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-- Maha Ayesh, a third-year student at UT School of Law, who is a Muslim

Diverse faiths observe Thanksgiving

Daily Times Correspondent

A community Thanksgiving service featuring hymns, music, and speakers from different religious faiths was held in the Fine Arts Center on Maryville College Campus on Thanksgiving eve.

The Blount County Ecumenical Action Council (BCEAC) presented this community-wide worship event in recognition of the presence of people of diverse faiths in the community with the wish to enjoy fellowship and dialogue with them.

After a Bahai'i prayer chant of Thanksgiving offered by Simi Oskui, a native of Persia who is part of the Bahai'i Faith Knox County Spiritual Assembly, Benjamin Lewis Jr. from the Macphonia Missionary Baptist Church in Newport made the first speech.

"I think we can be thankful for all this gathering represents," said Lewis, who is from Maryville. "It represents diversity in Blount County. It says in this community of faith that we're committed to love one another. More than anything it says to me that God is alive, and is moving in the hearts of the people of Blount County."

Muslims Maha Ayesh, who is a third-year student at the UT School of Law, and her husband, Sean Blevins, both spoke of how Muslims regard Thanksgiving.

"Gratitude is a necessary aspect of our faith," said Ayesh. "God tells us in the Koran that there are far too many blessings for us to count. The focus of our thanks should be to God."

"The divine God promises eternal bliss in exchange for a few years of gratitude toward him," said Blevins. "God has given us models in his prophets. Mohammed is one, David is one, Abraham is one."

After Daryl Ray of the Bahai'i Faith Maryville Registered Group explained some of the Baha'i beliefs such as the oneness of God she said, "Thanksgiving is the act of giving thanks for God from the heart. The reality of Thanksgiving is knowing that God is good. The gift of God in this age is the oneness of God with all mankind."

Sonia St. Cyr, a hurricane survivor from New Orleans, spoke of the ordeal she endured.

St. Cyr, 57, is a native of New Orleans who was educated in Pittsburgh, having returned to her birthplace in 1978.

"I'm from a place where religion doesn't matter. It's an unusual kind of a city," she said. "In New Orleans we pray constantly for storms to avoid us."

Since Katrina did not hit the city directly, St. Cyr believes that it was the flood rather than the storm that was the disaster.

"The flooding and disaster was man made," she said.

She pointed out that evacuees had a very small space of time to leave the city.

St. Cyr was helicoptered out of her house, and arrived in Blount County via a plane chartered by former Vice President Al Gore.

"He prayed with us, spoke to us, talked to everyone on the plane," she said.

There were people of all ages on the plane. Some had to be hospitalized, but all were made welcome.

"We were all so blessed, we were all so grateful. We want to have a total lifestyle of thankfulness," St. Cyr said.

In between speeches, music and singing were offered by the Hispanic Children's Choir from the Hispanic Ministries of the United Methodist Church; the Spiritual Movement Group from St. John's Missionary Baptist Church; and Trent Gilmore and friends from Alcoa High School.

Bill Watts from Mother Love Baptist Church made the offertory prayer. The money benefited Good Neighbors and the food was donated to the Community Food Connection.

Dr. James Bloy from St. Andrews Episcopal Church was the organist. The moderators were Barbara Steverson from Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, and Dick Cox from St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.