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"In a real sense all life is inter-related. All [people] are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny . Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

"When we choose to wonder about people we don't know, when we imagine their lives and listen for their stories, we begin to expand the circle of who we see as  a part of us. "

Valarie Kaur, See No Stranger

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One of our longest-running friendship groups at Kaufman is “Interfaith and Interwoven.” Every week from September to May, a group of women from different religious and non-religious backgrounds (and various handicraft skill levels) gather together for conversation while creating winter gear for students at a local elementary school. This group began in-person, transitioned to a Zoom call during the shut down, and has remained virtual since then so as to keep longtime members who have moved away from the West Michigan area connected to the group.

Another fixture in the West Michigan interfaith scene is the weekly WGVU radio show, Common Threads. Hosted by one of our Kaufman Associates, Fred Stella, the show explores religion and spirituality by providing intelligent conversations with clergy, authors, journalists, filmmakers, and lay members of the community speaking from a variety of religious identities. The topics range widely, yet the ‘common thread’ remains: that we have so much to learn from each others’ experiences in the world.

As we were envisioning our brand redesign, the image of the woven garment kept surfacing. Knitting together conversations and friendships alongside mittens and scarves. The interwoven perspectives of religious scholars and practitioners. Kaufman’s unique position as connector between communities. And the voice of Dr. King ringing in our ears, with the poignant imagery of the “single garment of destiny.”

As Valarie Kaur taught us last winter, the first step in actualizing this interconnectivity, in no longer seeing others as strangers but as parts of ourselves that we do not yet know, is wonder. Being curious is how we begin to visualize the intricate patterns that bind us together as one humanity. The infinite number of potential connections, of fragments of ourselves in others, creates an ever-growing garment, so large we cannot see the edges. Curiosity driven by joy spurs us forward as the Kaufman Institute continues into the next phase of exploring this weave with our community.

It is with excitement that we launch Kaufman’s new look and feel, replete with bright colors we hope will spark joy and wonder and an array of weave patterns to highlight the myriad ways we are interconnected, even in our differences. 

Posted on Permanent link for "Exploring the Garment: Kaufman's New Look" by Liz English on July 11, 2023.