Universalist Church inclusive of all religions

NORWAY — In November, Minister Richard Beal, of the First Universalist Church, of Norway, hosted an unusual event — a part of  Diwali, a Hindu religious holiday.

The service was recognized by the Universal Society of Hinduism (USH) which welcomed the interfaith gesture as an example of how all religions should work together for a just and peaceful world.

Rajan Zed,  president of the USH, said the ceremony is a festival of lights, commonly referred to as Diwali, or Deepavali, which aims to dispel darkness by lightening the lives of the faithful, as good triumphs over evil.

Beal explained that noting the celebrations of the world's great religions is central to the belief in Universalism. Services observing and celebrating Jewish, Islamic and Buddhist beliefs are also held from time to time. They are not intended as satire or criticism of those beliefs, but to bring out the points of commonality in all. 

"Whenever we are aware of people in our area who adhere to any of those beliefs or are connected to the cultures, we offer to include them, or at least to comment," Beal said. "Unfortunately, there were none at our Diwali service."

Beal said due to the absence of anyone who identified themselves as Hindu at the service, he was surprised that it had come to Zed's attention.

Like Kwanzaa or Hanukkah, Diwali is extends over several days and features lit candles, fireworks and the exchange of gifts, usually on the third day. According to Zed, Beal's sermon included readings from the Bhagavad Gita, which means the "Song of the Lord."

Zed stressed that all religions should work together for a just and peaceful world, and that dialogue would bring us mutual enrichment. Zed, indicated that he welcomed the interfaith gesture of First Universalist Church of Norway said that religion being a complex and powerful component of our lives, a more broader and inclusive approach to religion was needed.

In common with some other religions, the timing of Diwali is based on factors other than the sun, so according to the commonly-used "Gregorian Calendar," the date of Diwali changes from year to year, usually around late October and early November.