A Famous Christmas Song Born During the Cuban Missle Crisis

Sometimes the deeper significance of the Christmas holiday gets lost in all of the comercial excess in December.

Here is the story of how one of the most popular Christmas songs was born at a time when the world was on the brink of nuclear war. The song is a reminder to stop war and embrace love.

"Do You Hear What I Hear" one of the world's most beloved Christmas songs was born during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 as an anti-war statement by a former French Resistance fighter from WWII who had personally suffered the ravages of war.

Noel Regney (1922-2002) was a Frenchman trained as a classical composer who was drafted into the German army in World War II. He deserted and joined the French Resistance. [During his work with the Resistance he suffered the horrors of war directly: he was shot, but survived.] After the war ended, Regney joined the French Overseas Radio Service and worked out of French Indochina until moving to Manhattan in 1952. He met Gloria Shayne while she was working as a pianist in a hotel dinning room and married her a month later.

Regney and Shayne wrote "Do You Hear What I Hear" in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Regney drew the image of Jesus as a newborn lamb from Matthew 2:9 and 2:11 and took his lyrics to his wife to set in the reverse of their usual practice. But while it is often taken for a Christmas carol, for Regney and Shayne "Do You Hear What I Hear" is a hymn to peace. "I am amazed that people can think they know the song," Regney later said, "and not know it was a prayer for peace." Although the song has been recorded by Bing Crosby and Perry Como and over 120 others, Regney and Shayne's favorite recording was Robert Goulet's 1963 recording for its dramatic delivery and his climatic "Pray for peace, people everywhere." ~ James Leonard, All Music Guide

Here's a link to the Bing Crosby version of "Do You Hear What I Hear"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWjzTAkWLBM

And here are the lyrics:

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Said the night wind to the little lamb,

do you see what I see

Way up in the sky, little lamb,

do you see what I see

A star, a star, dancing in the night

With a tail as big as a kite

With a tail as big as a kite

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,

do you hear what I hear

Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,

do you hear what I hear

A song, a song, high above the trees

With a voice as big as the sea

With a voice as big as the sea

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,

do you know what I know

In your palace warm, mighty king,

do you know what I know

A Child, a Child shivers in the cold

Let us bring Him silver and gold

Let us bring Him silver and gold

Said the king to the people everywhere,

listen to what I say

Pray for peace, people everywhere!

listen to what I say

The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night

He will bring us goodness and light

He will bring us goodness and light

Lessons We Can Learn from Peacemakers in the 5th Grade

I am serving as a volunteer mentor this winter in a special program called SPAVA that allows me to share non-violent conflict resolution skills with 5th graders at Bates elementary school in Louisville. You can find details about SPAVA (and volunteer for the program) at http://www.spava.us/.

One young student in my class shared an idea with me last week that I found deeply moving and full of creativity well beyond the years of this young person.

I had given my 29 students a take home assignment. I asked them to think of a major problem in the world that they would like to solve and then describe a machine that they would create to address that problem.

Wonderful ideas were shared by these 5th graders about how to eliminate hunger, cure diseases, and provide housing for everyone in the world, but one idea in particular grabbed my attention. It related to anger.

Anger is one of the major problems for students in our public schools. Probably all students feel anger. In fact we tell them it's ok to feel angry. But these fifth graders (like the rest of us) get into trouble when they respond to their anger by acting impulsively, without thinking.

So we teach them how to use a method pioneered by SPAVA called STAR.

In the STAR method students take 4 key steps to solving their problems non-violently these are:

S STOP! Cool down so you don’t do something impulsive that you
may regret later. Take a deep breath and count to 5 or do something else that works for you.
T THINK! What is the real problem? What are your choices? Ask about each choice: Does it respect everyone? Will it work? Pick your best choice.
A ACT! Carry out your best choice.
R REVIEW! Ask yourself, “Did it work? If it did, great! If it didn't, try another choice.

The students hadn't yet learned the STAR method when I gave them the assignment to address a major problem in the world. In spite of that, one young woman came up with an idea that was a perfect reflection of what we hope for through STAR.

She shared with me and members of her class that destructive anger was the problem she wanted to eliminate. She "invented" a machine that would sense your anger and turn it into beautiful music that would soothe you and calm you down. I love that idea. And I wish we had more inventors like my young friend.

And again, here is a link to information about SPAVA. I hope you will become a mentor in this brilliant program.

http://www.spava.us/

Ashokan Farewell: Honoring the memory of dead friends and relatives

Last Thursday was the 41st anniversary of the death of Thomas Merton. Interfaith Paths to Peace and St. William Church here in Louisville hosted a noontime vigil for peace in Afghanistan that day to mark the anniversary.

