Mark Romney

People are motivated to build bridges for many reasons--the families in which they grew up, personal experiences with volunteering, an external event that elicits service. For Mark Romney, the initial opportunity was actually an assignment. In 2008, Steve Fluckiger asked him to replace Amy Fennegan who was leading the interfaith council at Thanks-Giving Square. She had been serving for some time but had a new baby and needed to direct her attention there. It was a new experience for Mark, but he came to love the work.

 

Over the next years, Mark balanced his busy law firm duties with his new position. His basic message grew from three principles outlined by Karl Stendhal, a Lutheran bishop from Sweden. First, learn about other faiths from their adherents, not their enemies. Second, don't compare their worst to your best. Third, leave room for holy envy. It is that third principle that struck a chord with Mark and has allowed him to build bridges with individuals from many different communities. He believes that "breaking bread" allows people to get to know each other and to understand what is most important to them. He came to admire these friends, respect their beliefs, and recognize that he can learn much from how they practice their faith. In fact, he uses the word "enchanting" when describing the change that he felt after meeting many of those special individuals.

 

Two stories exemplify Mark's brige building. As leader of a group that includes nine congregations, he is responsible for large meetings twice a year. He wanted to share his friendships from Thanks-Giving Square with his church members. For one of the meetings, he instituted a light evening meal before the formal meeting. Then, during that meeting, he asked various interfaith friends to give talks. It was a surprising decision but has met with great success through the years. These friends offered different insights not only into their own faith traditions but by extension enriched the lives of his members who could see how much they had in common.

 

The second story has a sad beginning. Mark's beloved wide, Belinda, died suddenly after a short illness two years ago. They had built a wonderful life through the years in law school, rearing six children, and two challenging careers. Mourners came from all their contacts through the years, filling the chapel. One group sent flowers and a card that read "From your cousins." Mark tells this story, adding that they are more than cousins--they are his brothers and sisters. He always has tears in his eyes when he does.

 

Mark is entering a new phase of life. Closing his practice, he plans to serve a mission for his church. He may be asked to serve anywhere, but a current possibility is Nairobi, Kenya, with responsibilities throughout eastern Africa. He will surely be building remarkable bridges there as well.

 

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