A beach is much more impressive when one realizes the time and energy that has gone into the deconstruction of big rocks in order to make billions of sand pebbles. When we stand on a beach, our toes sinking deeper into the warm bed beneath them, and we look out into the endless oceans of beauty, we are in essence standing at the mouth of the universe. Every grain of sand has spoken a sacred story of truth and wisdom, every one with a journey from deconstruction of old identity to reconstruction anew.

I felt like a grain of sand over the past few days, as I gathered at Hebrew College and Andover Newton Theological School with a group of about 25 seminarians, academics, professors, and practitioners all attempting to do something magical: turn boulders into beaches. Each of us is dedicated to incorporating interreligious engagement into the nature of our particular vocational goals. We believe that to be a religious leader in the 21st century, we must take seriously the religious diversity in the world and the subsequent difficulties and possibilities that emerge for building foundations for harmony and justice.

We gathered from cities throughout the country, from small seminaries to large universities, ready to have a constructive conversation of how we can bring this interreligious imperative into the lives of other people who are in religious leadership formation. Through workshop, brainstorming, and strategic planning, the women and men in that room showed a dedication and resolve necessary to transform boulders into beaches.

Standing upon boulders is neither comfortable nor safe, but when we construct a garden of warm sand out of our experiences of religious interdependence, something truly beautiful is possible. We can create a comfortable foundation upon which peace and progress can be built.

Since this is foundational and something that may be entirely new for many of us, the radical shift in worldview comes at the cost of losing something from the past. The boulders are no longer boulders, but unique pebbles crafted by the same rushing waters of the magnificent ocean of the universe. This is a loss, but one that ultimately comes with a great reward. The beaches of warm sand that I believe we are creating through our work at State of Formation and the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue are going to help countless individuals continue to approach the mouth of the universe, take it in with all of its wonder, and begin to shape one’s own spiritual life as a result.

The fruits of this conference will take a couple weeks to analyze and begin the implementation phase of making State of Formation more accessible to people throughout the country (and the world). But what is more comforting to me than anything is that even though it takes time to create a movement such as this one, the waters of the universe do not stop; even at this moment, we are being shaped and reshaped, and the beach upon which the 21st century may stand is slowly emerging from the tide with warmth and hope for the coming day.