By Katie Blair
You can view a video of the Oct. 3 coffee Talk below.
This Talk’s theme surrounded fear fueled by COVID-19, natural disasters, election season, a questionable economy, etc. Right now, it seems everything is uncertain. We are now dealing with multiple crises within the United States and now is the time to discuss them. Ethical responses to these crises is something religious leaders have tried to navigate in 2020. Questions such as, “how do people navigate faith during a time in which there is no hope?” or “how can people across all religious sects come together to aid our peers in fear?” are more than relevant today. This Coffee Talk, let us grapple with questions like these and build relationships in our community.
Panelists
Joining us for the Coffee Talk were panelists Rev. Gen Heywood, Steven A. Smith, and guest panelist Rev. Roger Hudson.
Heywood is a pastor at Spokane Valley’s Veradale United Church of Christ. She has been a part of the parish ministry for more than 30 years. She credits the supportive leadership of Veradale for including her work concerning ecological and social issues since her start there in 2014.
Steven A. Smith is a journalist who served as editor of The Spokesman-Review. He is a frequent contributor to SpokaneFāVS and worked as a clinical associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Media at the University of Idaho.
Read his Coffee Talk column on the subject, “Living in a Time of Fear: Learning to Cope.”
Hudson serves Covenant United Methodist Church in north Spokane. He writes and is fervent about the teachings of Jesus. Growing up in South Africa, he learned how important it is to him to love God’s creation.