But as I look back, last week was one that was filled with death and the reminders of death.

Last Monday night I participated in the annual Memorial Service of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The service honors the memory of those killed in the last year by drivers who were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. That event was attended by about 120 survivors and family members of those being remembered. It also was attended by over 200 people who are part of a diversion program operated by our county prosecutor's office. This program directs offenders to attend the memorial service as a way of reminding them what the results of drunk driving can be. I found the service deeply compelling for two reasons: my Uncle Mac was killed by a drunk driver when I was 10; and though I have never been arrested for drunk driving, I am a recovering alcoholic .

Other things served as reminders too.

One was last Wednesday's noontime meditation. I lead a noontime meditation once a month built around the concept of "Lectio Divina" a meditation that can take people into a deeper understanding of scripture and sacred stories from the world's many religions. The story we meditated on this last Wednesday was very much concerned with how we deal with our memory of the dead. Here's what we read:

Many African societies divide humans into three categories: those still alive, the sasha, and the zamani. The recently departed whose time on earth overlapped with people still here are the sasha., the living dead. They are not wholly dead, for they live in the memories of the living who can call them to mind, create their likeness in art, and bring them to life in anecdote.

When the last person to know an ancestor dies, that ancestor leaves the sasha for the zamani, the dead.

As generalized ancestors, the zamani are not forgotten but revered. Many can be recalled by name. But they are not living dead.

--the epigraph from the book, The Brief History of the
Dead

A final jolt came when I learned on Thursday afternoon that the 52 year old husband of a friend had died suddenly of a heart attack that morning. The weekend was filled with services and preparations for meals aimed at easing the grief of the widow and her sons.

To honor Merton and all of the dead I have been thinking about, I offer here a link to the song, Ashokan Farewell. The link contains not only the tune but also the composer telling the story of how the song came to be. I first heard it years ago whenI watched the Ken Burns documentary about the Civil War. In the documentary it was a repeated motif reflecting the grimness of war and violence. The tune is sad, and sounds like a longing for home, or a lament for a lost love, or the bittersweet memory of those we miss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx6dxrhqPZY

President Obama's New Plans for Afghanistan

Yesterday afternoon I received a call from Peter Smith, religion reporter for our local newspaper, the Louisville Courier-Journal. Peter had been given the task of contacting individuals representing local peace groups for reactions to the President's speech later that evening on his plans for sending more troops to Afghanistan.



My comments were included in the article which appeared this morning. Here is a link:



http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20091201/NEWS01/912010362/Military+action+alone+won+t+solve+Afghanistan+s+problems++Louisville+residents+say



I said that I had hoped that with the coming of a new administration we would be looking for peaceful ways to solve our differences with other countries. I commended the President on having a clearly set out exit strategy (although I said I would have been happier if he were pulling our troops out sooner).



There is something I didn't say there that I would like to say here. I am generally opposed to wars and violence of all kinds. But for those who plan and execute wars, there is something that should be remembered. Undertaking a war without a clear understanding for leaders and the public alike of what would constitute winning (and loosing) leads to disaster. We saw that in Vietnam. We witnessed it again in Iraq. I fear that once again we find ourselves mired in a conflict that will hold onto us with a death grip because we can't clearly explain, simply explain what it would mean to win in Afghanistan.



I think the best strategy is to get out. Now.

The Often Unheard Voice of Muslims Denouncing Violence

Last night I attended the second annual dinner of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Kentucky (CIOK). The dinner program (which was attended by hundreds of people, including Jews and Christians) began with a moment of silence honoring the victims of the massacre that occurred at Ft. Hood last week.

What is remarkable about that is that I often hear people say that Muslims don't acknowledge or denounce violence committed by members of their religion.

In fact they do, and they are speaking out more forcefully and more frequently.

There was an article in last Friday's Courier-Journal in which reporter Peter Smith asked local, regional and national Islamic leaders for comments about the horrifying shootings in Texas. Without exception they all denounced the violence and indicated that no true practitioner of Islam would undertake such a despicable act. Those interviewed included leaders of Louisville-area Mosques (among them, a member of my organization's board: Bashar Masri), the Council of Islamic Organizations of Kentucky, and the Islamic Society of North America (the major national affiliate group for Muslims) among others.

