Roswell Church Participates In Interfaith Thanksgiving Event

By LINDA MCMILLIAN

ROSWELL, GA — A very unusual religious gathering took place on the evening of Nov. 15 at Temple Kol Emeth in Marietta. Jews, Muslims, Unitarians, Catholics, Presbyterians, Sikhs, Episcopalians, representatives from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and various other religious factions had members in attendance.

The assemblage, including groups who have been historically in conflict on the world stage, met for the 14th Annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Celebration hosted by Rabbi Steve Lebow. The public was invited to attend.

Armed guards were posted at the entryway of the synagogue and visible during the presentation, which served as stark reminders of the violence that has recently plagued the American Jewish community and emphasizing the need for religious tolerance and interfaith understanding.

The Roswell Georgia Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints included local representatives from their Milton, Alpharetta and Roswell congregations. Joanne Mills, director of public affairs for the Roswell Stake and a member of the Ecumenical group’s planning committee, sang in the interfaith choir described as "Harmonizing the Voices of Humanity."

The Latter Day Saints, in addition to other religious groups, hosted a table with missionaries to enable those in attendance to better understand their faith. On this night, individuals from multiple religions shared personal experiences, came together in an interfaith choir of voices and collected funds for the less fortunate. Good-natured humor was the thread that tied the program together.

The program began with a Boy Scout Color Guard presentation with scouts from different faiths participating. The Roswell Community Masjid shared their Call To Prayer and members of various religions presented personal reflections on their experiences. Musical numbers were woven throughout the celebration as well as the delivery of “O Universal Father” by the Sikh Education and Welfare Association.

One attendee remarked “For that moment and place in time we were the children of a greater God. The God who loves all of His children and wishes peace for the entire family of man.” The Christian reference is from 1 John 4:4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

The collected monies were used to purchase turkeys and Thanksgiving dinners for those who cannot afford to do so. In previous years the collection went to help the Cabbagetown neighborhood and supported the Oakland food bank in downtown Atlanta.

After a decade of growth, Give-A-Gobble, as it is called, additionally feeds people at the Center for Family Resources, Family First, Family Promise of Cobb, Food2Kids, the Genesis Shelter, the Helping Hand Foundation, Jewish Family and Career Services, Must Ministries, North Fulton Charities, and United Military Care, Inc.

The annual religious celebration began in 2005 as a response to religious strife in the area.