First invocation under new policy was a secular Call to Civic Responsibility

David Diskin, founder of Lodi United, gave the first invocation or Call to Responsibility since the council approved its new policy allowing anyone to participate.

Below is a copy of the Call to Civic Responsibilty he gave before the meeting:

Thank you for giving me the honor of offering our city’s first secular invocation. What I hope to “invoke” tonight is the sense of community that ties us all together — the brotherhood or fellowship that allows individuals to look beyond their personal gain, beyond their beliefs, beyond their past, and to take action that supports the greater good.

This evening, our elected officials have assembled to govern our livable, lovable city. And we, the public, have assembled to give them our wisdom, guidance, passion, and support.
But our commitment to Lodi should not stop at the adjournment of tonight’s meeting.

Tonight I challenge all those here — myself included — to ask ourselves: What can we do to support the greater good? I challenge us all to put aside our differences, our religions, our ethnicities, our genders, and to work together to improve the standard of living that the people of Lodi deserve.

Over the last decade-and-a-half I’ve had the pleasure of working with a number of non-profit organizations, and I know you all have, too. What I ask of you now is to reaffirm your commitment to find time. Lend — not just your wallet — but your talent. Plant a tree. Adopt a cat. Teach someone to read. Build something. And inspire others to do the same.

For the next few hours, let us give our council the respect and support they need to fulfill their elected duty. And when we return home tonight, may we give our community the respect and support it needs, to make it the most livable, lovable city we possibly can.