“The tradition you were born into was your home, Brother Wayne told me, but as Gandhi once wrote, it should be a home with the windows open so that the winds of other traditions can blow through and bring their unique oxygen. “It’s good to have wings,” he would say, “but you have to have roots, too.”
-Eboo Patel

Whether the conversation occurs in a classroom lesson, the hallways, or the quad, it can be inspiring to hear students discuss their religion or system of beliefs. The question can be as innocuous as “what exactly is Diwali” during our annual celebration of that holiday or as heavy as what does your faith say about the afterlife.

As one of San Antonio’s few non-denominational independent schools, we welcome these discussions. Because we don’t privilege one faith over another, we teach students to approach these conversations with the Cobra Code values of curiosity and integrity in mind. Being a secular school does not mean that we are anti-religion; on the contrary, we eagerly anticipate and look forward to learning about different religious beliefs and traditions. It enriches everyone’s education and makes our understanding of world history and current events more well-rounded.

Many years ago at a head of school conference in Chicago, I had the good fortune to hear a speech by Eboo Patel,the founder and president of Interfaith America. It’s a Chicago-based international nonprofit that works to support interfaith cooperation. Patel spoke on the history of religious pluralism in America. One point from Patel’s speech has stayed with me for over a decade; Patel said that instead of looking at teaching our students about religious pluralism and democracy as a challenge or a chore, we should welcome it as an opportunity to help children learn that every generation of Americans in its own way has fought to realize the promises in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution and create a “more perfect union.”

In 5th and 6th Grade Social Studies, Ms. Sarah Rardon helps her students learn about religions around the world and how they developed. They study how different systems of belief came to be, what adherents to these religions believe, and how they live out those teachings. Ms. Rardon says,

“In Global Studies, I encourage students to examine civilizations from multiple perspectives. We explore geography and its influence on how people live, as well as leadership and the qualities that define strong leaders. A key perspective is belief systems—religions and philosophies that shape how people think and act. To fully understand past civilizations and their lasting impact on the modern world, we analyze the principles and ethics that guided their governance, the social hierarchies they established, and the art they created as expressions of their beliefs. Additionally, we study how belief systems evolve and adapt as they spread across different regions and cultures. A highlight of our discussions is when students reflect on their own belief systems, sharing insights about their cultures and traditions. These exchanges foster mutual understanding and often reveal common values, helping students find connections in how they see the world.”

Over the past two years as my wife has battled ovarian cancer, many parents and students have offered words of support by saying that “we’re praying for you.” I often have tried to lighten the conversation by saying that with so many people from such a wide variety of faiths expressing words of prayer, something has to stick. In all seriousness, though, knowing that members of the Keystone community of all faiths are praying for Betul has provided us with much needed support in a time of need.

Recently, I had the good fortune to attend my first Dastar Bandi for two of our students. This beautiful rite of passage ritual comes during a Sikh young man’s teenage years when he is surrounded by his community and prayers are provided on his behalf. Near the end of the ceremony, the older men in his life tie the turban around his head and mark his progression from a boy to a man. It truly was an honor to attend this moving ceremony with so many Keystone families and other community members in attendance supporting the two young men.

The adolescents being enveloped by their elders reminded me of the time a very dear family friend was installed as the Bishop of Pennsylvania, the second oldest Episcopal Diocese in the United States. During the installation, other bishops surrounded Father Daniel Gutierrez and laid their hands on him in support and encouragement. I looked over at my wife at this moment, and tears of joy ran down her cheeks.

Just before the Dandar Basti ceremony commenced, good friends who are Keystone alumni parents and current and former trustees and I looked at our group representing a variety of religions and remarked that “A Muslim, a Hindu, a Sikh, and a Jew enter a temple” sounds like the beginning of a joke. While we all laughed, I considered that this kind of interfaith affection, collegiality, and mutual support represent some of the hallmarks of what the American philosopher Josiah Royce referred to as the “beloved community” and the elements that make Keystone so extraordinary.