Here is a link to Peter Smith's article, so you can read for yourself.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009911060348

In the recent past the news media often seemed to report only negative things about Muslims. That is starting to change, and I congratulate Peter Smith and the Courier-Journal for seeking out articulate Muslim leaders to help us understand how Muslim Americans really feel. Moreover, the recent statements by mainstream American Muslims underscore for me the fact that our Muslim brothers and sisters each day are moving more deeply into the mainstream of American life and that they embrace the kind of peacemaking values all of us espouse. Or maybe it's just that we are finally beginning to hear about Muslim values and opinions that have been there all along. I suspect the latter is the case.

A Special Interfaith Blessing

Yesterday evening I had the privilege of offering the opening blessing at the annual interfaith dinner in Louisville sponsored by Highlands Community Ministries. The dinner included presentations on the topic of "What is Happiness", delivered by representatives of the Baha'i faith, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

As I prepared this prayer, I apprached it by delving deeply into the core
of each of these religions not so much with my brain as with my heart. I humbly
share the result with you:

Friends,

The great interfaith leader Mathew Fox uses a wonderful metaphor to describe the relationship between God and the world’s great religions. He says that the Divine is like a great underground river and that each of the world’s religions digs its own well to tap into the beauty and power of the Divine.

Recognizing both the diversity and unity of
those of us gathered here
tonight, we call upon the Divine to bless this
gathering and the food we are
about to eat,

In the name of:

• Our Baha’I friends who possess such a profound understanding of our
  universal oneness,


• Our Buddhist brothers and sisters with their great concern to end the
  suffering of all beings,
  


• Our Jewish companions and their invocation of the concept of Tikkun Olam to
  mend our broken world,


• Our Hindu comrades and their realization that the Transcendent has many
  faces and can be approached in different ways,


• Our Christian partners who so powerfully incarnate God’s love for the world
  through the corporal acts of mercy,


• Our Muslim neighbors who believe that submitting to God’s will means working
  for peace and justice,


• And the practitioners of other religions in the greater Louisville area who
  so richly reflect the diversity of our world.
  
  Amen

Jews are (sadly) a Ghostly Presence in the Arabic Middle East

(As a result of a trip I made to Egypt and Syria in 2008, I was recently asked to write a chapter for a forthcoming book that will include the thoughts of a number of people who have made trips from the US to the Middle or from the Middle East to the US. What follows is a version of what will be appearing in the book)

Jews are a ghostly presence in the Arabic Middle East. That is a sad reality I experienced first-hand when I visited Egypt and Syria in June of 2008 as part of the Religion and Society Program as a guest of the Natioanl Peace Foundation and the Islamic Society of North America. My group included one American Muslim, two Jews (including a young Rabbi from Texas), and three Christians .

During our ten-day stay we had scores of meetings with groups, organizations and religious communities. Wherever we went we heard universal, unanimous affirmation of the idea of interfaith cooperation, especially among Muslims, Christians and Jews. In spite of that there was one event that focused me on what I think is the key problem in interfaith understanding among members of the three Abrahamic religions.

We had only been in Cairo for a couple of days when our group was taken to visit Shaar Hashamaim Grand Synagogue of Cairo in that great Egyptian city. The morning we arrived it wasn’t the Sabbath. We explored this beautiful spiritual facility as though it were a museum. There were many things I wanted to know about it, and I began to pepper our tour leader with questions. She smiled and pointed me toward an Egyptian gentleman who she told me was the caretaker for the building.

I walked over to him, and began asking what I thought was going to be a series of questions about the building’s history by saying, “I understand that you are the caretaker for this synagogue…” Before I could get to my first question, he said, “Actually, I am the caretaker for all of the synagogues in Egypt.”

That seemed pretty impressive to me, given that Egypt is a fairly large country geographically and it has a population of about 80 million. So I asked, “And how many synagogues are there in all of Egypt."

Without hesitating, he responded, “Eleven. Five of them here in Cairo.” Again, I was impressed but wanted to learn more, so I asked, “And how many Jews are there in Egypt?”
“One Hundred and Eighty,” he said.

I thought I had misunderstood him, and I said “One hundred and eighty thousand?”
“No,” he said, “only one hundred and eighty. And they are all women and they are all old.”
I was stunned. I had no idea that there were so few Jews in Egypt. A few days later when we visited Damascus, I discovered there was an equally tiny number of Jews remaining in all of Syria. After I returned to the U.S., I did a little Google searching about the Jews in Arab countries. I learned that with the exception of Morocco, and perhaps Algeria, there are virtually no Jews in the Arabic speaking Islamic world.

