First step in change is personal, bishop says

Bishop Randolph Sykes, a leader in Hawaii’s interfaith movement, says people need to take action in their personal lives to be part of a solution to global problems.

"Our goal is to change ourselves to effect change in the world," Sykes, the new president of The Interfaith Alliance Hawai‘i and secretary of the All Believers Network, said in an interview with the Star-Advertiser.

Sykes, 61, who said he has "tested the waters of a number of religions and New Age philosophies" before converting to Orthodox Christianity, has been involved in interfaith work since 2005. He spoke about the movement’s progress at an Interfaith Alliance meeting Wednesday at Harris United Methodist Church.

Sykes is also on the board of the Institute for Religion and Social Change, noting that "there is some cross-pollination" of board members among the three nonprofits. In the secular world he is employed as a program coordinator for the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The alliance’s "mission is to be a progressive voice in Hawaii, promoting the positive and healing role of religion in public life by encouraging dialogue, challenging extremism and facilitating nonviolent community activism," he said.

It provides testimony at city and state meetings on issues ranging from domestic violence to gender equality, living wages and homelessness; it also holds workshops to educate the public on specific topics.

The All Believers Network (nicknamed Belnet) has a membership made up of representatives of virtually all the major religions and some minor ones. It focuses on education to "show people that we have far more in common than we do differences," and encourages dialogue and understanding "to reduce whatever violence has been done in the name of religion," he said.

For example, the network arranged for a Jewish rabbi to speak at a Muslim mosque, and later for a Muslim imam to speak at a Jewish synagogue to compare what their religions had in common. There was no attempt to debate centuries of Middle East conflicts or convert anyone to any religion, Sykes added.

"We live in a state that is a majority of minorities, and that’s also true of our religions," he said.

Sykes believes that "all faiths share a similar message: the Golden Rule, (which) makes one able to listen with one’s heart and recognize the spiritual commonality we all share together."

Over the years, Sykes has noted a growing interest in interfaith efforts because of the increasing belief by many that spirituality transcends religion.

"There’s a lot of recognition, particularly among young people, that there’s something missing in religion," he said. "A lot of younger people are becoming involved because they are looking more for the spiritual side of things — what are the eternal truths."

People often ask what they can do to become a good person, or make the world more sustainable, or improve their society so it is more equitable to the 99 percent, he said.

The oft-asked question is, "How by my example can I … help anyone in any situation when they are clearly overwhelmed by circumstances?" Sykes said.

"Think globally, act locally," he likes to say. "It’s important to take that to heart, recognizing that I can’t do anything myself about the unemployment in Spain, but I can do a good job at what I do; I can help in any way I can" to volunteer time to various causes, or donate, he said. As a step toward eliminating hunger in the world, buy lunch for a homeless person begging on the corner, he suggested.

Also, "we have to have a strong inner spiritual core that allows us to keep in touch with what’s truly valuable, truly important, and not allow ourselves to become paralyzed by the circumstances, not to become despairing or distraught."