The spirit of service

This is The God Show, a conversation about the human spirit, with your host, Pat McMahon.

So have you been of service today? And I'm not talking about the waiters and waiters that take care of us at restaurants, the servers of the world professionally. I'm talking about how we can all be servers to one another professionally. I don't, of course, have to tell you about it because hopefully the service that we provide on The God Show might be enough in most lives. But our guests today are going to be talking to you about what more we all can do. And as a result of the experience that they recently had, they, being a familiar voice and a familiar name, Dr. Albert Salazzo, Executive Director of the Arizona Interfaith Movement. Yes, Al is back.

I am back, Pat. It's good to be with you once again.

Well, I hope so, because every time you come in, You provide different areas of thought and inspiration for us. And now, inspirationally, you brought a friend, Judy Renfrow, board vice president for service of the organization that Dr. Salazzo represents so well, the interfaith movement. Judy, tell us about yourself. The show, of course, for 24, 25 years now, has originated in Phoenix, Arizona. What about you?

Wonderful. I'm really grateful to be here. My name is Judy. and I am a native of Mesa, Arizona. I grew up with one of nine brothers and sisters, and we were a large family, and we survived by serving one another. I ended up being, gratefully, being a part of the Arizona Interfaith Movement, and I am also a Just Serve representative in my area, so service is a language that I love.

Well, Albert, who tells us about so many things going on with how many different religions are represented in the organization that you're in charge of?

Well, we have more than 20 religions, churches, or congregations represented.

I defy

most people to even name 20. Well, yes. Well, it is quite a blessing that we here, we are here in metropolitan Phoenix, and we have a whole representation of organizations that people probably have not heard of or have heard of but with very little kind of knowledge. That's why we owe it to you, Pat, that we kind of You help us educate people about the various religions.

I love doing it because it means it's the other side of the headlines that you see about this person who is anti-this and this organization that is anti-this. that you invite me every year to be the master of ceremonies of a wonderful evening that brings together the elements of the Arizona interfaith movement, all of these religions, and I always say every time Albert visits us that there I am at the podium on this big stage looking out at a couple of thousand people in a big auditorium, and here's a table with Roman collars, the Catholic folks, and here's a table over here, and this is an African group wearing dashigis, and so you have all of these people under one roof for an evening of camaraderie and entertainment and good dining, and

no fights break out. Oh, definitely so. Well, one of the things that Judy and I have been experiencing through the months and years is that we also attend religious services of various churches and congregations in our area. And isn't that