What’s really behind the bill to make the Bible the official book of Tennessee? Clearly this is about politics and not religion.
I’ve lived in several Southern states and they all lay claim to being “the buckle of the Bible Belt,” but I had high hopes for the state of Tennessee; certainly the city of Chattanooga seemed to be moving toward the higher ideal of welcoming diversity and intentionally moving from mere religious toleration to greater understanding. Making the Bible the official state book is misguided.
Equally misguided is the bill that would allow therapists to discriminate against the LGBT community. As the grandmother of an LGBT child, I find this bill appalling and disappointing. Is this really how Tennesseans want to be known in the nation and the world? I sincerely hope not.
I was proud of the compassionate response to the Muslim community from Chattanoogans last July after a troubled young man shot and killed five servicemen. Over 1,000 people attended the interfaith service held to honor the lives of those lost on that terrible day. Grieving together, they lovingly supported and comforted one another. The phrase “Chattanooga Strong” is only true when we are Chattanooga strong together, not separated by religious doctrine but strengthened by our rich diversity and common goal of a better community for all people.
Inspired by this community’s capacity for solidarity, I began to wonder if Chattanooga might, one day, join Nashville, Atlanta, Louisville, Austin, Birmingham and hundreds of other major cities who have signed the Charter for Compassion and began intentionally caring for all of its citizens through organized volunteerism.
Compassionate cities across the world have demonstrated that it’s a “core ingredient in creating a thriving, resilient community,” says Andrew Himes, executive director of Charter for Compassion. “A city of compassion works consciously, intentionally and publicly to shine a spotlight on compassionate actions in every sphere of public and private life.”
What would Compassionate Chattanooga look like and where would we begin? In Louisville, Ky., the mayor sponsored a volunteer week he called “Mayor’s Give a Day,” a week of service that resulted in more than 144,000 acts of compassion. In 2012, Louisville was named the “Most Livable Large City” and recognized as the International Compassionate City of the year. Louisville has more than 100 schools and organizations that have made a formal commitment to compassion for everyone.
We can do this. There are remarkable individuals and organizations in Chattanooga achieving compassionate action; we just need to join forces and multiply.
Let’s start a compassionate movement together and get everyone involved – the mayor’s office, social services, the legal profession, the health care system, businesses, churches, schools, you name it.
What do you say, Chattanooga Strong? We are stronger together.
If you are interested in having a conversation about Compassionate Cities, check out www.charterforcompassion.org or contact me at revharrington@mac.com.
Cathy Harrington has been serving as developmental minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Chattanooga since 2014.