I still was feeling gratitude for the response by justice system and other community members to our “Rethinking” Racially Biased Policing workshop — when I was further heartened by the response to our Delray Beach Interfaith Clergy Association’s 2nd Annual Interfaith Harvest Festival.

My Delray Interfaith Clergy Association colleague Ron Arflin (R) chaplain at Abbey Delray South, host of our 2nd Annual Interfaith Harvest Festival.

The workshop was presented  by my Catalyst for Justice colleagues Jane Tierney, Rabbi Paul Menitoff and me at Florida Atlantic University Nov. 12. We had major support from Dr. Maria Santamarina and FAU’s Diversity Committee.

C4J directors (L-R) Jane Tierney, CEO, Rabbi Paul Menitoff, chairman, and yours truly, president, learning a lot at FAU.

The workshop featured Lorie Fridell, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of South Florida’s Department of Criminology. It was an outstanding presentation by the national expert on advancing professionalism through research and training.

Dr. Fridell gave the audience — justice and social service personnel, community and advocacy organizations, educators, academics and general public — plenty to consider.

Judging by comments from the law enforcement and other community participants, the workshop more than met our goal of presenting best practices that can assist the entire community in significantly decreasing ethnic, religious, gender and other bias.

Diana Scavo (L) of the Focolare movement and her daughter Joylani were among my guests. "It was a special and great time for us to listen to so many loving people who really want to contribute to be one family of God," Diana said.

I can’t say enough for this year’s host, Ron Arflin and Abbey Delray South — and last year’s, Dick Lewellan of Abbey Delray North, the companion Lifespace Communities retirement facility. See other comments and more photos at our DBICA Facebook page, also below and at the end of this post.

Our hostesses were members of The International League of Muslim Women's South Florida Chapter, in their trademark red-and-white.

The table conversation summaries not only were heart-warming, but affirmed our best hopes for the event.

(L-R): Participants from the Florida Conference of Muslim Americans included Imams Fred Nuriddin, Delacie Ummah Phillips, Hanif, and Melton Mustafa.

Along with those events, I was fortunate to hear Deborah Lee Prescott, Ph.D, associate professor of English at Palm Beach Atlantic University, as she elaborated at the Cenacle Sisters’ retreat in Lantana on Nov. 13 regarding her new book, Imagery from Genesis in Holocaust Memoirs, about which I wrote for this month’s Coastal Star.

And all of that followed my very rewarding time with our local Pax Christi group, when I spoke about the Quran and the Hajj. (This week, Muslims worldwide celebrated the successful completion of this year’s pilgrimage to the holy city Mecca with our major holiday, Eid al-Adha.)

Of course, I’m loving all of this — increasingly seeing people of all stripes learning more about each other — and even better, learning how to better treat each other.

Yes, in the words of the eminent Imam W.D. Mohammed — ”America’s Imam”  — (see here, here and here): “Goodness is on the rise.”

More evidence:

— C.B. Hanif

Jane Marcel, senior executive advisor for the Toussaint L'Overture High School for Arts and Social Justice in Boynton Beach, helped pack the Duncan Center on May 6. In many languages, modes and traditions, area spiritual leaders offered prayers for our community, our nation and the world. The program was sponsored by the Delray Beach Interfaith Clergy Association.

The Rev. Waymon T. Dixon, co-president (along with the Rev. Kathleen Gannon) of the Delray Beach Interfaith Clergy Association, in which I participate, has posted on his Facebook page more photos from this year’s heart-warming National Day of Prayer Observance and reception May 6 at the Duncan Conference Center. Kudos to the Rev. Joanna Thompson Gabriel, Donna Brueggemann and the rest of the team for gathering Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Bahai’s and others for this special interfaith program. Above and below: I capture several more scenes.

— 30 —

The beautiful smiles of Delray Interfaith Clergy Association members Donna Brueggmann of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boynton Beach, and the Rev. Joanna Gabriel, Unity Church of Delray Beach.

Earlier I shared some scenes from Delray Beach’s 9th Annual Mayors Interfaith Prayer Breakfast. Below is my essay on the event from the new edition of The Coastal Star, which hits the streets in print tomorrow. Next up I hope to share observations on the Dalai Lama’s visit to our area. For now:

Another sign of why Delray Beach is a two-time All America City — and a loud hint of what towns all over the planet should be doing — is the annual Mayor’s Interfaith Prayer Breakfast.

