knowyourneighbor

My Friend, Nekisha

Here is my friend, Nekisha, waiting in the dentist chair to have her gold tooth removed. Nekisha is 26 years old. She got her gold tooth when she was 12 years old. She has wanted it removed since she was 14.

Nekisha is a finalist in a local Gospel Idol competition. She has been competing and winning singing competitions in the St. Louis, Missouri area for years.

And for years judges have been telling her to get her gold tooth removed.

She mentioned this to me.

So I mentioned it to my dentist, Dr. West.

Nekisha is a single mom on welfare with a seventh grade education. She is getting her GED and she has made great changes in her life, joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, among them.

Dr. West offered to take out the gold and to provide a cosmetic fix. Steve and Nekisha couldn't have more different backgrounds.

Nekisha and I, for that matter, could not be more different. I am white, grew up in California in an upperclass neighborhood on a golf course. I am a college graduate, a generation older than Nekisha, and well traveled.

Yet, Nekisha and I share a bond that transcends the differences. We share confidences and help each other.

We both love the Lord and share testimonies of Him. We both share the same ideas and values about a lot of things related to living. We are both ambitious and determined women.

We love our children. And we have fun being together. We make each other laugh.

We are friends.

And we rejoice together.

Today Nekisha competed in the American Idol competition; she was pleased with her performance.

She is competing this Saturday in the local Gospel Idol competition, sponsored by Better Family Life.

I think she has a winning smile, don't you?

Ward Party?

Tenneson Woolf is a leader for organizational change. His passion is connecting people in meaningful conversations about issues that matter to them. I enjoyed visiting with him while I was on vacation in Utah. He shared with me his involvement in the Art of Hosting.

Tenneson shared not only his professional experience in helping create healthy communities, but also his personal efforts working in his ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When his ward activities committee wanted to host a Ward Family Fun Day he suggested they change the name to "Neighborhood" Family Fun Day. He also suggested that they host the event at the park rather than the ward building.

Does what we call an event and where we hold it make a difference?

What are your ideas for turning our ward activities outward to include our neighbors?

Boston's Cardinal O'Malley sets an example

This past week, Elder Christensen and I met with Cardinal O'Malley, the head of the Archdiocese here in Boston. Cardinal O'Malley assumed this post at a time of tremendous disarray within the Catholic church locally, and has been an important spiritual leader in our community.

As I scanned through the Cardinal's blog entry about our visit (see week of August 3, 2007), I was struck by the unique window this entry provides into his view of the world. Below I have provided some highlights, and editorialized as it relates to finding common ground.

1. With responsibility for 850,000 Catholics, Cardinal O'Malley is one of the most powerful people in greater Boston. Given that there are no more than a few thousand Mormons within his jurisdiction, Cardinal O'Malley can more than afford not to meet with the Mormons.

But he did anyway, and graciously, for nearly an hour.

What people do when they don't have to, speaks volumes about who they are. Elder Christensen and I learned that Cardinal O'Malley is respectful and kind, that he practices the doctrine of inclusion.

When we as Mormons are in a position of relative power (e.g. in the majority), I do hope that we are equally respectful and gracious.

2. Cardinal O'Malley writes that he agreed to meet with us because of his "outreach to other religious denominations...seeking for ways to collaborate". In other words, meeting with other faiths, joining the broader community, is a priority for him.

As wards, stakes and regions, are we finding ways to collaborate with our community?

Do we feel we need to collaborate?

3. The Cardinal also notes that Elder Christensen thanked him for the Catholic Church's efforts to put a marriage amendment on the ballot in Massachusetts. This was a heated, even nasty battle, in which advocates of traditional marriage did not prevail. Cardinal O'Malley was no doubt grateful to know that their efforts had not gone unnoticed.

How often do we thank other faiths and community groups for the good that they do?

Do we readily acknowledge all that is virtuous, lovely, praiseworthy or of good report?