EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH
Working together for change
By Sister Joan Chatfield
In 1980, when I returned to Hawai'i after three years in graduate school and four years directing the Mission Institute at Maryknoll Sisters Center in New York, I began a life of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue based firmly on my own Catholicism, the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and 18 years of secondary school teaching on O'ahu and Maui.
My work in the sociology of religion was based on a theology degree, which prepared me to be a practitioner of questions, committed to asking "why" and "why not." All this brought me into situations where sharing of faith journeys, comparing action plans and looking toward possible activities all focused on responsible change.
I became executive director of the Institute for Religion and Social Change. And we weren't the only ones who saw a need. The need for clinical pastoral education and pastoral care developed into the Interfaith Ministries of Hawaii, later becoming the Pacific Health Ministry. At the same time, the concerns for the frail elderly brought into being Project RESPECT and later, Project Dana. Hawai'i's religious communities began to share in ways that went beyond the work ethic and grew into deep and abiding friendships.
So my faith journey developed with those who care, those who are willing to work for justice and equity, those energized by their own faith journey.
There have been times I was challenged.
"Why do you stay, when ... ?" The inquirer would complete the question with whatever frustration was current at the time.
It is not a matter of staying. My faith and lifestyle is my reality, not something I would or could change. Rather, I believe "keeping the faith" means working together for this responsible change, day in and day out. It also means acknowledging the challenges and opportunities that bring truth and vitality into perspective, making me realize that while faith is a gift, it also requires work.
Having been away from Hawai'i for 40 months makes me appreciate even more the roots of deep friendship that make our ecumenical and interreligious community so special. It is not a matter of our customs and our proximity; it is a function of our respect for one another's own traditions and the richness which comes from sharing.
Last Tuesday, I was energized by the program on "Economic Disparity Among Us: The Challenges and the Opportunities." The discussion continued Wednesday with invited high-school students interacting with the presenters. A reception brought an additional group together animated in the same interreligious setting and spirit to look ahead for ways to respond.
In those 24-plus hours, I experienced once again both the richness and the potential of who we are and what could be realized if we truly worked together for responsible change.
Sister Joan Chatfield, a Maryknoll nun, is the executive director of the Institute for Religion and Social Change. She's currently working in New York, but returns to Hawai'i in the fall.