Delray Beach Mayor Nelson S. "Woody" McDuffie with the Rev. Dr. Waymon T. Dixon of St. Paul A.M.E. Church, co-chair of the Delray Beach Interfaith Clergy Association.

The program, hosted by the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce at the Delray Beach Golf Club observed its ninth year Jan. 7. It also is the focus of my next column in The Coastal Star newspaper. For now here are some scenes:

Andrew Strickland of Calvary Chapel set the tone with "Beautiful" and other musical selections.

Mayor McDuffie with keynote speaker Trent Gamble, former Miami Dolphin Pro-Bowler, now a minister at Calvary Chapel, Ft. Lauderdale.

In offering "A Prayer for our Nation," Rev. Dixon requested he be joined at the poduim by fellow members of the Delray Beach Interfaith Clergy Association.

Delray Beach Commissioner Angeleta Gray (R) with former Commission Alberta McCarty.

Mayor McDuffie with Delray Beach Interfaith Clergy Association Co-Chair Rev. Kathleen Gannon (L) of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and Interfaith Clergy Association members Rabbi Howard Meridy, of Abbey Delray South Jewish Services, and Dr. Bassem Alhalabi, of the Islamic Center of Boca Raton.

Aneesha Hanif, president of the International League of Muslim Women's South Florida Chapter (and my better half), participating with the Delray Interfaith Clergy Association, with Peretheiura Baker.

The beautiful smiles of Delray Interfaith Clergy Association members Donna Brueggmann, of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boynton Beach, and the Rev. Joanna Gabriel, Unity Church of Delray Beach.

Commissioner Gray and Rev. Dixon.

And I get to pose for one.

Kudos to the Rev. Elizabeth Hill, our wonderful committee chairwoman who brought the idea, and to whom I could not say no when she asked me to pitch in; to her co-chair, Chaplain Dick Lewellan, and his colleagues among the management and residents of Abbey Delray North, our gracious hosts; to the Revs. Kathleen Gannon and Waymon Dixon, co-chairs of our Delray Beach Interfaith Clergy Association, and other members for encouraging us along the way; to my fellow subcommittee members for making the organizing effort such a labor or love; and to all the guests who participated, including my own.

My dear friend Ziaul Islam (L), fellow member of the Muslim Community of Palm Beach County, among guests arriving at Abbey Delray North for the 1st Interfaith Friendship Festival.

Rabbi Howard Meridy of the clergy association subcommittee and his wife (L) welcoming Buddhist guests.

Dick Lewellan, director of spiritual services for our gracious hosts, Abbey Delray North, and another indispensible member of our organizing subcommittee of the Delray Beach Interfaith Clergy Association.

From the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palm Beaches, my dear friends (L-R): Mary Rubeiz, Chari Campbell and Gus Rubeiz enjoy the atmosphere.

Another scene from the proverbial good time had by all. (Waymon Dixon photo.)

After our committee’s post-meeting I hope to return to this to share what’s next for our group.

In the meantime, while not sharing the name, I’ll share this from a committee member:

“Thanks to you all for a beautiful experience. When each table shared their group experiences I felt that the evening was a great success and we were experiencing the fulfillment of what we were shooting for out of this time together. It seemed to me each person was eloquent and profound in their own way. And what they shared was powerful and liberating. Thanks for all the work and dedication over these months. It has been a great experience working with you all.”

I too am thankful: for everyone’s presence, for the wisdom contributed and for the affirmation, again, that humanity is one.

Forgive me for quoting myself, but let me conclude as I did that last time when I noted that this is something that any congregation — or better yet, group of congregations — can do:

“So do try this at home. Tell us what you’re planning — and when. Who said Thanksgiving was the only time to show appreciation for life, and for each other.”

It’s something that any congregation — or better yet, group of congregations — can do.

This time it’s the Delray Beach Interfaith Clergy Association.

The idea germinated from photocopies of “Peace Notes.” And the note scribbled across them: “Could we do something like this here? Interfaith Harvest.”

One of the headlines in that Spring, 2006 issue of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program newsletter proclaimed, “Shared Thanksgiving, Montclair Presbyterian Church, Oakland, California.”

