I love a good serendipity story, and this is one of my favorites! Bill and my brother were both 20 minutes early, waiting for a store to open in San Francisco; they started chatting, talking about business and books — and next thing I know, I got a text saying that Bill and I had to meet.
This is our first conversation, and I was riveted! Bishop William Swing is doing incredible work in the world — he is on a mission to build bridges between people and religions; helping people of (what seem to be) competing religious loyalties to discover each other and work together. The 20th anniversary of his organization, the United Religions Initiative, is in June, and he has over 1 million participants in over 1,000 interfaith cooperation circles.
As Bill says, "If you’re really committed and you’re on the right track, the right person shows up at just the right time.” This mindset, and saying yes at every open door, led to meetings with the Pope, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, and many other religious leaders in his efforts to create the United Nations of religions.
Happy Earth Day! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did :)
View full show notes from this episode at http://pivotmethod.com/195
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More About Bishop William Swing
William E. Swing, 7th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California (1980-2006). Bishop Swing is the Founder and President of the United Religions Initiative. He is an inspirational speaker and an author, most recently of A Bishop's Quest: Founding a United Religions and The Sacred and the Silly: A Bishop's Playful and Eventful Life. Both books are available on Amazon; the proceeds of book sales will benefit URI.
The United Religions Initiative, or URI, is a grassroots, bridge-building organization that believes when people’s passions and initiative are organized, connected and shared, they can create a sustaining global force for good. To date (2009), hundreds of thousands of people from different faiths in over 70 countries are overcoming distrust and hostility to work together in their local URI communities to address urgent human need and to heal the Earth. Joining together in more than 1,000 interfaith Cooperation Circles worldwide, these individuals are tackling such issues as AIDS work in Africa, conflict transformation in the Philippines, Indigenous leadership for the environment in the Americas, and religious cooperation in the Middle East. While respecting differences among beliefs and spiritualities, URI pursues a common purpose: to promote enduring daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence in order to create cultures of peace, justice, and healing.
Topics Covered
What this time has been like for URI
An avalanche of stories from those who are serving during this time
108 countries and over a million people
Setting up his organization by following principles of biomimicry - a living, breathing system
There are over 1,050 interfaith Cooperation Circles; at least seven people from three traditions, you can self-organize around any issue you want
People of religions, spirituality, and indigenous traditions, not just leaders or religious organizations
The coronavirus has created one community across the world - the whole world is one for a minute
This moment of oneness only happens every 100 years
If we are all one, what can we do to make the community better?
Conversations that help liberate people, make them more sensitive to others; planting trees or taking action
How can we elongate this cooperation? Pointing out that we all have it in us to be one, to look out for everybody in the world
“There will never be peace among nations if there is not peace among religions.” —Hans Kung
His vow to be a catalyst for united religions to parallel the United Nations
The serendipity of connections; his magical journey
"If you’re really committed and you’re on the right track, the right person shows up at just the right time.”
Resources Mentioned
Website: United Religions Initiative
Facebook: United Religions Initiative
The Sacred and the Silly: A Bishop's Playful and Eventful Life
Bill’s Book Recommendations:
The Hope of Glory by Jon Meacham
The Meaning of Persons by Paul Tournier
Additional authors:
Related Pivot Podcasts:
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