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GREENSBORO — Words of wisdom from various faiths and songs and dance from diverse cultures entertained people at Guilford College on Sunday afternoon during an annual event meant to bring people together for Thanksgiving.

But the focus at the 27th year of the Ecumenical Celebration of Thanksgiving, hosted this year by the Piedmont Interfaith Council and the Greensboro Human Relations Commission, was a little different.

Usually, the council refers to the community’s diversity as a tapestry.

“But a tapestry is a static thing,” said Melissa Burris, director of the Triad Tapestry Children’s Chorus. As the council thought about this year’s event, it realized that the community’s makeup is ever changing. “We’re really more like a kaleidoscope,” Burris said.

That’s what this year’s theme was named for — “Celebrating Our Community Kaleidoscope.”

Jo Hull founded the Piedmont Interfaith Council with her late husband, Jim Hull, who was chairman of the department of philosophy and religion at Greensboro College. He died in 2008.

“He was way ahead of his time in the ’70s,” Hull said of her husband. She said he believed that everyone was created by one God and that everyone should be treated the same. “He believed in living out the Golden Rule,” she said.

Hull said the goal of the celebration is building unity.

“It’s so important. There are so many groups trying to divide us.”

Faith traditions represented in this year’s program were from Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Unitarian Universalist, Jewish, Islamic, Bahai, Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist.

Each of the representatives shared wisdom from their faiths about confidence and persevering in the face of adversity.

Early in the presentation in Dana Auditorium, Rabbi Eliezer Havivi of Beth David Synagogue blew a shofar, or animal’s horn, as he has in past celebrations. Havivi said that the shofar is often used in Jewish services, especially during holidays such as Rosh Hashana.

“Diversity is always changing,” Havivi said. “The diversity today is different from (what) it was 20 years ago, and 20 years from now it will be different.”

He said he likes seeing young people in attendance. “It exposes them to diversity because they get to see things they may not see (on a daily basis.)”

Musician Louis Allen said it’s interesting to see how many cultures and faiths exist in Greensboro.

“You may never see or come in contact with this (without the celebration),” Allen said. “Maybe that’s the goal — to not wait so long between contacts (with other cultures).”

Because a kaleidoscope is supposed to change, members of the council hope the idea of the community as a kaleidoscope will help ease fears.

“People are scared of change, especially now,” Burris said. “We hope to encourage people not to be afraid of change, but look for the beauty that goes with each picture.”

Contact E.A. Seagraves at 883-4422, Ext. 241, or elizabeth.seagraves@news-record.com