The tiny, spectral presence of the Jews around the Mediterranean represents a major problem that must be addressed if we are to establish a long lasting peace in the Middle East.
The problem is that when you don’t have daily, on going contact with “the other,” whether they are Jews or Muslims (or Buddhists for that matter), it is very easy to demonize those who aren’t present. Lack of contact often leads one party into beliefs and practices that escalate into violence. We see this over and over again, whether it is in Israel and the Occupied West Bank, Ireland, or in Louisville, Kentucky where I live in the US.

Shortly after I returned from the trip to Egypt and Syria I had lunch with my friend Sylvia Weinberg, an emerita member of my group’s Board of Directors. Sylvia is an accomplished poet and one of those rare people who can listen to a story or problem and put her finger right on the heart of the issue being discussed. Because of this I frequently seek her counsel.
Over lunch I told her about the trip I had made to the Middle East. I talked about all of the incredible people we had met and the extraordinary historical sites we had visited. I concluded my travelogue with the story of visiting the historical synagogue and I mentioned the tiny number of Jews in the Arab Middle East. I talked about the enormous obstacles this puts in place for those of us working to increase understanding.

When I had finished telling my story, Sylvia paused for a moment and said, “Does that make you despair of your work as an interfaith leader?”

Up to that moment I hadn’t really thought about the impact of what I had seen on my own work.
So then I paused and considered her question carefully. When I answered, what I told Sylvia surprised me. I said, “No, I don’t feel despair about the fact that there is little opportunity for interaction between Muslims and Jews in Arab countries. This fact just shows me that our work to improve interfaith interaction and understanding is a growth industry. I will be working at this for years to come.”

And that is true for me as well as for other interfaith entrepreneurs. It doesn’t make any difference, really, whether we are in Cairo, Egypt, or Cairo, Illinois. There is still a great gulf of misunderstanding, or more accurately, ignorance, that separates people of different religions, whether they are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Baha’is or Buddhists. The work of bringing people of different religions together is an incredibly important endeavor. Without daily interfaith encounters, the door is open to misunderstanding, mistrust, vilification and ultimately violence. That is why inter-cultural trips such as those undertaken by the National Peace Foundation and the Islamic Society of North America are so valuable not only for those who take the excursions, but also for those with whom we share our stories when we return home.

Restorative Justice: Peacemaking in the Streets

Yesterday I attended a special program that Interfaith Paths to Peace co-sponsored with the Louisville Bar Association on the topic of "Restorative Justice." Things related to the justice system in the U.S. don't frequently get the attention of IPP, but I am especially glad we were part of this.

Restorative Justice is not a program but rather an approach to justice-making, that is very affirming, and helps to heal the damage done to a victim in a crime. The nature of this justice theory is right in line with the mission and stance of IPP, which I tell people is almost universally positive.

Efforts to use this theory in everyday work has seen great success not only in easing the pain of victims, but also in reducing the number of repeat offenders and decreasing the size of the prison population.

Here are some details shared with us about RJ by yesterday's presenter, Fania E. Davis, J.D., Ph.D., Co-Founder & Director, Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth in Oakland California:

Restorative Justice is:

•Not a program, it is above all a theory of justice that is:
•Focused on
repairing harm
•Inclusive - Invites all affected to come together to figure
out how to do so
•Balanced - Gives equal attention to community safety,
victim’s needs, and offender accountability and growth

Restorative Justice involves:

•Encounter and Truth-Telling: Create opportunities for victims, offenders
and community members to dialogue about the wrongdoing and how to make it
better

•Amends: Create opportunities for offenders to empathize with
those they have harmed and to take steps to repair
harm

•Reintegration: Create opportunities for victims and offenders
to be reintegrated into the community as productive, contributing
citizens

•Self-Reliance: Promote greater self-reliance in
communities.

Here's a link to a great web site about restorative justice:


RJ's effectiveness has been demonstrated in a number of positive results:

•Positive Outcomes in Schools
•Victim Satisfaction
•True
Accountability
•Increased Family & Community Involvement
•Reduced
Incarceration and Recidivism
•Fiscal Benefits

Here's a link to a great web site about RJ:
http://www.restorativejustice.org/

Here's a link to some videos on YouTube about Restorative Justice

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=restorative+justice&search_type=&aq=f

The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall: Touching the Names of those who Died

Last Sunday morning I visited the traveling version of the Vietnam War Memorial with my friend Steve who was horribly wounded in that war and watched many of his friends die. The version of the Wall that we visited is one-third scale, but still contains the names of over 58,000 American men and women who lost their lives in that catastrophic conflict.

Steve shared a few details about his experiences in the war. Mostly there was silence. Steve had visited the original Vietnam Memorial in Washington a number of times. But as we walked along the muddy path in the park at Charlestown, Indiana, where the traveling Wall was set up, Steve looked for the names of a few friends. Each time he found a name he gently touched its etched surface with his finger tips.

As I followed along with him I tried to connect with the people whose deaths in the war had touched my life, but sadly I couldn't remember their names.

One was the husband of my cousin, Janice. She had married her high school sweetheart right after graduation. He enlisted in the army soon after that in order to avoid being drafted. His chosen occupation for the war was to be a helicopter pilot. The two of them traveled to Alabama for his pilot's training. Then he was shipped to Vietnam for combat service. Only a couple of weeks later he returned home in a body bag. His helicopter had flown into a mountain in the monsoon rains that deluge that war torn country.

I remember his funeral. Janice was so distraught I feared that she was going to die.

The other Vietnam death that touched me personally was that of the fiance of a girl I had dated briefly in high school. I don't remember her name either. It might have been Barbara, but I think it was Judy. In any case I don't remember her fiance's name either.

What I do remember is the minister of my church calling me about her. I had met her when we were in Youth Fellowship at the Methodist Church we attended. We only dated a couple of times.
My minister called me at college to ask if I was coming home for the Thanksgiving vacation. I said I was. Then he told me about the death of my friend's fiance and asked if I would try to console her.

Her fiance had been in the navy on a "tour" of Vietnam. The day before he was to fly back to the world (as Vietnam Vet's referred to the US), and three days before they were to be married, he was killed in a non-combat accident.

When I got home for the holiday I went to see her. I don't remember what I said, but she was inconsolable. What do you say to someone who has just lost her life partner before their lives together have even begun? To this day I am at a loss for words to try to console my friend or any of the other millions of men and women who have seen the lives of their loved ones destroyed by war. What do you say? You're sorry? That just doesn't cut it.

But on that day when Steve and I visited the Memorial, the name of one Vietnam casualty did come to mind. For some reason that morning I began thinking about the Vietnam moratorium that was held on the campus of my conservative little college back in the spring of 1970.

A group of students stayed up all night reading the names of the American war dead. I was assigned a group of names to read that included those that began with the letter "L." I hadn't read through the list beforehand, but as I was working my way down the list I came to "Liberty." It stopped me. When those around me heard that "Liberty" was among the casualties, they all stopped what they were doing and grew silent.

I looked him up on the web today. He was Ronald Liberty. Age 20. A Marine from Chicago. He was killed in combat on March 30, 1967.

Let's Observe Gandhi's 140th Birthday in a Special Way

My group, Interfaith Paths to Peace is doing an event on Friday at noon in downtown Louisville asking people to stop using words as 'weapons of mass destruction."

We will mark the occasion from 12:10 p.m. o 1 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral (in Bishops Hall) 425 South Second Street in Louisville, by lighting candles and reflecting on non-violence and especially the need to stop using words as "weapons of mass destruction" as we have seen in the media so much lately. The event is free and open to the public.

Here are the details:

On Friday, October 2, 2009 (Mohandas Gandhi's birthday), Interfaith Paths to Peace in cooperation with a number of other local organizations will host a special noontime observance of International Day of Non-violence. This special ceremony will be held from 12:10 p.m. until 1 p.m. in Bishops Hall at Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral at 425 South Second Street in Louisville.

The observance will consist of a lighting of candles and a silent reflection on the urgent need for each of us to disarm ourselves from the violent and hurtful language we often use in dealing with each other, especially in light of recent news about hate language and personally abusive words being used in the public arena.

Those present for the observance will be invited to take an annually renewable vow of non-violence that includes a pledge to disarm from the use of violent language in dealing with others. The event will conclude with a special Tibetan Chant for Non-Violence vocalized by the Venerable Geshe Sangay Gyatso, Louisville's resident Tibetan monk.

Event organizer Terry Taylor, Executive Director of Louisville-based Interfaith Paths to Peace, says, "

At a time when civility has seemingly disappeared from our public discourse on important issues, the need for a declaration of a verbal "cease fire" is imperative. And I can think of no better time to focus on that urgent need than Gandhi's birthday, the day that is observed around the world as the International Day of Non-Violence."

About the International Day of Non-Violence.

The International Day of Non-Violence is marked on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.

According to General Assembly resolution A/RES/61/271 of 15 June 2007, which established the commemoration, the International Day is an occasion to "disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness." The resolution reaffirms "the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence" and the desire "to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence."

Introducing the resolution in the General Assembly on behalf of 140 co-sponsors, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. Anand Sharma, said that the wide and diverse sponsorship of the resolution was a reflection of the universal respect for Mohandas Gandhi and of the enduring relevance of his philosophy. Quoting the late Mohandas Gandhi.

Clearing Up an Interfaith Misunderstanding

People often misunderstand what interfaith interaction is about. I would like to tell you about a recent anonymous interfaith interaction that I had which illustrates this point.

About a week ago I had a breakfast meeting with some colleagues at a restaurant near where I live.

After breakfast, when I walked up to my truck, I found that someone had inserted a card in my driver's side window that had the word "coexist" on it. The word was made up of symbols, much like the one above. The other side of the card was filled with words that were in a type size so small that it made the writing almost unreadable.

I have the bumper sticker pictured above on the back of my pickup truck. I thought the person that left the card in my window was a friend who wanted to show that he or she agreed with the sentiment of the bumper sticker.

And in all honesty, I did not read the tiny words on the back of the card.

When I left the restaurant I stopped by the home of my partner Fran.

I showed her the card and started talking to her about something else. But she stopped me in mid-sentence and asked me if I had actually read the backside of the card. I shook my head. She told me that the card had not been left by a friend and supporter, but actually by someone who challenged the notion of interfaith co-existence.

But the person who wrote the text on the card misunderstood, I think, the goal of coexistence. The card implied that those in favor of coexistence wanted to blend all religions into just one. The text went on to say that there was only one way to heaven, and that was through Jesus Christ. I have two issues with this. I suspect those who produced the card feared that those in favor of coexistence are in favor of getting Christians to another religion. We're not. Let me take a moment to explain what coexistence means to me.

First, interfaith work that aims at peaceful coexistence, is to me, NOT about creating one religion. It instead focuses on celebrating what makes each religion distinct and actually unique. Of course it also celebrates what religions have in common, but I find that the different ideas about spirituality and religious practice that I discover in Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, the Baha'i faith and other religions enrich my experience. Still, I have no intention of converting to another religion, nor would I encourage anyone else to convert.

And finally, let me say something that may be surprising. I have no problem with the fact that some Christians believe that the only way to God and Heaven is through Jesus, anymore than I would challenge some Jews or Hindus or Muslims who may feel the same way. It is simply important that we learn to coexist in the sense of learning to live peacefully together side by side, recognizing our differences. And even for the most ardent fundamentalist (in any religion) I would say that you can hold that belief and still learn things from encounters with other religions that will improve your spiritual practices. There will be more about this later.

Let's not take ourselves (and our sins) too seriously

At the New Year celebration of Rosh Hashanah our Jewish friends spend time reflecting on the past year, considering their sins great and small, and trying to find peace in their lives. This is often a very serious process. But sometimes we need to lighten up when we think about our misdeeds.

My friend Judi found the following on the internet and shared it with me and other friends last weekend. I think it is worth a look. Do you find any of your own sins (and breads) on the list?

On the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, there is a ceremony called Tashlich. Jews traditionally go to the ocean or a stream or river to pray and throw bread crumbs into the water. Symbolically, the fish devour their sins.

Occasionally, people ask what kind of bread crumbs should be thrown. Here are suggestions for breads which may be most appropriate for specific sins and misbehaviors:

For ordinary sins White Bread
For erotic sins French Bread
For particularly dark sins Pumpernickel
For complex sins Multi-Grain
For twisted sins Pretzels
For tasteless sins Rice Cakes
For sins of indecision Waffles
For sins committed in haste Matzoh
For sins of chutzpah Fresh Bread
For substance abuse Stoned Wheat
For use of heavy drugs Poppy Seed
For petty larceny Stollen
For committing auto theft Caraway
For timidity/cowardice Milk Toast
For ill-temperedness Sourdough
For silliness, eccentricity Nut Bread
For not giving full value Shortbread
For jingoism, chauvinism Yankee Doodles
For excessive irony Rye Bread
For unnecessary chances Hero Bread
For telling bad jokes/puns Corn Bread
For war-mongering Kaiser Rolls
For dressing immodestly Tarts
For causing injury to others Tortes
For lechery and promiscuity Hot Buns
For promiscuity with gentiles Hot Cross Buns
For racist attitudes Crackers
For sophisticated racism Ritz Crackers
For being holier than thou Bagels
For abrasiveness Grits
For dropping in without notice Popovers
For over-eating Stuffing
For impetuosity Quick Bread
For indecent photography Cheesecake
For raising your voice too often Challah
For pride and egotism Puff Pastry
For sycophancy, ass-kissing Brownies
For being overly smothering Angel Food Cake
For laziness Any long loaf
For trashing the environment Dumplings

Let's stop using words as weapons of mass destruction.

Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words can and do hurt us.

