By: Ella H., Fidelity
Have you ever wondered how our Rainbow teachings are relevant in the world we live in today? Like most, I never really thought about it until someone not familiar with Rainbow asked why our Assembly was called “Fidelity” and not just simply “Simi Valley.” I didn’t have a well-rehearsed answer, so I gave an explanation that fidelity means to be loyal, and truthful, and to demonstrate honor. I further explained that fidelity is one of the many things we teach in Rainbow and that it was a nice shade of blue. The name also sounded good at the time our Assembly was instituted way back in the olden days. Being satisfied with the answer, we shared a smile and a giggle, but it made me stop and think about it; like staying up until 2:00 AM on a school night, thinking about it! What does fidelity really mean?
The answer became clear to me when our assembly decided to honor our own truths and create a very meaningful Rainbow Church Sunday service. Fidelity Assembly is filled with girls and adults from many different faiths and cultures. In fact, our Worthy Advisor practices Hinduism and instead of a more traditional Christian prayer, she often opens our meetings with a beautiful Hindu blessing in Sanskrit. It is awe-inspiring listening to her speak an ancient language, then explain the significance of the blessing. This sparked us to want to share a bit more about each other’s spiritual beliefs, and we found Church Sunday to be the perfect opportunity!
On a beautiful sunny day at the park, we shared in a socially distanced circle of trust. It isn’t easy sharing very personal and meaningful beliefs, but we soon realized we were safe and respected as we honored a part of who we are. We learned about Hinduism being a religion that supports many different forms of expression, and about karma. Yes, karma is a real thing! We learned about the healing and cleansing power of crystals, and we heard about Christianity and all its different sects. We laughed as it was compared to an ice cream store where there are at least 31 different varieties to choose from. Really, though, what we shared is what our faith means to us on a personal level. We realized we are all connected by a belief that there is something bigger than ourselves that provides us a sense of peace and calm in a very busy world. We learned that in being true to ourselves by overcoming fear to share our own customs and beliefs, and in being supportive to our Rainbow Sisters as they shared their special messages, we were honoring ourselves and each other. To me, that is the best way to explain fidelity.
Fidelity Assembly showed our spirit and demonstrated how to be true and loyal to each other and to ourselves by simply honoring each other’s customs and cultures. So, the next time someone asks, I am more than ready to explain why Fidelity Assembly is true blue!
