July the 4th – the day we celebrate the founding of the United States of America, when people seeking freedom from a government tied to one religion said “enough!” Although our founders themselves fell short of the ideal that all are created equal, they still set a lofty goal that we still strive to bring into today’s policies, grounded in the idea that each of us should be able to decide how we live our lives. When we as a country declared a new government, one that very intentionally wouldn’t be ruled by a king, we called it our Independence Day.
That independence has since seeped into many aspects of American life. There is value in seeking to step out on one’s own, to define one’s self without external influence, to learn to stand on one’s own two feet. However, this independence is often valued to the detriment of other individuals and communities. It assumes that all are born into equal opportunity, resources, and experiences. Unfortunately, our societal institutions often keep that equality from being a reality.
“Interdependence is and ought to be as much the ideal of man as self-sufficiency. Man is a social being.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
This Independence Day, we invite you to recognize the value of Interdependence.
Relying on community is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. Coming together in compassion to build power and share burdens is the way we will achieve justice, equality, and human rights for all. To change our human institutions to reflect the interfaith value that our founders imperfectly declared, that ALL PEOPLE are created equal, we must come together and learn to depend on one another.
“The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.”
– Thomas Merton
Our shared interfaith values remind us that all are created equal in human value, dignity, and possibility. This is why we strive to create a world where no matter what circumstances a person is born into, we have the tools we need to thrive. We do not all start with the same resources and access, but we should all have the same chance to thrive in life, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, sexual and gender orientation, country of origin, physical ability, or religion. As communities of faith, we must continue to lean into compassion and empathy for our fellow human beings. Across religious traditions, interdependency is valued.
“The idea of interdependence is central to Buddhism, which holds that all things come into being through the mutual interactions of various causes and conditions.”
– Dr. Daisaku Ikeda
Join with us as we work:
– To protect our democracy – which inherently recognizes the right to equal opportunity for all people
– To protect religious freedom – which allows us to worship in our own ways in our own communities and recognizes that there are many ways to strive for human flourishing, as well as
– To protect vulnerable and marginalized communities – because it will take us learning to depend on one another to bring liberation and justice for all.