{"id":838,"date":"2026-10-25T00:39:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T00:39:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spiritualparent.org\/?p=838"},"modified":"2026-10-25T00:39:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T00:39:16","slug":"interfaith-america-welcomes-rev-dr-zina-jacque-as-monthly-contributor-with-launch-of-sacred-pause-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spiritualparent.org\/?p=838","title":{"rendered":"Interfaith America Welcomes Rev. Dr. Zina Jacque as Monthly Contributor with Launch of "Sacred Pause" Series"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON<\/strong> \u2014 Interfaith America has officially announced that the Reverend Dr. Zina Jacque has joined the organization as a new monthly voice in its community. Dr. Jacque, a distinguished pastor, writer, and longtime leader dedicated to the spaces where dialogue, human dignity, and a sense of belonging intersect, also brings her leadership experience directly to the organization as a member of Interfaith America\u2019s Board of Directors.<\/p>\n

In an era where public life, media ecosystems, and civic discourse routinely reward velocity, reaction, and superficial depth over genuine reflection, Dr. Jacque\u2019s new monthly column\u2014titled "Sacred Pause"\u2014offers readers an intentional alternative. Designed as a brief, contemplative reflection, the series invites individuals to carve out mental and spiritual space for clarity, grounding, and thoughtful engagement with difference. <\/p>\n

As communities across the United States navigate complex social landscapes and deep-seated divisions, Interfaith America\u2019s introduction of the series emphasizes the importance of slowing down. The initiative serves as a reminder of what it truly means to build a shared civic life with intention, patience, and mutual respect.<\/p>\n

To mark the introduction of this recurring feature, Interfaith America has highlighted several key reflections from Dr. Jacque\u2019s recent months of writing, illustrating the thematic depth and steady wisdom that the monthly series brings to its readership.<\/p>\n

A Sacred Pause: October<\/h3>\n

In the October installment of the series, Dr. Jacque confronts a challenging and often overlooked dynamic in the work of bridge-building, dialogue, and pluralism. For months and years, public intellectuals and community organizers have dedicated countless hours to discussing the necessity of recognizing the humanity of others. However, October\u2019s reflection shifts the lens to a more difficult inquiry: What happens when someone fails to recognize yours?<\/p>\n

Dr. Jacque explores a fundamental truth that is frequently sidelined in polite conversations about tolerance and coexistence: honoring the dignity of others should never require an individual to forfeit their own. The reflection offers a powerful reassurance to those who labor for peace and understanding, asserting that one does not need to make oneself smaller to build connection, nor does one need to disappear entirely in order to belong. <\/p>\n

According to Dr. Jacque, holding onto one’s personal dignity is not a distraction from the collective work of pluralism; rather, it is foundational to it. Without self-respect and the preservation of one\u2019s own humanity, true cross-cultural engagement collapses into mere compliance.<\/p>\n

A Sacred Pause: September<\/h3>\n

Moving backward into the autumn transition, September\u2019s reflection addresses a silent crisis affecting many of the nation\u2019s most dedicated civic and religious leaders: the thin line between deep commitment and total depletion.<\/p>\n

Dr. Jacque observes that the individuals most susceptible to severe burnout are frequently those who care the deepest. They are the ones who consistently show up, who patiently explain complex realities to skeptics, and who tirelessly attempt to bridge widening societal divides. Yet, human endurance has limits, and there inevitably arrives a moment when the body, the mind, and the spirit signal an inescapable truth: enough for today.<\/p>\n

Rather than framing this boundary as a failure of will or a sign of weakness, September’s Sacred Pause reframes it as an act of profound wisdom. Listening to the quiet warnings of exhaustion is presented as essential maintenance. A purposeful pause, Dr. Jacque reminds her readers, is frequently the very mechanism that grants individuals the resilience required to keep showing up tomorrow.<\/p>\n

A Sacred Pause: August<\/h3>\n

As the summer months transitioned into the rigorous routines of a new school year and society accelerated back into a frantic pace, August\u2019s reflection posed a poignant question to readers: What if one of your wisest teachers has been trying to get your attention all along?<\/p>\n

