God Squad: A God wink and 'Keeping the Faith'

Ben Stiller plays the rabbi (I thought he was too short and not as funny as me, but otherwise he was perfect). Edward Norton (in his directorial debut) plays the priest (I thought he was not as handsome as Tommy, but otherwise he was perfect).

Jenna Elfman plays the woman they both love (Betty is more beautiful and, though we both loved Betty, it was purely platonic with Tommy. Otherwise, she was perfect, too).

There is no doubt we were the inspiration for the characters. In the movie, they call themselves the God Squad and Disney pictures asked us to fly to Los Angeles for the opening (we never did). It is a charming movie that still appears on streaming sites.

I am still amazed that people find the friendship of a priest and a rabbi unusual. For Tommy and me, our friendship was completely normal and unexceptional. In time, we realized that we had become a symbol for true interfaith dialogue, and we were proud of that. What filled us with most joy was the fact that it all began from the bottom up. It was not a once-a-year interfaith Thanksgiving service-type of interfaith dialogue. It began with personal friendship and grew up into a mission to teach that the ways we are the same are much more important than the ways we are different.

After Tommy died, I was surprised and saddened that no one else took up the mission of the God Squad. What I now understand is that this is not true. I regularly hear from dear readers of their deep and sustaining friendships with people of other faiths. The truth is that the world is filled with many God Squads. They are not on television or in the papers, but they are real and sustain the truth that God has given pieces of the truth to every religion. Let us lift up this universal revelation and let us learn from this passage from I Corinthians 12 that Tommy sent me on my birthday a month after we first met:

Anyway, that movie receipt from Blockbuster (you are dating yourself because Blockbuster is long gone) is amazing, but more amazing is that you are writing to me now without realizing that in a way we already met at the cemetery. May God comfort you on the passing of your daughter. Know this: The God Squad is always with you! I pray that Tommy is showing Kristen around Heaven. Some day (I am not in a rush) I hope to join them on the tour. God bless you.

And our own daughter has added the names of family members to bless who have passed on.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to say this once again.