Members of Pilgrim Congregational Church participated in a cerebration of community and diversity on September 21^st.  Pilgrim’s welcoming banner and a peace sign were highly visible and were held by Sally Watters, Nancy Kolk and Rev. Charley Eastman. Peter Zschokke played guitar and led all in singing the song Circle the Earth with Peace. Food donations for the Southborough Food Pantry were collected.

Sarah Coldwell of Pilgrim Church was one of three Algonquin High School students along with Noah LaBelle and Sara Medina that delivered powerful messages at the event.

Sarah Coldwell:

Algonquin, while we still have work to do, strives to be a safe, welcoming, and accepting school. Our clubs are designed not just to be open to anyone and everyone, but to help them feel included. Every day, we’re taking steps to make our school a safe place no matter your religion, race, ethnicity, economic background, sexuality, or gender identity. This past year, Algonquin made the vital change of adding gender neutral bathrooms; this was a big step for us. Being able to do more than just say where our priorities lie—to actually act on those priorities—was so important not just to our non-binary and transgender students but everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. As part of “the rainbow,” I can say that working with our principal on this policy change and seeing the support and compassion he showed for all of us made me feel safer going to school every day. Knowing that the administration at Algonquin supports me for who I am has made all the difference in my day-to-day life.

When it comes to the holidays, Algonquin works hard to provide accommodations that allow each of our students to celebrate the holidays in their own way—offering spaces for prayer and respite and making conscious choices about the language we use around the holidays to help make sure that whatever you celebrate, however you celebrate, the holidays can be a festive and safe season for everyone.

Because while the holidays are supposed to be a happy time, a time for togetherness, we also know that every year, there seems to be more and more stress and disagreement—much of it around people’s views of the right and wrong ways to celebrate. Or to put it more bluntly, whether your religion is the right or wrong one.

But religion isn’t about deciding who’s got the best holiday traditions; it’s not about passing judgment on who you love, or the color of your skin, or what you believe happens after you die. It’s about faith, and in a perfect world, that’s something that should unite anyone and everyone looking for a community filled with unconditional love. Faith should not be limited by requirements or conditions. It’s for every person who wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves, who wants a space where they can be accepted without restraints.

As we head into the holiday season, I hope we can all take a look at the people around us, those who care for us deeply, who have watched us grow as people, and those we barely even know. Take a look at each other with an understanding that we’re all under stress…and frequently for many of the same reasons. This holiday season, focus on the things we have in common, the things that bring us together instead of those that divide us. And consider, can faith and love help us resolve those differences, and strengthen the bonds that bring us together? There is never a better time than right now to find out if we can let go of the past, the stress and the worry, cross the divide, and let go of the worry and embrace each other unconditionally.

Noah LaBelle:

I don’t know about all of you, but it is absolutely a blessing to live in a community that hosts events like these.

In this digital age, many surround themselves with a “personal bubble” of contacts and content. Whenever I pull my phone out of my pocket or open up my computer, I am instantly met with information that only reaffirms my beliefs. I am sure that many of you experience this as well, perhaps through the people you follow on Facebook, the posts you like on Instagram, or the channels you watch on TV at night.

Let’s think on a broader scale for a moment. During a time when we thought the pandemic would be squarely in the rear-view mirror, restrictions, infections, and deaths remain persistent. Despite making progress, massive societal issues continue to stand as insurmountable walls. Who here thinks that climate change; racial, gender, and socioeconomic inequity; or food insecurity will go away any time soon? And I’m not going to mention the elephant, or donkey, in the room. It seems like our nation will never truly live up to its title as the United States of America, that is if we can even get our states united in the first place.

So why bother to meet together? What purpose does an event like this even have when all of this chaos encompasses us?

Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk and peace activist, once said, “When the seeds of anger, violence, and fear are watered in us several times a day, they will grow stronger. But if we cultivate the seeds of compassion, we nourish peace within us and around us.”

Our community clearly has a desire to be a citadel for peace and a place where everyone can work together and listen to each other; otherwise, there would be no effort to organize events such as these today or in the past. Yet we continue to do so.

I think back to all of the Thanksgiving interfaith services that Southborough Neighbors for Peace has hosted, providing an opportunity for a shared meal and experience between people from a diverse set of religious backgrounds.

I think back to the vigil for racial inequity in June of 2020, when we rallied together as a community for justice and peace in response to centuries of hate.

I think back to my work in the Algonquin Mascot Study Group, where community members came together, addressing the complicated question of cultural appropriation in our mascot and asking how to best represent all students and families.

What makes our community so unique is our desire to come together, to learn from one another. We talk to those who are different from us, not only giving us new perspectives but also revealing how similar we all truly are. We should not take it for granted, yet it is something that we must continue to strive towards.

We may not all worship the same way, but I know that we can be united in pursuing compassion.

We may not all have the same political beliefs, but I know that we can be united by acting with grace towards one another.

We may not all look the same, but I know that we can be united in working to make the world a better place, one step at a time.

So I leave you with this question. How can we cultivate the seeds of compassion and reap the fruits of the harvest? This may be by having a conversation with the person standing next to you after the event, even if you haven’t met them before or think they come from a different background than you. This may be by buying a couple of extra non-perishable foods the next time you go shopping and swinging them over to the food pantry. This may be by sharing a message of gratitude with someone who needs it at work, school, or anywhere else.

Individual commitment is the first step towards making our whole community a place that continues to promote peace, justice, and equity. As South African theologian and op Desmond Tutu said, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” I am confident that we can do so together. Thank you.

Sarah Medina:

“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike,” said Maya Angelou.

Often when we think about creating a just community, we think about making change as a society. In the past few years, protests and policy changes surrounding equity in race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation have become increasingly prevalent. This has been happening on the large scale of the country, but also on a smaller scale within our own community. For example, Algonquin made the decision of changing its mascot due to its offense to the native tribes, in hopes to bring awareness to the fact that as a nation, we overlooked the people who rightfully owned our land.

And while changes like these have made an impact, the greatest creator of peace is something a lot more simple–you. Society is made up of people, and peace can only come from every individual person making a conscious effort to accept and love others every day, to realize that we have differences, and that those differences can bring harmony rather than violence if we learn to accept them. 

That starts with learning about others and their beliefs, educating yourself, and understanding. The deepest and harshest issues that the world has faced involving discrimination all rooted from the same thing: people simply didn’t understand each other. Take the time to learn about those around you so you can fight the age-old perceptions in your mind. Change the way you see the color of someone’s skin, the religion they follow, or who they love. It’s just another characteristic that makes up who they are, just like the color of their eyes. As a Muslim of South Asian descent, I have witnessed the way that these things can change the way you are perceived. But if every individual actively worked to silence the voices in their mind that ring from the generations before us who were divided by their differences, maybe we really can create a world where our differences create peace.

The Bible says, “Love thy neighbour.” The Quran says, “do good to neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, and the companion by your side.” The Torah, Hindu and Buddhist writings, and many other beliefs say the same thing. If you love and respect those around you, love and respect will return to you, and the world will slowly become one of peace and not of division. As Martin Luther King said, “Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.”

Save the Date January 8^th, 2022!

We come together again on January 8^th for the 4^th Annual Candlelight Vigil for Peace and Unity to Welcome in the New Year. Sponsored by Neighbors for Peace and Southborough Hate Has No Home Here.