Five chaplains who are caring for the spiritual needs of the world's athletes say their services in the Olympic Village include simply a "ministry of presence."
Speaking to members and guests at First Unitarian Church on Sunday, the group shared their impressions of the Olympic spirit of unity and friendship they say pervades the refurbished Fort Douglas facilities. Much of the sharing they have experienced has been among the members of the chaplain corps itself.
The Rev. Sylvia Behrend of First Unitarian also serves as an Olympic chaplain and hosted the Sunday service. Other participants were the Rev. Ivan Cendese, Brigham Young University religion professor Roger Keller, Bahai representative Jan Saeed and Sister Bridget Clare McKeever of the Catholic Spirituality Center. All are members of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee's Interfaith Roundtable.
With the vast mix of theologies present in the Olympic Village, the chaplains have tried to incorporate a spirit of unity despite their own differences. Working together on the roundtable for years before the Olympics began, "we began to see through the dogmas, the agendas and the rules of which there were plenty," said the Rev. Behrend. "We discussed and argued and reached consensus, but we didn't convince one another of anything" from a theological perspective.
That kind of respect for differences is a basic reason the group has become cohesive, said Keller, who described a "certain caution" that each member of the group brought to the table. "That gave way very quickly to trust in one another, followed by a profound appreciation for the traditions we each represent."
Keller said he's found three keys to interfaith dialogue:
First, "if you want to know something about someone's faith, ask a dedicated member.
"Second, compare your best with their best, and third, leave room for holy envy. If someone has something wonderful and beautiful in their faith, applaud it. Don't try to one-up it."
Saeed, who is chairwoman of the roundtable, said before the Olympics began the group ? which includes 45 members of about 30 different faith communities ? found itself grappling with ways to counter the perception that it would be the "Mormon Olympics." The group produced an interfaith guide for visitors interested in attending religious services of every faith community along the Wasatch Front, and they held an interfaith service before the Games began to showcase the state's religious diversity.
Now, as chaplains in the Olympic Village, they sense a "spiritual presence" as a part of the place. "There is an understanding that we are spiritual by nature," even though the number of athletes varies by time and day. "We've had a steady stream of people coming to the interfaith center," and some who attend services at the old Fort Douglas chapel, which was refurbished under the group's direction.
McKeever said at 71, she's the oldest Olympic chaplain, but since her childhood growing up in Northern Ireland, she appreciates the privilege it is not to have fear when she speaks about her faith. "It took great courage to say you were a Catholic in Northern Ireland."
The Olympic Village has offered a chance to enjoy the privilege of sharing her faith with athletes and fellow chaplains. Many who ask about her service want to know about the numbers of athletes she serves.
She noted that most chaplains say attendance at the religious services for their own faiths has declined during the Olympics, and "that's true of the Olympic Village. We don't have large numbers flocking to the chapel, but we are a praying presence for many different faith traditions, and that's an extraordinary reality."
Cendese noted the intense discussion that faith has generated surrounding the Olympics in general, and personal behavior in particular. "We're much too serious about religion. I think of the day when I can say the 'F word' and no one gets mad. It's a matter of aesthetics in theology. That's the kind of spirit we'd like to see in Salt Lake City."
He hopes the legacy of the Olympics will be a "spiritual understanding of openness, acceptance and realization that each of us has a deep spiritual need that we seek out. To be more available and kind to each other is what we need. To me, that's the value and the importance of the Olympics."
E-mail: carrie@desnews.com