Conference Minister's Corner - 08/12/2025

This past week I got to spend some time with a group of international visitors. The visitors were a part of the U.S. State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) arranged by the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire. Gathered in the room with were visitors from Tajikistan, Lebanon, Georgia, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Poland, Kenya, Mongolia, Sweden, and Brazil. The group included Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders. Our conversation topic was promoting religious freedoms.

It would be nearly impossible to summarize our entire conversation, so I’ll highlight just one thing. After about an hour and fifteen minutes of conversation, I asked one final question: “What message would you like churches in New Hampshire to hear?” I made sure to write down each response so I could share them with you. Each one resonated profoundly with me. I hope they do with you as well.

These are the messages these people of faith wanted us to hear:

• Embrace and promote interfaith dialogue.

• Welcome all your siblings from all cultures and religions.

• Support your queer and immigrant communities.

• Speak frankly about your faith.

• We live in a very polarized society. Dare to live with nuance and difference.

• A quote from Kenyan culture: “Let’s not focus on where we fail, but rather where we’ve slept.” (While I am not sure I understand the full cultural context of this quote, I have been associating it with the story of Jacob sleeping at Bethel and recognizing the place as holy in Genesis 28)

What a gift to hear the wisdom of others who lives are very different from our own.

-Gordon