you and I have the power to change the
world one encounter at a time think
about that change the world Oh way too
big for me
but I’m here to share with you how we
can change the world one encounter at a
time it’s all it takes just one at a
time and our world is in desperate need
of change of help we are living in times
that are so divisive challenging we’re
speaking past each other not hearing
each other more and more isolated and
alone politics religion and growing
economic inequality is causing massive
barriers between us and yet we can
decide to change the world one encounter
at a time so if we see a person who
doesn’t believe as we do or we see a
person who doesn’t vote as we voted if
we see a person who doesn’t live as we
live we can still connect with them
instead of making them the other and we
doesn’t think like me didn’t vote like
me doesn’t believe like me the other
don’t we do that you know I see some
heads nodding here but something really
sad happens when we see the other in
that way fear and suspicion rain
communication becomes strained how do I
there’s a tendency sometimes to
dehumanize them even demonize them and
the tragic consequence of that is that
we no longer see our common humanity we
no longer see was the same and all of us
it’s blocked out it’s lost can’t find it
don’t see it don’t hear it because that
person is the other history has really
shown us that it is not good
to travel down this trajectory think
about it the Trail of Tears slavery of
Africans the Holocaust when we stopped
being able to see there’s my brother
there’s my sister there’s a human being
so today I’m here to share with you
three instances that have shown me me as
the student of these instances that it
is possible to begin to change the world
one encounter at a time so the first one
happened right after the election of
Donald Trump and my husband and I are in
a car and we’re driving through New York
City and we’re listening to talk radio
and people are calling in and they’re
expressing their feelings about the
election and there was so much anger on
both sides this one particular woman
called and she was so angry she was so
angry at all of those that were
protesting his election so I’m listening
to this woman and I am getting angrier
and angrier and angrier and angrier
mm-hmm I’m right in there with her I’m
her other she’s my other there we were
hey we all have our others don’t we so
I’m listening along getting more and
more angry more and more angry more and
my daughter died
and a little bit later from a drug
overdose and I can remember sitting in
the car and my heart stopped
Oh God all of a sudden in like half a
second I could see everything through
her eyes I could see all of her concerns
about border control illegal immigration
health care costs financial strain I
could see it all through her eyes it
stopped me cold and I have to tell you
if I could find this woman
I don’t know her name I don’t know where
she lives maybe she’ll see this talk you
know if I could find her I would invite
her to my home I’d make her a cup of tea
I’d say share with me your story and I
notice in this place it’s no longer so
important for whom she voted nor is it
important that we might part on the same
political page that’s not likely to
happen but it doesn’t matter because now
we’re connected by something beyond
belief
we all have beliefs we all need beliefs
and thank God they’re different how do
we learn from one another
we’re not all gonna believe the same
thing how boring would that be now we’re
connected by that common humanity I
don’t even know where she is
she’s my sister I stand with her I would
stand up for her
because I’m a mother and I have
daughters and I can feel what it would
be like to lose a child I know her she’s
and the second time I’m in my hammock a
sunny day having a great time just feels
really nice got me head bones on
listening to music and I think I hear
voices and then I feel a little tap on
my shoulder excuse me ma’am and I looked
up and there the Mormon missionaries on
now I don’t know about you but it
wouldn’t matter to me what denomination
or religion people are they’re coming on
to my patio to have a conversation with
me about believing the way they believe
I don’t know in the house close the door
yes
right whoa avoid avoid lock the door
pretend we’re not home but on this day
on this day I was happy and spacious and
open and hey sit down on my patio table
no I did
if I weren’t used to getting a lot of
welcomes like that and they said well
you know what do you do you retired and
I said no I’m an interfaith minister and
I’m pleased to serve the Tree of Life
[Laughter]
I kind of got this within a scenario
they were trained yet I’m not sure what
that is are you Christian and I said I
love Jesus I love the Bible but I
believe that God has expressed through
silence and then I will well you say you
believe in the Bible when you believe in
Jesus have you been saved oh my god
a million times every day you don’t want
to even know how many times I’m say and
then the really exciting part happened
because I used this love to ask him
something I’d always wanted to know I
said you know it must take an incredible
amount of courage to go door-to-door
with your face I’m not sure I could do
