consists of pre-recorded videos from diverse faith leaders they can be viewed on our YouTube page:
If you have any questions, need additional information or want to explore ideas for partnership contact my Director of Community Affairs and liaison to the faith community Mr. Almar Walter at 614-645-6354.
I am truly grateful for your leadership, and prayers for our city.
Sincerely,
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther