For some time I have been in casual contact with the gentleman who writes below. We have been sharing our cultural wisdom, traditions and ritual, he of his people and I of the Wicca. In response to a request for stories from the URI which I have posted elsewhere, He writes his story below. I share it because it is one which we can all relate to, I think. In his own words:
"THE YOUNG INDIGENOUS AND THE ANCESTRAL LEGEND OF THE UNITED BETWEEN THE CONDOR AND THE EAGLE. "LAS AMÉRICAS LAS TIERRAS DEL SOL Y LA LUNA."
Many centurys ago about 5 centurys the europen man get arrived to the Abia-Yala and introduced some diferents things, for example the another kind of thinking and living.
All the people and indigenous nations looked for in the teaching of the old people the news way for to live in this situation.
The "ancestral circle of elders" , which was the principal place for the comunity said an important mesagge for the young people, " this times are the moment for to change our look and is the moment when the natural life and the comunity life are going to sleep under one dream which is goinig to preserv for a lot centurys, but in one moment when our Mather Earth wake up us again it will be the new PACHAKUTY( The new time for us).
The meeting of the Condor and the Eagle is going to give the sign of this moment.
When the Condor and the Eagle are flying again we are living free again too."
This story or legend was told for the olders to the young people in this olds times.
But in this contmporary times in the divers countrys in latin America there are many young indigenous who are working for the new"Pachakuty" the new change. It is the moment for all the people in the World for building one new style of life. The dialogue between the young people and the elders is the natural way. The Mather Earth teached us it.
Cosmic Comunity is our style of life and it is our way. We believe in it.
Por arriva corre el agua
por abajo la piedrita,
y yo solamente quiero
s eguir tu curso de color y mirar al Sol.
Francisco"Inty"Morales.
Ambassador from Latin America.
URIGlobalyouth
Cosmic Comunity CC
Espacio de Estudios y Recuperación de la Cosmovisión Indígena
E.E.R.C.I "
This poem translates as Above the Eagle soars
The stone beneath
And all I wish
Is to follow your colorful path and see
the Sun.
This is a poetic rather than literal translation and I would welcome other thoughts and words.
Respectfully submitted,
R Watcher
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
"Rich Kids, Poor Kids: Same Stress, Different Packages"
Today I attended an MIC clergy luncheon at which the speaker, Don Carney, addressed the problems of Marin County teens, rich and poor. (Contrary to the impression some readers may have that Marin, because it is one of the wealthiest counties in the U.S., has no poor people, it does. And just like in other regions, the ranks of the less privileged are expanding while the middle class is shrinking.)
The speaker shows an obvious passion about the work he does with youth. He spoke mainly about youth courts in the U.S. today, and more specifically about the Marin County Youth Court, run by the YMCA and the Marin County Superior Court and the California Administrative Office of the Courts. Only a few years ago there were about 70 youth courts in the country and now there are 1,350.
Youth who have admitted guilt to a misdemeanor are eligible for this program, which focuses on the principle of restorative justice. In adversarial cases, the offender is prosecuted and defended by youth attorneys, before a youth jury. An adult judge presides and a youth bailiff supervises the process, with adult caseworker support for the youth and his or her family. If the offender completes the program within three months, he or she leaves with no juvenile record. The focus is on healing the harm done to the victim, the community, and the perpetrator.
Mandatory aspects include serving two to five times as a juror, providing 10 to 80 hours of community service, and taking a prevention class. Discretionary sentences imposed by the youth jury include restitution to the victim, letters of apology, reflective essays, anger management class, theft awareness class, drug education class, prevention class, additional counseling, and mentoring.
Seventy percent of the kids in youth court are from white, upper middle class families, and 90% of the offenses involve substance abuse. The pressures on kids to achieve often unrealistic goals contribute to their stress levels. Family dynamics add to the pressure and confusion. Marin has the high rate of binge drinking for both teens and adult, and pot smoking is twice the national average. The good news is that youth involvement in AA is enormous, some arising from sentences imposed in youth court.
Kids with what are known as "surplus assets" do not present like less privileged kids do. High achievers can be as drugged and drunk as lower achievers. Underneath are substance and family issues. He cited Madeline Levine's book, The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids. Dr. Levine is a clinical psychologist here in Marin.
Mr. Carney also showed a TV news feature about the Marin Youth Court and recommended a documentary film called "Race to Nowhere: The Dark Side of American's Achievement Culture," made by Vicki Abeles.
A third resource he recommended was Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers, by Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D., and Gabor Maté, M.D.
The emphasis on cooperative education rather than competitive education that the youth court espouses can lead to lowered stress for teens. Mr. Carney said that we need alternatives to suspension for students who violate school rules. He said this leads to dropping out of school, when in fact the practice really pushes the kids out of the system. He believes the system should bear the onus, not the kid. As an example, he cited a good student found carrying a Swiss Army knife in his pack. With a zero tolerance policy in effect, this student was sent to a program with chronic offenders. He also said it's not helpful to mix middle school offenders with high school offenders. Whether an offender is put with peers or peers and older teens, the fact that he or she is in any kind of punitive environment leads to more alienation and the potential for greater offenses.
The irrefutable value of youth courts shows in the recidivism rate of kids who've gone through this process: 13% nationally and only 5% in Marin.
The speaker shows an obvious passion about the work he does with youth. He spoke mainly about youth courts in the U.S. today, and more specifically about the Marin County Youth Court, run by the YMCA and the Marin County Superior Court and the California Administrative Office of the Courts. Only a few years ago there were about 70 youth courts in the country and now there are 1,350.
Youth who have admitted guilt to a misdemeanor are eligible for this program, which focuses on the principle of restorative justice. In adversarial cases, the offender is prosecuted and defended by youth attorneys, before a youth jury. An adult judge presides and a youth bailiff supervises the process, with adult caseworker support for the youth and his or her family. If the offender completes the program within three months, he or she leaves with no juvenile record. The focus is on healing the harm done to the victim, the community, and the perpetrator.
Mandatory aspects include serving two to five times as a juror, providing 10 to 80 hours of community service, and taking a prevention class. Discretionary sentences imposed by the youth jury include restitution to the victim, letters of apology, reflective essays, anger management class, theft awareness class, drug education class, prevention class, additional counseling, and mentoring.
Seventy percent of the kids in youth court are from white, upper middle class families, and 90% of the offenses involve substance abuse. The pressures on kids to achieve often unrealistic goals contribute to their stress levels. Family dynamics add to the pressure and confusion. Marin has the high rate of binge drinking for both teens and adult, and pot smoking is twice the national average. The good news is that youth involvement in AA is enormous, some arising from sentences imposed in youth court.
Kids with what are known as "surplus assets" do not present like less privileged kids do. High achievers can be as drugged and drunk as lower achievers. Underneath are substance and family issues. He cited Madeline Levine's book, The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids. Dr. Levine is a clinical psychologist here in Marin.
Mr. Carney also showed a TV news feature about the Marin Youth Court and recommended a documentary film called "Race to Nowhere: The Dark Side of American's Achievement Culture," made by Vicki Abeles.
A third resource he recommended was Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers, by Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D., and Gabor Maté, M.D.
The emphasis on cooperative education rather than competitive education that the youth court espouses can lead to lowered stress for teens. Mr. Carney said that we need alternatives to suspension for students who violate school rules. He said this leads to dropping out of school, when in fact the practice really pushes the kids out of the system. He believes the system should bear the onus, not the kid. As an example, he cited a good student found carrying a Swiss Army knife in his pack. With a zero tolerance policy in effect, this student was sent to a program with chronic offenders. He also said it's not helpful to mix middle school offenders with high school offenders. Whether an offender is put with peers or peers and older teens, the fact that he or she is in any kind of punitive environment leads to more alienation and the potential for greater offenses.
The irrefutable value of youth courts shows in the recidivism rate of kids who've gone through this process: 13% nationally and only 5% in Marin.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Among the more compelling upcoming events announced at this luncheon:- International Day of Peace on September 21, 2010, celebrated at Peace Pole at Dominican University, sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael. This year they will be adding a fifth plaque in the language of the Coast Miwok, the original human inhabitants of this area (see Big Time). I'm hoping to participate in this, as I did in 2007 when my friend Sister Marion chaired the Sisters' Social Justice Committee.
- Ceremony on August 27, 2010 marking the return of the Torah belonging to Congregation Kol Shofar in Tiburon back to the synagogue from its temporary home at Westminster Presbyterian Church, where it was kept during construction of a new building housing the former.
- Community dinner on October 16, 2010 at Pickleweed Park Community Center in the Canal District of San Rafael, a neighborhood where many immigrants live, featuring Mayan food and entertainment.
Respectfully submitted,
M. Macha NightMare
Interfaith Representative
Thursday, August 19, 2010
CoG Interfaith Rep elected Officer of regional interfaith organization
Last Tuesday, at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio (www.interfaith-presidio.org), we elected Board Officers. I was elected Secretary of the Board. This will be my 11th term as Secretary, so I guess I'm doing something right. ;-)
Serving as Secretary has so far included serving on the Program Committee, on the Transition Committee (overseeing our search for a new Director), on the Community Initiatives Advisory Committee (overseeing the management of the funds we have already raised in our $7 million renovation campaign), and ongoing meetings with our architects (Page & Turnbull - www.page-turnbull.com) and with the Presidio Trust (www.presidio.gov/trust). The ICP is committee-rich and somehow I seem to end up on almost all of them! This is why I have at least one meeting a week with the ICP. Interfaith can certainly keep you busy.
The ICP is one of only a handful of regional interfaith organizations (made up of local interfaith councils et al.), and the only one with a Pagan on its Board. It has always welcomed Pagan participation, hosts the annual "People of the Earth" event for Neopagans, immigrant Pagans and Indigenous practitioners, and is even redesigning its landscaping to be more welcoming and useful for the needs of Earth Religions. As always, I highly recommend checking out the ICP's Bay Area Interfaith Connect calendar, with interfaith events happening all over the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area (www.interfaithpresidio.org/icpnewsevents.cfm).
Blessed Be,
Don Frew
National Interfaith Representative
Serving as Secretary has so far included serving on the Program Committee, on the Transition Committee (overseeing our search for a new Director), on the Community Initiatives Advisory Committee (overseeing the management of the funds we have already raised in our $7 million renovation campaign), and ongoing meetings with our architects (Page & Turnbull - www.page-turnbull.com) and with the Presidio Trust (www.presidio.gov/trust). The ICP is committee-rich and somehow I seem to end up on almost all of them! This is why I have at least one meeting a week with the ICP. Interfaith can certainly keep you busy.
The ICP is one of only a handful of regional interfaith organizations (made up of local interfaith councils et al.), and the only one with a Pagan on its Board. It has always welcomed Pagan participation, hosts the annual "People of the Earth" event for Neopagans, immigrant Pagans and Indigenous practitioners, and is even redesigning its landscaping to be more welcoming and useful for the needs of Earth Religions. As always, I highly recommend checking out the ICP's Bay Area Interfaith Connect calendar, with interfaith events happening all over the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area (www.interfaithpresidio.org/icpnewsevents.cfm).
Blessed Be,
Don Frew
National Interfaith Representative
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Parliament of the World's Religions accepting interns - posted by Michelle
The Council is currently seeking individuals with a passion for the interfaith movement for a Fall 2010 semester internship. Click here to learn more about this exciting opportunity.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Celebrating a Catholic interfaith pioneer & friend of Wiccan interfaith work
Last Saturday, I was pleased to attend a celebration for Fr. Gerry O'Rourke at San Francisco's Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption (www.stmarycathedralsf.org/).
Gerry was one of the founders of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, the United Religions Initiative, and a host of other Catholic and interfaith service projects. He has been called "the Godfather (in the nice sense of the word) of Bay Area interfaith". As one person at the celebration remarked, "Gerry looks like he was sent by Central Casting"... He is an Irish Catholic Priest who is tall, white-haired, jovial, speaks with a thick Irish brogue, and always answers a question with a story. From the beginnings of the modern interfaith movement he has been insistent about several points that have become oft-repeated quotes in the field:
* "It's all about relationship, relationship, relationship!" -- He always stresses the importance of making personal connections, and has always had the time to ask about your health, your family, and your life, and to care about response.
* "We're all just children at this!" -- The interfaith movement is just getting off the ground doing something new in the history of the world, so we shouldn't be surprised if we stumble now and then.
* "This is a kairos moment!" -- Kairos (καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment). The ancient Greeks had two words for time, chronos and kairos. While the former refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter signifies a time in between, a moment of undetermined period of time in which something special happens. [from Wikipedia]
* "We have to keep asking: Who's not here?" -- Gerry has always been insistent that for interfaith to mean anything, it has to be inclusive -- including of people we don't know are out there -- so we have to be actively seeking out the religious diversity in our communities and making sure that everyone has a seat at the table.
While Gerry's voice may have been the loudest in this regard, MANY Catholics have been VERY outspoken about the importance of including Pagans in the interfaith process.
At last Saturday's celebration, after many tributes from his many friends and colleagues, Gerry thanked everyone and singled out a few by name, including me. He said that if he hadn't participated in a Pagan meditation led by me, his eyes and heart would never have been opened to the sacredness of Mother Earth. "You can hear people talk about this," he said, "but it's another thing to FEEL it!"
There is a nice articles about Gerry, his interfaith work, and his work with Pagans at:
* www.masteryfoundation.org/people_orourke.html
In interfaith work, we often discover friends where we didn't expect to find them. For me, one of those delightful discoveries has been the many Catholic Fathers, Sisters, and Brothers who have been so supportive of the Pagan presence and such a joy to work with. So, Happy Birthday, Gerry!
Thanks and Blessed Be,
Donald H. Frew
National Interfaith Representative
Gerry just turned 85 and observed the 60th anniversary of his ordination as a Priest! He has served for many years as the Officer for Ecumenical & Interreligious Affairs in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. This used be under the auspices, and with the direct support of, Archbishop Leveda, but with the elevation of Pope Benedict XVI, now Cardinal Leveda was moved to Rome to head the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. (The new Archbishop is George Hugh Niederauer.) Right before he left San Francisco, then Archbishop Leveda organized a mass for the departed Pope John Paul II and called me to ask if I would represent the Wiccan community at the service.
A Catholic Archbishop invited a Witch to represent the Wiccan community at a Catholic mass, right before going to Rome to take over leadership of what used to be called the Holy Office of the Inquisition. This was entirely due to the tireless interfaith work of Fr. Gerry O'Rourke.
* "It's all about relationship, relationship, relationship!" -- He always stresses the importance of making personal connections, and has always had the time to ask about your health, your family, and your life, and to care about response.
* "We're all just children at this!" -- The interfaith movement is just getting off the ground doing something new in the history of the world, so we shouldn't be surprised if we stumble now and then.
* "This is a kairos moment!" -- Kairos (καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment). The ancient Greeks had two words for time, chronos and kairos. While the former refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter signifies a time in between, a moment of undetermined period of time in which something special happens. [from Wikipedia]
* "We have to keep asking: Who's not here?" -- Gerry has always been insistent that for interfaith to mean anything, it has to be inclusive -- including of people we don't know are out there -- so we have to be actively seeking out the religious diversity in our communities and making sure that everyone has a seat at the table.
While Gerry's voice may have been the loudest in this regard, MANY Catholics have been VERY outspoken about the importance of including Pagans in the interfaith process.
At last Saturday's celebration, after many tributes from his many friends and colleagues, Gerry thanked everyone and singled out a few by name, including me. He said that if he hadn't participated in a Pagan meditation led by me, his eyes and heart would never have been opened to the sacredness of Mother Earth. "You can hear people talk about this," he said, "but it's another thing to FEEL it!"
There is a nice articles about Gerry, his interfaith work, and his work with Pagans at:
* www.masteryfoundation.org/people_orourke.html
In interfaith work, we often discover friends where we didn't expect to find them. For me, one of those delightful discoveries has been the many Catholic Fathers, Sisters, and Brothers who have been so supportive of the Pagan presence and such a joy to work with. So, Happy Birthday, Gerry!
Thanks and Blessed Be,
Donald H. Frew
National Interfaith Representative
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
collaborating on moon meditation - Michelle Mueller
I am at a 3-day workshop for religious educators in Unitarian Universalist congregations. We are meeting at a Jewish retreat center in Maryland, Pearlstone Retreat Center, which is awesome! There is very pastoral land here, and all the food is kosher. Vegetarianism is very easy in kosher kitchens.
I led brief worship tonight on the phases of the moon with lifelong UU and Director of Religious Education, Merrin Clough of Central Unitarian Church of Bergen County, NJ. This is terriffic collaboration! I had the idea of the moon phases. Merrin is responsible for a lot of the poetry. The group was very receptive, and the workshop leaders asked for a copy. This is what we wrote together:
I led brief worship tonight on the phases of the moon with lifelong UU and Director of Religious Education, Merrin Clough of Central Unitarian Church of Bergen County, NJ. This is terriffic collaboration! I had the idea of the moon phases. Merrin is responsible for a lot of the poetry. The group was very receptive, and the workshop leaders asked for a copy. This is what we wrote together:
Opening (Merrin) :
The moon
each night is there above us.
A guide
always present, silent, and true.
Tonight bring your eyes
and heart to the moonlight.
Linger, listen
for deep wisdom.
The moon gives no light of its own.
It is a great body that reflects
the burning source of the sun.
Tonight the unseen sun is your congregation
and you are the moon.
Phases of the Moon Meditation
Michelle:
At some time in our lives we have all found ourselves under a waxing moon.
Looking up as that light body in the dark sky becomes fuller and brighter.
Our hearts watch with awe as the night becomes more luminous.
Merrin:
Here we are tonight, together, growing
and becoming full of what we are to become.
Developing our skills as religious educators,
as stewards of these transitions.
Michelle:
Soon we will stand in the soft light of a full moon.
Looking up we will remember that the bright body in the night
creates no light of its own. All that we see is reflected from what we do not see.
Merrin:
As we illuminate the picture of the congregation before us,
reflecting the truth, wisdom and strength of the community,
may we also hold these religious education programs steady and full.
Michelle:
After experiencing the fullness of the moon,
It is time to retreat,
To step back and allow leadership to step forth.
What is the power of the waning moon?
Merrin:
As new leadership approaches,
we prepare to leave tomorrows work in the hands of the congregation.
They now know the journey they have traveled together
and their eyes fall on the path before them.
The religious education program is ready to grow to a new fullness
as the waxing moon rises above.
Song:
Bright Moon, we hear you calling.
Dark Moon, we call your name.
Crescent Moon, we sing with you.
Crescent Moon, we sing with you.
(I got the song or some version of it from the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel.)
Monday, July 5, 2010
United Religions Initiative 10th birthday (& a story shared)
On Saturday, June 26th, the United Religions Initiative (www.uri.org) celebrated its 10th birthday. Members of the URI’s 490 Cooperation Circles (or “CCs”) celebrated in over 70 countries. The URI’s Global Council, meeting in Amman, Jordan, celebrated in an event that can be seen on YouTube. And in San Francisco, home of the URI’s Global Offices (or “Hub”), about half the Hub staff (those who didn’t go to Amman) and several of us who had been there for the URI’s founding gathered at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio to eat cake, sing songs, and share memories.
In the photo below, the gentleman in the middle in the blue jacket is Paul Andrews, Executive Producer of “Improbable Pairs” (www.improbablepairs.com), collecting stories of friendships in spite of violently devisive issues in war-torn parts of the world. Sitting in front of him is Rita Semel, a leader in the San Francisco Jewish community and widely acknowledged as the “godmother” of both the United Religions Initiative and the URI. She’s been doing interfaith since the mid-1960s and was a cub reporter when she covered the signing of the United Nations charter in SF in 1945. Over Rita’s shoulder is me. ;-)
In the next photo, the man sitting in the center in the gray suit is Rev. Paul Chaffee, the Director of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio. At the back of the photo is the Rev. Dr. Heng Sure, a Buddhist monk with the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery who once spent years walking the length of California, in complete silence, making a full prostration every third step. He has a great voice and can be found lecturing on Buddhism and singing in many YouTube videos. Heng Sure has been a prominent figure in Bay Area and global interfaith. Sitting at the table in a turban is Dr. Meji Singh, a Sikh who has been an organizational design consultant for several interfaith organizations, including the URI. Arrayed against the wall on the right are many URI staffers and CoG Nat. Interfaith Rep. Rachael Watcher.
Heng Sure, on guitar, led us in singing “the URI song”, followed by “Happy Birthday” as I brought in a cake. Rita blew out the candles and we all circled together to share a favorite story of the URI. I told a story about one day at the 1998 Global Summit, at which we were working on drafting the URI’s Charter. I reported on this day at the time to CoG’s e-list, but this Interfaith Blog gives me the opportunity to share the story with a wider audience. Here’s my original report, with a few added parts to the story…
<< Hi Folks!
Deborah [Ann Light] and I are at a 7-day interfaith conference, the United Religions Initiative Global Summit III. There are some 200 delegates here from over 50 countries. We are working on the Preamble, Purpose, Charter, and organizational structure of the soon-to-be United Religions. It has been (as always) exciting and exhausting, tedious and rewarding -- and we still have 2 more days to go!
Something amazing, possibly historic, just happened and so I take advantage of the conference computer room to tell you all. For years, groups like ours have been sort of at the edges of interfaith, hanging on at the fringes of the populous, mainstream core of revealed religions. While we have been present at the conferences and have participated, we have had little interaction with each other. That changed over lunch.
There have been conferences on the environment, but most attending have still seen a split between spirit and nature, and so the spiritually inclined scientists have felt left out. There have been conferences of tribal peoples, but many of us live in societies that are no longer tribal. There have been conferences of indigenous religions, but many of us now live far from the lands of our ancestors. Today we held a gathering of indigenous, Earth-centered, and nature based religions that brought together many of these groups for the first time.
25 of us (13% of the delegates here!) met sitting on the Earth in the central courtyard of the conference facility, in full and dramatic view of the rest of the conference participants, including URI founder Bishop Swing. There were two Witches, several practitioners from North, Central, and South American tribes (some speaking through interpretors), a practioner of Shinto, two Taoists (one from China, the other from the US), a Hindu from the International Association of Hindu Temples, and several folks whose environmental science is informed by a spiritual regard for the Earth. (There was also a priestess of Candomble who wished to attend, but couldn’t.)
We shared food, prayers, and personal stories, with each other and the Earth. We discussed our belief systems and found (not unexpectedly) amazing similarity. We even knew the same songs, but in different languages. (We also expressed the same frustrations with the relative marginalization of Earth-religion at these conferences.)
And very important... we shared contact info and agreed that this is the start of a coordinated pan-Pagan presence in the world of global interfaith. Many of us plan to go to the `99 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Cape Town, South Africa. We plan to accept Madame Nana Appeadou’s offer to join with traditional African Elders in pan-Pagan ceremonies and programs.
The presence of the scientists in so visible a meeting of Pagans made a big difference. It lent considerable credibility to what otherwise might have been dismissed as “flaky” or “primitive” or both. Further, for the rest of the conference, the scientists would say to representatives of the other religions present “If you are serious about concern for the environment and resacralizing the Earth, then you HAVE to listen to what the Pagans are saying. Their message could be the most important one leading into the next Millenium.”
This was a development that I certainly welcomed, but never anticipated.
It is quite possible that a new day in interfaith has just dawned for us.
After the Pagan lunch, I took the collected food offerings from our group to the site of the Pacha Mama ceremony to give to the Earth. On my way back, I was stopped by a Catholic priest from Africa. He said that he had been unable to come to the lunch, but would like to be included in our networking. I thought that there might be a translation problem and explained that the group was for practitioners of indigenous, Earth-centered, and nature-based spiritualities. “I may be a Catholic priest”, he said, “but I still do the ceremonies of my people, with one difference... they do them naked and I don’t.” I leaned in close and said, “That’s okay, many of us do them naked, too.”, and we both laughed.
When I got back to the central courtyard, several Muslims were unrolling their prayer rugs. Iftekhar Hai, President of the United Muslims of America, grabbed my arm (he tends to do that) and said “We are going to do our afternoon prayers. We all are aiming towards the same divine. Come pray with us!” I explained that I did not know what to do or say. Iftekhar said “Don’t worry! Just follow me!” And so I found myself with Muslims from Uganda, India, and Pakistan, answering the call to prayer just minutes after offering food to Mother Earth. Allahu akbar, indeed! This was typical of the spirit of fellowship that pervaded this event. When I told Iftekhar that I had just returned from the Middle East where I was looking into Sabian roots of the Craft, Iftekhar was overjoyed. “But they are in the Quran!” he exclaimed, and gave me a big hug.
When the conference reconvened, there was an open-mike session. I reported on our Pagan lunch and thankd Bishop Swing for making it possible for the world’s Pagans to come together.
As I left the tent, I was stopped by Valentine Mokiwa, of the Christian Council of Tanzania...
VM: Excuse me, I heard what you said about the Pagans.
DHF: Yes?
VM: And I have seen your pamphlet. (“Witchcraft: Commonly-asked Questions...”)
DHF: Yes?
VM: And I saw you praying in the courtyard.
DHF: Yes?
VM: So... I am very confused. What kind of Muslim are you?
I laughed and explained that I was a guest at Muslim prayers and this led to a pleasant discussion of interfaith worship. >>
As usual, get one of us started telling stories about interfaith experiences and we go on and on, and so I have, and so did everyone else as we remembered the first 10 years and more of the URI and looked forward to the next 10.
Blessed Be,
Don Frew
National Interfaith Representative
In the photo below, the gentleman in the middle in the blue jacket is Paul Andrews, Executive Producer of “Improbable Pairs” (www.improbablepairs.com), collecting stories of friendships in spite of violently devisive issues in war-torn parts of the world. Sitting in front of him is Rita Semel, a leader in the San Francisco Jewish community and widely acknowledged as the “godmother” of both the United Religions Initiative and the URI. She’s been doing interfaith since the mid-1960s and was a cub reporter when she covered the signing of the United Nations charter in SF in 1945. Over Rita’s shoulder is me. ;-)
In the next photo, the man sitting in the center in the gray suit is Rev. Paul Chaffee, the Director of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio. At the back of the photo is the Rev. Dr. Heng Sure, a Buddhist monk with the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery who once spent years walking the length of California, in complete silence, making a full prostration every third step. He has a great voice and can be found lecturing on Buddhism and singing in many YouTube videos. Heng Sure has been a prominent figure in Bay Area and global interfaith. Sitting at the table in a turban is Dr. Meji Singh, a Sikh who has been an organizational design consultant for several interfaith organizations, including the URI. Arrayed against the wall on the right are many URI staffers and CoG Nat. Interfaith Rep. Rachael Watcher.
Heng Sure, on guitar, led us in singing “the URI song”, followed by “Happy Birthday” as I brought in a cake. Rita blew out the candles and we all circled together to share a favorite story of the URI. I told a story about one day at the 1998 Global Summit, at which we were working on drafting the URI’s Charter. I reported on this day at the time to CoG’s e-list, but this Interfaith Blog gives me the opportunity to share the story with a wider audience. Here’s my original report, with a few added parts to the story…
<< Hi Folks!
Deborah [Ann Light] and I are at a 7-day interfaith conference, the United Religions Initiative Global Summit III. There are some 200 delegates here from over 50 countries. We are working on the Preamble, Purpose, Charter, and organizational structure of the soon-to-be United Religions. It has been (as always) exciting and exhausting, tedious and rewarding -- and we still have 2 more days to go!
(Note the Pentacle on the center flag!)
Something amazing, possibly historic, just happened and so I take advantage of the conference computer room to tell you all. For years, groups like ours have been sort of at the edges of interfaith, hanging on at the fringes of the populous, mainstream core of revealed religions. While we have been present at the conferences and have participated, we have had little interaction with each other. That changed over lunch.
There have been conferences on the environment, but most attending have still seen a split between spirit and nature, and so the spiritually inclined scientists have felt left out. There have been conferences of tribal peoples, but many of us live in societies that are no longer tribal. There have been conferences of indigenous religions, but many of us now live far from the lands of our ancestors. Today we held a gathering of indigenous, Earth-centered, and nature based religions that brought together many of these groups for the first time.
25 of us (13% of the delegates here!) met sitting on the Earth in the central courtyard of the conference facility, in full and dramatic view of the rest of the conference participants, including URI founder Bishop Swing. There were two Witches, several practitioners from North, Central, and South American tribes (some speaking through interpretors), a practioner of Shinto, two Taoists (one from China, the other from the US), a Hindu from the International Association of Hindu Temples, and several folks whose environmental science is informed by a spiritual regard for the Earth. (There was also a priestess of Candomble who wished to attend, but couldn’t.)
We shared food, prayers, and personal stories, with each other and the Earth. We discussed our belief systems and found (not unexpectedly) amazing similarity. We even knew the same songs, but in different languages. (We also expressed the same frustrations with the relative marginalization of Earth-religion at these conferences.)
And very important... we shared contact info and agreed that this is the start of a coordinated pan-Pagan presence in the world of global interfaith. Many of us plan to go to the `99 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Cape Town, South Africa. We plan to accept Madame Nana Appeadou’s offer to join with traditional African Elders in pan-Pagan ceremonies and programs.
The presence of the scientists in so visible a meeting of Pagans made a big difference. It lent considerable credibility to what otherwise might have been dismissed as “flaky” or “primitive” or both. Further, for the rest of the conference, the scientists would say to representatives of the other religions present “If you are serious about concern for the environment and resacralizing the Earth, then you HAVE to listen to what the Pagans are saying. Their message could be the most important one leading into the next Millenium.”
This was a development that I certainly welcomed, but never anticipated.
It is quite possible that a new day in interfaith has just dawned for us.
After the Pagan lunch, I took the collected food offerings from our group to the site of the Pacha Mama ceremony to give to the Earth. On my way back, I was stopped by a Catholic priest from Africa. He said that he had been unable to come to the lunch, but would like to be included in our networking. I thought that there might be a translation problem and explained that the group was for practitioners of indigenous, Earth-centered, and nature-based spiritualities. “I may be a Catholic priest”, he said, “but I still do the ceremonies of my people, with one difference... they do them naked and I don’t.” I leaned in close and said, “That’s okay, many of us do them naked, too.”, and we both laughed.
When I got back to the central courtyard, several Muslims were unrolling their prayer rugs. Iftekhar Hai, President of the United Muslims of America, grabbed my arm (he tends to do that) and said “We are going to do our afternoon prayers. We all are aiming towards the same divine. Come pray with us!” I explained that I did not know what to do or say. Iftekhar said “Don’t worry! Just follow me!” And so I found myself with Muslims from Uganda, India, and Pakistan, answering the call to prayer just minutes after offering food to Mother Earth. Allahu akbar, indeed! This was typical of the spirit of fellowship that pervaded this event. When I told Iftekhar that I had just returned from the Middle East where I was looking into Sabian roots of the Craft, Iftekhar was overjoyed. “But they are in the Quran!” he exclaimed, and gave me a big hug.
When the conference reconvened, there was an open-mike session. I reported on our Pagan lunch and thankd Bishop Swing for making it possible for the world’s Pagans to come together.
As I left the tent, I was stopped by Valentine Mokiwa, of the Christian Council of Tanzania...
VM: Excuse me, I heard what you said about the Pagans.
DHF: Yes?
VM: And I have seen your pamphlet. (“Witchcraft: Commonly-asked Questions...”)
DHF: Yes?
VM: And I saw you praying in the courtyard.
DHF: Yes?
VM: So... I am very confused. What kind of Muslim are you?
I laughed and explained that I was a guest at Muslim prayers and this led to a pleasant discussion of interfaith worship. >>
As usual, get one of us started telling stories about interfaith experiences and we go on and on, and so I have, and so did everyone else as we remembered the first 10 years and more of the URI and looked forward to the next 10.
Blessed Be,
Don Frew
National Interfaith Representative
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