Called to CARE: Interfaith discussion | Austin, TX 2023

The AllCreation Podcast

Inspired by recent editions of the AllCreation magazine, we produced this public conversation "exploring Care as Identity," with the help of a distinguished panel and enthusiastic audience. What you're hearing here is live audio from the event. On the panel: Rev. Dr. Dan De Leon, The Venerable Jue Ji, Rev. Jimi Calhoun, Rev. Kiya Heartwood, Imam Islam Mossaad, Rev. Brad Highum, and Rev. Erin Walter. Our panel host is Rev. Dr. Stephen Kinney, and our event begins with a welcome from Rev. Billy Tweedie and an introduction by event creator, Chris Searles.

“What does Care mean from your Faith perspective and what does it mean to care for your community? How might caring more about individual relationships and cultivating nurturing communities help us all today? Can we default to care, as a society, rather than judgement? Why is that so hard? How do we create just relationships for every living creature? What does CARE for other life, each other, and self mean from your faith perspective?”

This is the spirit from which this conversation springs. In Genesis 1:26 God calls Christians to care for all other-life on Earth. And in the New Testamant Jesus says, "Love neighbor as self." Why aren't ethically-Christian societies doing that and what do other traditions say? With this event, we tried to assemble a diverse community of clergy and secular and self-defined people to discuss the Biblical idea that humans are "called to care" for each other, self, and Earth's other life.

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Full video available: on YouTube.

Full video has a longer introduction from Chris Searles.

This event was part of G.I.F.T. FEST 2022, "Grow. Inspire. Feed. Teach."

Thanks so much to our hosts The GIFT and Episcopal Church of the Resurrection.

Thanks so much to Rev. Dr. Stephen Kinney, Rev. Billy Tweedie, and all of our GIFT FEST supporters.

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OUR PROGRAM

I. WELCOME
0:00 Music
0:20 Rev. Billy Tweedie (event host) welcomes everyone, reads invocation prayer
1:00 Invocation prayer, “For joy in God’s Creation“
1:50 Why We’re Here, Chris Searles (event creator) explains AllCreation.org and sets the stage for the conversation, i.e.: Genesis 1:26, Kinship & Care for other life, each other, and ourselves — “whether you’re secular, sacred, or self-defined.”
7:30 Introductions (by Chris Searles)
Panelists:
7:45 Rev. Dr. Dan De Leon … Friends UCC
8:10 Ven. Jue Ji … Fo Guan Shan Xiang Yun Temple
8:50 Rev. Jimi Calhoun … Bridging Austin; author; musician
9:10 Rev. Kiya Heartwood … UU Church of the Brazos
9:40 Imam Islam Mossaad … North Austin Muslim Community Center
10:40 Rev. Brad Highum … Abiding Love Lutheran Church
11:15 Rev. Erin Walter … TX UU Justice Ministry; First UU Church
12:10 “Celebrate our differences. Diversity is reality.” (Chris Searles)
Panel Host:
12:50 Rev. Dr. Stephen Kinney … retired pastor, All Saints Episcopal Church; exec director, The Front Porch Project; board president, Interfaith Action of Central Texas

II. PANEL DISCUSSION
14:10 Rev. Dr. Stephen Kinney -- Convo introduction — “How do we restore right relationship? What does CARE for other life, each other, and self mean from your faith perspective?”
Panelist responses:
17:25 Imam Islam Mossad (QURAN singing 20:30)
22:50 The Venerable Jue Ji
29:25 Rev. Erin Walter
33:10 Rev. Brad Highum
39:20 Rev. Jimi Calhoun
44:30 Rev. Kiya Heartwood
47:50 Rev. Dr. Dan De Leon

III. TOWN HALL

55:20 Audience question, Brad Jacobson — “How do we bring counter-cultural values?”

56:25 Rev. Walter

57:55 Rev. Kinney

59:40 Audience comment, a neighbor — “It is about being a neighbor.”

1:02:55 Rev. Highum

1:05:00 Imam Mossaad

1:07:15 Audience comment, Rev. Meg Barnhouse — “Whoever wants to be first must minister to everybody.”

1:08:50 Rev. Kinney asks Chris S. — “What does “We must all learn to be Indigenous again“ mean?”

1:09:25 Chris Searles

1:11:40 Rev. Kinney on Food

1:13:15 Audience question — Rev. Mike Adams, “How do you guard against becoming dominating?”

1:14:15 Rev. Calhoun
1:20:25 Ven. Ji
1:28:10 Rev. Highum
1:31:25 Rev. Heartwood
1:32:00 Imam Mossaad
1:36:15 Audience comment, Mike Aaron — “Ask, “What is it that you need?”“

1:38:25 Audience question, a neighbor — “How do I cultivate courage?”

1:40:40 Rev. Walter

IV. WRAP UP

1:42:45 Rev. Dr. Dan De Leon

1:46:00 Rev. Dr. Stephen Kinney

1:46:30 Benediction, The Venerable Jue Ji sings/chants a sutra on "sharing our kindness, compassion, and joy with all beings."

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Thanks for listening.
This podcast is the keynote from our collection, Envisioning Transformation, coming Weds 12/21/22!
Thank you Kenshi Westover, for capturing this audio and adding the music.
Editing by Chris Searles.
More AllCreation podcasts here.