that knocking on doors you don’t know
who’s gonna answer what mood they’re
gonna be in throw tomatoes at you
welcome you in you don’t know talk to me
about that tell me about that tell me
about that how did you come to God and
what has brought you to my patio today
tell me about that they started sharing
their stories and I think we sat there
two three hours they shared their
stories I shared more my story and along
the way we figured out that we had both
made clothes for foster care children
our faith communities and by the time
they left important I was no closer to
becoming a Mormon they certainly were no
closer to becoming interfaith but just
like with the caller
we were now connected by something much
larger than our beliefs for me I can’t
speak for them but for me so when they
walked that down
my driveway my friends they’re my
friends help me run into each other in
the grocery store or something I’d love
to see you again not the other to me
anymore
they weren’t here I stand with them and
the last example this was about ten
years ago I was driving in Cambridge
Massachusetts another beautiful day I
got the windows down the music set up
I’m singing I’m having a great time and
I come to a stoplight there I’m at the
stoplight and then I noticed one of
those homeless men coming the ones with
the sign I think quick light change
quit James now quick he’s getting closer
what’s wrong with the light why won’t it
change do we do that by graciously the
light didn’t change though he comes up
to my door and I look up and I make eye
contact with him and it was only half a
second half a second but I understood
what Mother Teresa said when she said we
look but we don’t see we look but we
don’t see because in that moment I saw
I reached down and I picked up my wallet
took out the first bill I saw he handed
it to him he thanked me kindly and the
light changed and a way I went who have
a second and I have never looked at a
homeless person the same way since or
anyone that lives in stark poverty I
think about him sometimes I think Wow
what was his first day of school like do
you take the school bus someone drop him
off do you learn to ride a bike his
what were his dreams
well were his hopes for his life and
so yes indeed not only can we change the
world one encounter at a time more
importantly the world can change us one
encounter at a time one encounter at a
time may each of us begin to hear those
encounters see those opportunities
notice what is right before our eyes so
we too can create a different world
future where everyone matters and
graciously there are no others thank you [Applause]
world one encounter at a time think
about that change the world Oh way too
big for me
but I’m here to share with you how we
can change the world one encounter at a
time it’s all it takes just one at a
time and our world is in desperate need
of change of help we are living in times
that are so divisive challenging we’re
speaking past each other not hearing
each other more and more isolated and
alone politics religion and growing
economic inequality is causing massive
barriers between us and yet we can
decide to change the world one encounter
at a time so if we see a person who
doesn’t believe as we do or we see a
person who doesn’t vote as we voted if
we see a person who doesn’t live as we
live we can still connect with them
instead of making them the other and we
doesn’t think like me didn’t vote like
me doesn’t believe like me the other
don’t we do that you know I see some
heads nodding here but something really
sad happens when we see the other in
that way fear and suspicion rain
communication becomes strained how do I
there’s a tendency sometimes to
dehumanize them even demonize them and
the tragic consequence of that is that
we no longer see our common humanity we
no longer see was the same and all of us
it’s blocked out it’s lost can’t find it
don’t see it don’t hear it because that
person is the other history has really
shown us that it is not good
to travel down this trajectory think
about it the Trail of Tears slavery of
Africans the Holocaust when we stopped
being able to see there’s my brother
there’s my sister there’s a human being
so today I’m here to share with you
three instances that have shown me me as
the student of these instances that it
is possible to begin to change the world
one encounter at a time so the first one
happened right after the election of
Donald Trump and my husband and I are in
a car and we’re driving through New York
City and we’re listening to talk radio
and people are calling in and they’re
expressing their feelings about the
election and there was so much anger on
both sides this one particular woman
called and she was so angry she was so
angry at all of those that were
protesting his election so I’m listening
to this woman and I am getting angrier
and angrier and angrier and angrier
mm-hmm I’m right in there with her I’m
her other she’s my other there we were
hey we all have our others don’t we so
I’m listening along getting more and
more angry more and more angry more and
my daughter died
and a little bit later from a drug
overdose and I can remember sitting in
the car and my heart stopped
Oh God all of a sudden in like half a
second I could see everything through
