Prayers mesh with diversity
By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Religion & Ethics Writer
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In the 44 years that a diverse group of faith leaders have been coming together for the annual Nu'uanu Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration, amazing things have happened.
At the first gathering, for example, the Rev. Ernest Shinkaku Hunt was to give the sermon but came down with a cold. Stepping in? The Rev. Paul Wheeler, who read from Hunt's text — an Episcopalian subbing for a Buddhist.
A few years later, Buddhist Bishop Yoshi Fujitani was the speaker at a Jewish synagogue.
And last year, a Muslim imam led the faithful to prayer at the Jewish temple, Temple Emanu-El, descending from the bimah with a big grin, recalls the Rev. Mike Young, senior pastor of First Unitarian Church.
"For all these years, it's been a really fun group of religious leaders to work with," said Young, who has attended 11 of these interfaith Thanksgiving services.
"They're open, not the least bit worried about protecting their own turf, and take great delight in finding ways to share their rich diversity with those who come."
He notes that the first Nu'uanu service drew Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Buddhists and Unitarians. Over the years it has grown even broader. This year's program has a Christian offering by the Nu'u Lotu Congregational Church, a Temple Emmanu-El offering, keynote speech by Gov. Linda Lingle, a Bahai offering, a Buddhist offering and songs by an interfaith choir.
For reasons no one still around remembers, they skipped 1962. But every year since then, the religious leaders of Nu'uanu have shared hosting duties in what Young expects is Hawai'i's longest-running interfaith worship service.
The Rev. Dan Hatch, interim senior minister of this year's host church, Community Church of Honolulu, part of the United Church of Christ denomination, said a reception follows the service.
"I am one who celebrates the diversity," said Hatch. "I think there are many paths to God and the different faiths have many more things in common than different. We all have thanksgiving as part of our tradition, so it's a beautiful time to come together and share what we have in common."
Correction: At the first Nu'uanu Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration in 1960, it was the Rev. Ernest Shinkaku Hunt who came down with a cold, and the Rev. Paul Wheeler who read his message — an Episcopalian subbing for a Buddhist. Information in a previous version of this story was incorrect.
