It started in a coffee shop in Everett, Washington.  Unity in Lynnwood’s Nadine Pierre, Board Chair, Rev. Nina Clark, Associate Minister and Dr. Richard Loren Held, Spiritual Director, met to give rise to an idea.  Central to that idea was the human tendency to fear the other (in any of its countless forms) resulting in a clumsiness at best, or an outright inability at worst, to have meaningful conversation.

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And in that clumsiness or inability, the fear goes unchallenged and the chasm among members of a single human family widens.

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We invited Rabbi Ted Falcon into the conversation.  The author of Judaism for Dummies and a founder of The Interfaith Amigos, Rabbi Ted has worked in the Interfaith world for decades.  And with a healthy nod to the work of The Amigos:

 

It seems that humanity is taking sides, building teams, gathering arms and growing apart - that humanity is creating “others” with unprecedented vigor and animosity.

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In our belief that this effective dehumanization of each “other,” whether that otherness is born of race, religion, orientation, gender, politic, age or otherwise, is counter to the very evolution of us as a planetary family, we invite you to join us for Dinner with Others.*

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Share a story.  Shake a hand.  Laugh.  Eat.  Connect.

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*All guests will be asked to check positionality with the attendant at the door.  All convincing and converting, all self-righteousness and self-importance, all aggressiveness and argumentativeness can be picked up upon exit, if-desired.  Otherwise, leave them.  We’ll be happy to dispose of them for you.