her eyes I could see all of her concerns
about border control illegal immigration
health care costs financial strain I
could see it all through her eyes it
stopped me cold and I have to tell you
if I could find this woman
I don’t know her name I don’t know where
she lives maybe she’ll see this talk you
know if I could find her I would invite
her to my home I’d make her a cup of tea
I’d say share with me your story and I
notice in this place it’s no longer so
important for whom she voted nor is it
important that we might part on the same
political page that’s not likely to
happen but it doesn’t matter because now
we’re connected by something beyond
belief
we all have beliefs we all need beliefs
and thank God they’re different how do
we learn from one another
we’re not all gonna believe the same
thing how boring would that be now we’re
connected by that common humanity I
don’t even know where she is
she’s my sister I stand with her I would
stand up for her
because I’m a mother and I have
daughters and I can feel what it would
be like to lose a child I know her she’s
and the second time I’m in my hammock a
sunny day having a great time just feels
really nice got me head bones on
listening to music and I think I hear
voices and then I feel a little tap on
my shoulder excuse me ma’am and I looked
up and there the Mormon missionaries on
now I don’t know about you but it
wouldn’t matter to me what denomination
or religion people are they’re coming on
to my patio to have a conversation with
me about believing the way they believe
I don’t know in the house close the door
yes
right whoa avoid avoid lock the door
pretend we’re not home but on this day
on this day I was happy and spacious and
open and hey sit down on my patio table
no I did
if I weren’t used to getting a lot of
welcomes like that and they said well
you know what do you do you retired and
I said no I’m an interfaith minister and
I’m pleased to serve the Tree of Life
[Laughter]
I kind of got this within a scenario
they were trained yet I’m not sure what
that is are you Christian and I said I
love Jesus I love the Bible but I
believe that God has expressed through
silence and then I will well you say you
believe in the Bible when you believe in
Jesus have you been saved oh my god
a million times every day you don’t want
to even know how many times I’m say and
then the really exciting part happened
because I used this love to ask him
something I’d always wanted to know I
said you know it must take an incredible
amount of courage to go door-to-door
with your face I’m not sure I could do
that knocking on doors you don’t know
who’s gonna answer what mood they’re
gonna be in throw tomatoes at you
welcome you in you don’t know talk to me
about that tell me about that tell me
about that how did you come to God and
what has brought you to my patio today
tell me about that they started sharing
their stories and I think we sat there
two three hours they shared their
stories I shared more my story and along
the way we figured out that we had both
made clothes for foster care children
our faith communities and by the time
they left important I was no closer to
becoming a Mormon they certainly were no
closer to becoming interfaith but just
like with the caller
we were now connected by something much
larger than our beliefs for me I can’t
speak for them but for me so when they
walked that down
my driveway my friends they’re my
friends help me run into each other in
the grocery store or something I’d love
to see you again not the other to me
anymore
they weren’t here I stand with them and
the last example this was about ten
years ago I was driving in Cambridge
Massachusetts another beautiful day I
got the windows down the music set up
I’m singing I’m having a great time and
I come to a stoplight there I’m at the
stoplight and then I noticed one of
those homeless men coming the ones with
the sign I think quick light change
quit James now quick he’s getting closer
what’s wrong with the light why won’t it
change do we do that by graciously the
light didn’t change though he comes up
to my door and I look up and I make eye
contact with him and it was only half a
second half a second but I understood
what Mother Teresa said when she said we
look but we don’t see we look but we
don’t see because in that moment I saw
I reached down and I picked up my wallet
took out the first bill I saw he handed
it to him he thanked me kindly and the
light changed and a way I went who have
a second and I have never looked at a
homeless person the same way since or
anyone that lives in stark poverty I
think about him sometimes I think Wow
what was his first day of school like do
you take the school bus someone drop him
off do you learn to ride a bike his
what were his dreams
well were his hopes for his life and
so yes indeed not only can we change the
world one encounter at a time more
importantly the world can change us one
encounter at a time one encounter at a
time may each of us begin to hear those
encounters see those opportunities
notice what is right before our eyes so
we too can create a different world
future where everyone matters and
graciously there are no others thank you [Applause]
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