A little more than a decade ago, I rolled into town with little more than a directive from the Episcopal Bishop of Arkansas to plant a church in Bentonville. After signing a lease for a garage apartment overlooking the local cemetery, I shook my new landlord's hand and said, "Freddie, you are my best friend in Benton County." Freddie was, in fact, the only person I knew in Benton County, but since then, I have made many very good friends here in this beautiful corner of Northwest Arkansas.
This is my last column, and this next Sunday will be my last at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Bentonville. I have accepted a call to be the North Fork Missioner in the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island. It's a great project, involving the revitalization of two historical churches on a narrow spit of land that was once the seat of the whaling industry. But truth be told, it's the irresistible attraction of a new granddaughter in New York that has propelled me to seek a new mission.
I will miss you so many of you -- not just my parishioners, but many friends in the larger community who never darken the door of our church, but still consider me their priest. Thank you for encouraging me to speak out on behalf of those who are spurned, neglected and exist at the margins of our prosperous community. Working with you to increase wages for the working poor, to ensure prisoners in the Benton County jail get a hot meal, to gain full acceptance of the gay, lesbian and transgender community, and to help create a welcoming home in Benton County for immigrants no matter what their skin color or religion, have been among the most satisfying endeavors of my life.
I've grown to love this part of Arkansas. The natural beauty of the Ozarks has captured me and often sustained me in dark times. The natural friendliness of the people is a great asset. Rudeness is rare. It would be unthinkable for an Arkansan to be unkind to another person in a personal encounter. Yet we seem capable of passing laws that inflict great cruelty on our disadvantaged brothers and sisters. We are often charitable toward those in need, but tend to ignore the fact that what most people need isn't charity or sympathy, but justice -- in the form of decent wages, health care, adequate housing and a proper education.
We grow more prosperous by the day. Great restaurants, entertainment venues, a glorious trail system, amazing museums and other amenities abound. Yet we continue to subscribe to the self-serving myth that a rising tide lifts all boats, forgetting that many around us have no boat -- and have never learned to swim.
Many of us are concerned about the growing divisiveness that has recently gained a foothold in the United States. The election of leaders without the courage or conviction to speak out against purveyors of hate and mistrust of immigrants and people of color has created an environment in which racism and religious intolerance seem acceptable.
Many people are frustrated because there doesn't seem to be anything they can do to stem the growing tide of nationalism and xenophobia. Yet we in Benton County, in this tiny corner of Northwest Arkansas, are in the unique position to actually do something substantive on behalf of love and against hate. Because of the presence of Walmart Stores, thousands of people from around the globe, people of every color, religion and creed, have made their home here. We have the opportunity to demonstrate to the rest of the world that people who are different from each other can live together in harmony and mutual respect.
Last month, All Saints' Episcopal Church and the Bentonville Islamic Center agreed to move ahead with the establishment of the Abrahamic Interfaith Center. The Center will be a physical home where Christians, Muslims and Jews can worship under the same roof -- retaining their clear identity as separate religions, but demonstrating solidarity and mutual respect for multiple pathways to God.
When I've talked to people around the country about this remarkable endeavor, there is much enthusiasm and support, but also surprise that it is taking place in Arkansas. Arkansas might be the last place on the planet people around the country -- who might regard themselves as more sophisticated -- would expect such a facility to be built. I think that is because they don't really understand the depth of our compassion and our capacity to envision a better future.
I call on you to lend your support to what might ultimately be the most important project our community has ever undertaken. I think that we, as a people of God, are called to this holy and life-giving work.
If you would like to be involved, contact Issa Abboud at [email protected] or Chris Seay at [email protected].
May God bless you and keep you.
NAN Religion on 03/18/2017