So, let's stop using words as weapons of mass destruction.

On October 2, (International Day of Non-Violence) IPP and a number of local groups will call upon people to stop over the noon hour and reflect on the way we use our voices and our words to hurt other people. We will ask everyone to take a vow of non-violence that includes refraining from the violent use of language. (See description at the end of this document).

If you can't join us on October 2, I urge you to join me in taking time to confront the verbal violence in our own lives. Take an hour at noon to do this. If you can't reflect on this at noon, choose another time. But do take the time. It's very important.

The need for such reflection and such a vow is becoming clearer every day as our public discussions about important issues becomes more and more heated, filled with vitriol, hate speech and sadly even racism. This must stop on all sides. Whether hateful, violent speech is used against President Obama or former President George W. Bush, we urgently need to declare a ceasefire, and return our discussions to ideas rather than hatred.

The same is true in our personal lives. Many people who espouse non-violence and would never think of shooting or stabbing someone, let alone bombing them, won't hestitate to drop "the F bomb" in shouting matches with others, inclding people who are supposed to be our loved ones.

The Urgent Need for Verbal Non-Violence
Will be the Focus of an Oct 2 Noon-time Observance of
International Day of Non-Violence

On Friday, October 2, 2009 (Mahatma Gandhi's birthday), Interfaith Paths to Peace in cooperation with a number of other local organizations will host a special noontime observance of International Day of Non-violence. This special ceremony will be held from 12:10 p.m. until 1 p.m. in Bishops Hall at Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral at 425 South Second Street in Louisville.

The observance will consist of a lighting of candles and a silent reflection on the urgent need for each of us to disarm ourselves from the violent and hurtful language we often use in dealing with each other, especially in light of recent news about hate language and personally abusive words being used in the public arena. Those present for the observance will be invited to take an annually renewable vow of non-violence that includes a pledge to disarm from the use of violent language in dealing with others. The event will conclude with a special Tibetan Chant for Non-Violence vocalized by the Venerable Geshe Sangay Gyatso, Louisville's resident Tibetan monk.

Co-sponsors for the event include the United Nations Association of Louisville, St. William and St. Agnes Catholic Churches, Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral, Louisville's Drepung Gomang (Tibetan Buddhist) Institute, the Peace and Justice Division of the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky, Iranians for Peace, Our1Planet, and the Louisville Chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation..

Event organizer Terry Taylor, Executive Director of Louisville-based Interfaith Paths to Peace, says, "At a time when civility has seemingly disappeared from our public discourse on important issues, the need for a declaration of a verbal "cease fire" is imperative. And I can think of no better time to focus on that urgent need than Gandhi's birthday, the day that is observed around the world as the International Day of Non-Violence."

About the International Day of Non-Violence.

The International Day of Non-Violence is marked on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.

According to General Assembly resolution A/RES/61/271 of 15 June 2007, which established the commemoration, the International Day is an occasion to "disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness." The resolution reaffirms "the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence" and the desire "to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence."

Introducing the resolution in the General Assembly on behalf of 140 co-sponsors, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. Anand Sharma, said that the wide and diverse sponsorship of the resolution was a reflection of the universal respect for Mahatma Gandhi and of the enduring relevance of his philosophy. Quoting the late leader’s own words, he said: "Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man."

Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life

The table in my dining room is a mess. No matter how I try to clean it up and keep it that way, it's always covered with books, bills, receipts, flyers, newspapers and more.

I've always had an urgent desire to be more neat in my life. That urge goes at least as far back in my life as my days in college in the late 1960s and early 70s. Aesthetically, I've embraced in my heart the goal of making my space what I would call Japanese stark. Rooms that are devoid of clutter. Space that is neat, pristine, without distractions.

Well. it ain't gonna happen. I'm nearly 60, and try as I might to be neater, I think I need to just stop and accept the fact that I am always going to be messy. And that's not necessarily bad. Although that's a difficult idea for me to accept.
When I was a child my stepmother derided me for a whole range of things (inluding being fat and stupid), but one of the things she harrangued me mostabout was being messy. I was made to feel that my state of being was bad. My stepmother left my life when I was 15. But, as a therapist once pointed out to me, when my stepmother stopped abusing me verbally, I picked up right where she left off. My internal voice frequently chides me for being messy.

I'm beginning to see, though, that although messiness may create some problems for me from time to time, it's not a moral issue.

In fact, as Rabbi Irwin Kula points out, not only is life itself messy, but there is a sacredness to life's messiness. Those of us who are messy need to stop fighting messiness and embrace it.