In this installment, Dr. Jacque invites the community to examine the physical and emotional signals they routinely ignore\u2014the rising tension, the chronic fatigue, and the quiet, persistent reminders that they are carrying loads far heavier than they can sustainably manage. <\/p>\n

With life settling into a faster, more demanding rhythm, the August reflection delivers a timely counter-cultural message. Rest is framed not as a superficial reward granted only after exhausting endurance, but rather as the foundational prerequisite that makes endurance possible in the first place. A pause, Dr. Jacque notes, is never a failure of purpose; it is precisely how purpose survives the long haul.<\/p>\n

A Sacred Pause: July<\/h3>\n

Against the backdrop of national introspection as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, July\u2019s Sacred Pause addressed a collective sense of unsteadiness. With many citizens openly questioning what it means to forge a shared future during an era of deep political and cultural transformation, Dr. Jacque offered a spiritual and civic practice of steadiness.<\/p>\n

This steadiness, she clarifies, is neither passive silence nor cowardly withdrawal from public life. Instead, it functions as an active method of remaining firmly grounded in what matters most. <\/p>\n

The reflection encourages readers to name a core value that holds them steady, to carry that value with conscious intention, and to let it actively shape how they navigate interpersonal and ideological differences. A steady people, the reflection suggests, possess the internal fortitude required to build a nation that endures.<\/p>\n

A Sacred Pause: June<\/h3>\n

In June, the series turned its attention outward toward the anonymous crowds that populate daily life. Dr. Jacque reminded readers that every single person encountered over the course of an ordinary day is carrying something of profound weight and worth.<\/p>\n

This installment invited the Interfaith America community to consider what it genuinely means to see one another\u2014moving past abstract theoretical concepts of empathy into active, daily practice. This challenge becomes particularly acute when encountering differences that feel unfamiliar, threatening, or deeply challenging. <\/p>\n

Across diverse religious and philosophical traditions, Dr. Jacque points out, a singular shared truth persists: the human being standing directly in front of you matters. The pressing question for modern society is whether we possess the collective will to live like it is true.<\/p>\n

A Sacred Pause: May<\/h3>\n

The foundation for the entire series was established in May, with a reflection that urged readers to hit the brakes before engaging with the relentless stream of digital media. Before scrolling through the news or social feeds, Dr. Jacque asked a grounding question: What story are you carrying beneath the surface right now?<\/p>\n

The invisible stories individuals carry\u2014born of personal history, trauma, hope, or fear\u2014fundamentally shape how they listen, how quickly they judge, and how they respond to viewpoints that challenge their own. <\/p>\n

May\u2019s Sacred Pause encouraged readers to simply notice the internal narrative they bring into every room and every debate, not with the immediate pressure to fix it, but simply for the sake of honest awareness. True change, the series asserts, always begins with the courage to see oneself clearly.<\/p>\n

Through the continuation of the "Sacred Pause" series, Interfaith America and Dr. Jacque look forward to guiding their community through these ongoing journeys of reflection, offering a steady harbor in public life for months to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON \u2014 Interfaith America has officially announced that the Reverend Dr. Zina Jacque has joined the organization as a new monthly voice in its community. Dr. Jacque, a distinguished pastor, writer, and longtime leader dedicated to the spaces where dialogue, human dignity, and a sense of belonging intersect, also brings her leadership experience directly to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[518],"tags":[565,990,520,519,522,989,991,529,992,381,993,521,987,988],"class_list":["post-838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interfaith-family-ethics","tag-america","tag-contributor","tag-family-ethics","tag-interfaith","tag-interfaith-parenting","tag-jacque","tag-launch","tag-monthly","tag-pause","tag-sacred","tag-series","tag-spiritual-diversity","tag-welcomes","tag-zina"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritualparent.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritualparent.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritualparent.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritualparent.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritualparent.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=838"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spiritualparent.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritualparent.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritualparent.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritualparent.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritualparent.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}