Speakers preach unity at Arlington Heights prayer breakfast

Amid political divisions, Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia, religious leaders and residents emphasized the ways the “Village of Good Neighbors” comes together.

Thursday marked the 39th annual Arlington Heights Mayor’s Community Prayer Breakfast — Tinaglia’s first as mayor.

Clergy, local politicians and community leaders of various religious backgrounds were at the early morning event at the DoubleTree Arlington Heights hotel.

“We can all worship different ways, but I guarantee you that we’re all so much more alike than we are different,” Tinaglia said.

The Rev. Corey Brost, founder of the Children of Abraham Coalition, a nonprofit that brings together Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Bahá’í people for interfaith dialogue, likened God to “the beauty of a mountain range, where many roads will take you to the same mountain range, but each road shows a different vista.”

“We move our society from being just a diverse society where there are many different faith traditions and cultures, to a pluralistic society, where the different faith traditions and cultures are not just seen but revered, where they are understood,” the Catholic priest said, “and where each culture has an ally, or more, from a different culture, to stand up against misinformation or even hate, which we see rising.”

Former Village Trustee Bert Rosenberg read from the prophet Isaiah — in which swords are beaten into plowshares, and nations don’t go to war — but said just the opposite is happening today around the world: violence is escalating, while antisemitism and the persecution of Christians and other people of faith is on the rise.

“The world is changing, but people still long for the same things: peace, common sense, closeness and love,” Rosenberg said. “Most people are hungry — you might even say starving — for goodness and peace.”

But there are examples of how Arlington Heights residents live out Christ’s commandment to love your neighbor as yourself, according to the event’s keynote speakers.

In more than two decades living on North Belmont Avenue, the Picchiotti family says actions have ranged from sharing baked goods to helping shovel a neighbor’s driveway.

But the community has been there for them during more trying times, too.

John and Amy Picchiotti and their son John said they felt the power of prayer when their other son Luke was injured during a Hersey High School football game in 2018.

As Luke lay on the field, players knelt and bowed their heads. Later at the hospital, coaches came to pray at his bedside. Amy’s phone was filled with texts — some, from people she didn’t know — sending their prayers for Luke’s recovery.

Luke recovered fully, while faith, prayer and relationships built with neighbors helped carry them through a dark and scary time, the Picchiottis said.

“Our neighborhood grew a lot bigger that day,” said Amy, who with her husband are leaders in the Young Life Christian youth ministry. “We wanted a neighborhood with sidewalks so that we could connect with our neighbors. Prayer is like our sidewalk to God.”