Dear Rainbow Circle Members,
It’s hard to believe we’re already past the middle of February. The season of Lent begins this week with Ash Wednesday, and before we know it, many of us will be planning traditions and festivities surrounding Easter. Even while it remains cold and snowy in many parts of the country, I experienced something of an Easter moment last week in Bloomfield, New Jersey.
AWAB participated in an Interfaith Peace Summit centered largely on the ministry of our member congregation, The Peace Cathedral of Tbilisi, Georgia. Participants traveled from Georgia, Germany, Israel, England, and across the United States to learn from one another’s faith traditions and to think strategically about how to strengthen and support this courageous ministry.
Admittedly, my spirit needed that gathering.
Just three weeks earlier, as many of you know, I had visited Minneapolis, and then, shortly before the Summit, I attended Democracy Forward’s annual conference in Washington, DC. There, we heard firsthand from political pundits, elected officials, journalists, and movement leaders about the current state of democracy in the United States. As you might imagine, it has felt increasingly difficult to look ahead with optimism and courage amid what often seems like an unrelenting stream of anti-democratic actions coming from the current Administration.
And then came the Interfaith Peace Summit.
Represented in this picture are the following AWAB member churches: Calvary Baptist Church of Denver, First Baptist Church in America, Glendale Baptist Church, Lake Shore Baptist Church, Noank Baptist Church, Peace Cathedral, Providence Church, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Royersford Baptist Church, Seventh & James Baptist Church, and Washington Plaza Baptist Church
Jews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, and others gathered — queer and straight allies together — not simply to talk, but to embody something larger than any one of us could accomplish alone. We heard stories marked by oppression, yet sustained by deep convictions rooted in justice, equity, and love for all. Through music, art, sacred scripture, and lived testimony, we laughed, learned, and dared to imagine a future shaped not by fear, but by hope — a human story capacious enough to honor many faiths, many cultures, many walks of life, and the inherent dignity of every person.
The words of Cornel West have been resonating with me this week: “Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.”
At the Summit, I saw, heard, and felt what that looks like.
Like Easter, the Summit helped me look beyond the cruel crosses of life — the burdens so many are forced to carry, the injustices that weigh heavily on our communities, and the systems that too often seem intent on diminishing human dignity. I was reminded that the cross is never the end of the story. In its shadow, I began to see something else: a rainbow radiating with promise and possibility — a visible sign that love still rises, that justice still breathes, and that hope still refuses to be extinguished.
Of the roughly 60 people present, AWAB had 11 congregations represented. In that gathering, I witnessed what happens when welcoming and affirming communities stand together. The rainbow does not appear by accident — it shines because people like you make it possible.
Your faithful monthly support through the Rainbow Circle sustains this sacred work. It allows us to show up across borders, to strengthen courageous ministries, and to embody justice as public love in a world that desperately needs it.
In these difficult days, please know this: you are part of the promise.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you. And remember, you’re not alone. We are in this work together. Be encouraged.
With gratitude,
Brian Henderson
Executive Director