ST. GEORGE, Utah — The idea of a priest, a rabbi, an Islamic follower and an LDS leader walking into a room sounds like the start of a comedian’s joke. But in an annual New Year’s tradition in St. George, they and the leaders and followers of other religions came together and actually got along.
Between New Orleans and the conflicts around the world, 2025 has started off with notes of hate.
But Wednesday at the St. George Tabernacle, 2025 has started off with the music of optimistic unity.
At a time when people talk about what separates people of different religions, Rabbi Helene Ainbinder and Islam community representative Shadman Bashir were sharing a laugh.
“I don't find it hard,” said Ainbinder, with the Beit Chaverim Jewish Community of Greater Zion. “I want to go back in time just a little bit when Golda Meir met with Sadat and he said, ‘How are we ever going to have peace?’ She said, ‘Love your children a little more and hate ours a little less. Then I won't have to send my children to kill yours.'”
Ainbinder and Bashir are part of the St. George Interfaith Council, which for the 19th straight year held a New Year’s Day Prayer Over the City. Leaders from 12 different faiths presented thoughts and prayers while an interfaith choir with the combined voices of eight different congregations sang.
Bashir, who along with serving on the interfaith council directs the International Students program at Utah Tech University, said it’s about looking more for what brings people together and less about what separates them…
“Try to identify the similarities rather than focusing on the differences,” Bashir said. “Because no matter who we are, no matter where we come from, there's always similarities.”
But he started the first day of the year reading the news… and the word terrorism atop the headlines.
“The first thing that comes to my mind is, 'I hope nothing connected to my religion.' It's a huge religion. When someone asks me a question: 'In Islam, do you guys do this? In Islam, do you guys do that?' My question is, 'Which Islam?'” Bashir said.
It turns out, Bashir shared that type of fear in common with Reverend Jimi Kestin, who leads the Pentecostal Solomon's Porch Foursquare Fellowship in St. George.
“I will tell you, the first thing I said is please don't let it be some crazy white kid with a red hat. So I relate, when he was talking about that," Kestin said.
Kestin has served as the ringmaster for the event for some time. Also speaking were leaders from the local Catholic, Presbyterian, United Methodist, Universal Life Ministry, and Baha’i communities.
“In so many places in this country and especially around the world, those things separate people,” Kestin said. “And here we have decided that they don't have to, that we can develop community unity that has created friendships that really make this a powerful place.”
Considering what was going on inside the Tabernacle, can it spread beyond?
“What we see here is unique. And it shouldn't be,” Kestin said. “And we hope that other communities take this. We haven't patented it. We haven't copyrighted it. Please. Take it into other communities. You never learn anything talking. We only learn when we listen.”
