This year the Multifaith Action Society is celebrating the Interfaith Year of Resilience. The “Resilience” theme was chosen to remind communities to continue to be strong and maneuver through the perils and all the uncertainties we find ourselves going through.
We are living in times of extremes—environmentally, politically and socially. And in times of such challenge and turbulence, life continues to find a way: people reach out to share water, food and other supplies with one another.
With difficulties come opportunities. Each morning is a fresh start—another chance to improve ourselves and our societies. Just as forests begin to renew themselves after devastating wildfires, so do communities find new ways to come together and develop creative solutions to their most challenging problems.
The Multifaith Action Society, in the introductory comments to their 2022 calendar (on which this article is resourced), shared that the challenges we now face as communities of faith teach us not only courage to see ourselves as we really are, but the humility we need as we face our personal and communal imperfections.
And while what we are all going through is painful, “Resilience” allows us, according to the Multifaith Action Society, to deepen our empathy and acceptance of each other—to help and support our communities and learn from one another.
This year the Interfaith Community continues to celebrate “Resilience” and the hope that moves us forward, even during these most difficult times. May our collective vision of strength, renewal, community, growth and perseverance inspire and sustain us all.
For more information on the Multifaith Action Society you may follow on Twitter: @mfcalendar.
Rev. Patrick Davis (United Methodist) is the Executive Director for the Bay Area Alliance for Youth and Family Services, Inc., ba****@ya***.com. He was one of the organizers of the Interfaith Clergy Alliance and currently acts as the liaison between the lay and clergy groups.
