To the Editor:
Have you ever looked at one of the peace poles that are all around town? If so, depending on which angle you were looking at you would see a different language, a different script, and other differences but in the end, they all seek peace. That is how we, the members of the Clergy in Wilton see our worshipers and our town. The people we serve come in many varieties, but our goal is to serve them all no matter who they are. It is our hope that the citizens of Wilton will also look at each other and want to take care of each other. We all walk in the same space and pay taxes to the same town. We have responsibilities and connections in this place. We come in all shapes and colors but are all made by one Creator. It is our vocation and our joy to see the beauty in each person we are privileged to serve.
Just look at us: we come from all levels of society and have different doctrines and theologies that guide us, but we have found common ground and are able to collaborate well with each other. One way to think about it is that we do not focus on the differences, but we choose to celebrate the things we have in common. Our common mission, our desire to serve our congregants and this town, helps us to come together despite our various backgrounds. We don’t agree on everything, and sometimes we have led presentations or sessions together and sometimes apart, but no matter what we do our goal is to always to offer each other mutual care and respect. We have hosted sessions on civility, sexism, racism, and many other topics as it is our hope that our Town will show its best side and not the minor extremes or the things that appear on Wilton 412. There is so much greatness, goodness, compassion and care in our community, and we want people to see that greatness. So, we have work to do, and we know that we cannot do it alone. It takes all of us working together.
And we must do this work as a community. These recent incidents of racism, antisemitism and the myriad of other issues will not go away on their own. We must address them together. These events in our school affect us all and we as a community must recognize that this is not a school issue but a community issue. Whenever you hear things that are not right, we hope that you will address them immediately. Our children will learn from us, and if we give this the proper attention — they will learn. There should be zero tolerance anywhere in our town for hatred. We can address these things with love and care and set a good example for all our children.
The Wilton Clergy
Rev. Fr. Reggie Norman, Our Lady of Fatima Church
Rev. Marissa S. Rohrbach, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
Rev. Mark Montgomery, Wilton Presbyterian
Rev. Chris Tate, Wilton Presbyterian
Rev. Jessica Jones, Wilton Presbyterian
Rev. Caroline Ainsworth Hughes, Wilton Congregational Church
Rev. Suzanne E. Wagner, Wilton Congregational Church
Cantor Harriet Dunkerley, Temple B’nai Chaim