The Interfaith Alliance of the Southwest Cluster gathered in January for their first meeting. This is an example of how faith250 brings together multifaith clusters of congregations to engage with America's foundational texts — including, in this case, Emma Lazarus's The New Colossus. See the photos below, along with maps showing the regions of the world where attendees trace their ancestry (look for the colored dots in Mexico and Europe).
Great kickoff to the faith250 program! Many thanks to Rev. Kim Kinsey for hosting us and to Don Curnutt for facilitating the program. We read The New Colossus and talked about what the Statue of Liberty symbolizes to us, sharing stories of how our families came to the United States. We also discussed how communities like ours can help new arrivals feel welcome and reflected on what it truly means from the perspective of our faith traditions to be a country that opens its arms to people seeking better lives. Present were folks from faith traditions of Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Quaker, Humanist, Scientology, Christian (Evangelical, Episcopal, Methodist, Catholic, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Baptist, Presbyterian, Disciples of Christ, Lutheran (ELCA) ).
Will this very worthwhile project continue after July 4, 2026? I would love to see the Santa Fe, NM religious community be involved in an effort like this but would need time to organize and, at this late date, would not be able realistically until after the celebration. Thank you!