Finding common ground

Young Chang

Geeta Sacred Song, an international peace shaman, shared stories about

how she came to have her faith and chanted songs. She sang a Cherokee

blessing that translated into “beautiful day, what a beautiful day.”

Pastor Dennis Short of Harbor Christian Church in Newport Beach nodded

in agreement. Newport resident Susan Gilman of the Bahai faith smiled

quietly. Jaimie Day, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Saints, listened.

For participants at Wednesday’s Newport-Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council

meeting, this moment was what it was all about -- finding common ground

between different religions. After all, a beautiful day for a Roman

Catholic is still a beautiful day for a shaman.

“We thought it would be different from the verbal, intellectual

sharing that we do,” said Short about Sacred Song’s presentation.

The group, which has existed for more than 25 years, works to

understand different faiths and respect them. Their purpose is not to

convert or judge each other, but to learn.

“The key that separates people is ignorance,” said Greg Kelley, who

stepped down as president last month after four years of service.

“There’s a distrust of that which we don’t know.”

The council recently appointed Don Oliver, a Presbyterian chaplain at

Hoag Hospital, as its next president. He was out of town and did not

attend the Valentine’s Day luncheon.

The meeting was attended by about 45 people, including clergy and

laypeople. Introductions included each attendee’s name and the religious

group he or she belongs to. Christian Scientists sat among Sikhs who sat

among Roman Catholics.

When Gilman rose to introduce herself, she said, “I’m a Bahai who

believes it is vitally important for Americans to embrace shamanism.”

When a public prayer was said by Eugene O’Toole, a council director

from St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Irvine where the meeting was

held, he spoke of God in generalities so that everyone could participate.

Day, who is vice president of membership for the group, said finding

common ground helps members to grow closer together instead of further

apart.

“It does not make us divided by our beliefs,” she said.

Jim de Boom, secretary and executive director for the Interfaith

Council and a Daily Pilot columnist, said it is important to understand

people of all faiths and backgrounds when trying to do a common good,

such as community service.

The council, which holds eight luncheon meetings a year, has organized

home-building events for Habitat for Humanity, service fairs and National

Prayer Day events in past years.

“When we don’t understand, we tend not to tolerate,” he said. “We end

up hating. When we hate, we have fear and we have war.”

The next interfaith council meeting will be held at noon March 14 at

Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, 2850 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. For

more information, call (949) 660-8665.