Beneath a photo (caption: “A spirit of celebration filled the hall”), a single paragraph told the story:

“When Tinka Larsen proposed an Interfaith Harvest Dinner, some thought the idea too ambitious. Her enthusiasm proved contagious and the commitment was made. Over 180 people from Montclair, the Kehilla Community Synagogue, and the Islamic Cultural Center gathered on November 13. Christians, Jews and Muslims planned and cooked together, decorated and cleaned up together. Conversations buzzed around the room as diners exchanged names, email addresses and telephone numbers. Prayer and food, story and song were enjoyed. A member of each congregation shared a version of the creation story. A spirit of Thanksgiving was truly present.”

Well, it’s not too early to replicate that idea across America — and anyplace else where people could use an excuse to express gratitude, share good food and get to know fellow citizens of this planet.

The Rev. Elizabeth Hill, of the Church of the Palms, UCC, shared those photocopies during the Delray association’s May meeting. She formerly had been part of that Oakland congregation. And since it was she who had written the “could we?” note, she had just volunteered to help the Interfaith Harvest Dinner happen.

Rev. Hill served on a similar committee two years ago when the Delray group hosted Jewish, Christian and Muslim women on their The Faith Club book tour promoting mutual understanding.

At her new committee’s first meeting July 2 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, she said everyone she had asked had agreed to help.

No date or venue was set. But there was consensus for an open and peaceful atmosphere for learning and sharing, one particularly inviting for youths rather having them nodding off to adults’ monologues.

The Delray Beach Interfaith Clergy Association is one of many interfaith groups doing good things that we’ll keep telling about here.

Montclair’s idea apparently wasn’t too ambitious. But congregations can be as ambitious as they like.

So do try this at home. Tell us what you’re planning — and when. Who said Thanksgiving was the only time to show appreciation for life, and for each other.

(Another original from I21 in The Coastal Star.)

How prayer would manifest in a municipal setting was my question when I learned that Delray Beach would host a National Day of Prayer observance in front of City Hall.

The event, celebrated nationwide on the first Thursday each May, was established by Congress to encourage Americans to pray for our nation, its people and its leaders.

Delray’s announcement of two “interdenominational” public prayer events resonated with me.

For the first, citizens gathered at City Hall at noon on a chamber of commerce day as they have for more than a decade.

And that’s the problem, said Geoff Kashdan. I had just finished telling two city commissioners of my appreciation for the city’s support of the event when he strolled up to greet me. The self-described “progressive activist” stressed that he was not speaking on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union, or the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, for which he has advocated in the past.

But he said there’s a concern “when public property such as city hall is used. Especially if it’s used by one religion, which gives the appearance of municipal or governmental sponsorship of that one religion. So I’m just here to watch, learn, listen and monitor.”

I understand that slippery slope, and the influences that want to define America as a Christian nation. It is that, of course. But also, as our praying president has said, a nation of many faiths and home to people of no particular faith.

Two later events I attended better lived up to the interdenominational billing.

I left a joyous musical prayer circle, on Lake Worth’s beach, to head to Delray’s Duncan Conference Center for “Many Paths — One God: Celebrating our Unity in Diversity.”

Smiles and hugs were even more in abundance at that gathering, sponsored by the Delray Beach Interfaith Clergy Association. The warmth was even more encouraging given the diversity: prayers in the Jewish, Christian, Muslim, African-American, Christian Science, Baha’i, Buddhist, Hindu and other traditions. Benedictions in English, Hebrew, Arabic, Creole and Spanish.

Throughout the day, one could imagine scoffing from the haters of religion, and haters in the name of religion. They should talk to Addie Lee Hudson.

“It brings us closer together as a people,” the retired educator told me after she had delivered the “Prayer For Our Schools” at City Hall. “And it reaffirms our belief that there is a God. Not a God for one group of people, but a God for all of us.”

Her focus on unity underscores why those who trust in prayer should trust that we can’t pray enough.

C.B. Hanif, former news ombudsman and editorial columnist for The Palm Beach Post, is a freelance writer, editor, media and interreligious affairs consultant. His blog, InterFaith21.com debuts soon. Look for more insights as he visits or speaks at synagogues, churches and mosques from here to infinity, connecting with folks who are making the Golden Rule real, not just an ideal. C.B. can be reached at cbhanif@gmail.com