Next Thursday Rabbi Irwin and I will make a presentation on this and related topics at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan. Rabbi will base his presentation on his book, Yearnings: embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life; I will be talking about my new book, A Spirituality for Brokenness and how we can find tools to help us mend our sense of being shattered by life. To learn more about Rabbi Irwin and his book, visit http://yearnings.irwinkula.com/thebook.htm . To learn moe about my book, A Spirituality for Brokenness, please visit: http://helpforbrokenness.com .

Here's a description of the program we will be presenting in New York next week and in Louisville next month.

The Practice of Imperfection: Brokenness and the Sacred Messiness of Life

Featuring Rabbi Irwin Kula, President of CLAL and
Terry Taylor, Interfaith Paths to Peace

7 p.m. Thursday, September 10, 2009
Jewish Community Center in Manhattan
334 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10023
(646) 505-4444

Join Rabbi Irwin Kula, author of the award-winning book, Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life, and Terry Taylor, author of the recently published book, A Spirituality for Brokenness: Discovering Your Deepest Self in Difficult Times, for a conversation about love, life and meaning in these challenging and fast-changing times as we approach the Jewish high holiday season.



About CLAL

The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership:
Brings Jewish wisdom to the American spiritual landscape and makes it a resource for all Builds bridges across communities to encourage pluralism and openness.

Promotes dynamic, inclusive Jewish communities in which all voices are heard.

Nurtures volunteer, professional and rabbinic leaders and helps people to re-imagine Jewish life.

Enhances Jewish participation in American civic and spiritual life.

Founded in 1974, Clal-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership is a think tank, leadership training institute, and resource center. Bringing Jewish insights to a wide American audience, Clal makes Jewish wisdom an accessible public resource. A leader in religious pluralism, Clal builds bridges across communities to encourage diversity and openness. Linking Jewish texts and tradition with innovative scholarship, Clal promotes Jewish participation in American civic and spiritual life, reinvigorating communities and enhancing leadership development.

Clal's diverse faculty, with its reputation for excellence, provides cutting-edge teaching, lectures, programs, and consulting nationwide. Working with scholars, professionals, volunteer and religious leaders, Clal has earned a reputation for compelling programs that explore religious and American identity. Joining with experts from diverse fields, Clal offers new perspectives on contemporary issues, reaching influential leaders, thinkers, and practitioners. Clal's publications and resources offer thought-provoking ideas, tools, and techniques that enrich people, communities, and institutions. In all of Clal's work, it strives to build vibrant Jewish life that is engaged in the intellectual and ethical challenges of the world.

President hosts Ramadan dinner for Muslims, Jews and People from other religions

I ran across a story recently as I was reading my e-mails. Its message of inclusiveness is very moving. As we approach the Jewish high Holy Days in the next few weeks, I hope to see similar outreach across religious lines. My fondest hope is that this inclusiveness is not simply a political gesture (I don't think it is) but will set an example that will be followed by future Presidents no matter what political party they represent.

And why don't we follow the President's example whatever our own religious affiliation? Let's invite Muslims to our homes for dinner to break their daily fast; let's ask if we can join our Jewish friends for Yom Kippur or Roshashona. And maybe we should check in with our Baha'i, Buddhist and Hindu friends to see how we can share their religious celebrations, too.

Here's the story. It's from an e-mail blast by Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, a Jewish peace group.

Last Tuesday night, President Obama hosted a Ramadan break the fast dinner, complete with greens from the White House garden. Seated alongside ambassadors from Arab and Muslim countries, members of Congress, and ordinary citizens representing the wide diversity of American Muslim life were some unlikely guests: Rabbi David Saperstein of the Reform Movement, Rabbi Nathan Diament of the Orthodox Union, and Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren.

President Obama’s guest list – perhaps a little uncomfortable for all – illustrates his push for mutual understanding and peace-making, literally an invitation for those in conflict to break bread together.

Which brings us to Gaza, where the affects of an Israeli-imposed economic blockade and last winter’s hostilities have led water and electricity shortages, severely limited access to adequate health care and unemployment consistently over 40%. Ongoing tensions between Hamas, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, and the U.S. make the situation difficult to resolve, and ultimately, the civilian population of Gaza pays the price.

While sweeping, long-term change is still only a distant goal, the Obama administration has made significant efforts to improve the daily lives of Gazans. It matters that a sitting U.S. President has publicly acknowledged the suffering of the Palestinian people – suffering that also threatens Israel’s long-term security.

And it matters that quiet U.S. pressure has led to an easing of the blockade and expansion of the kinds of items Israel will allow into the Strip.

But these small changes aren’t enough. Deep mistrust and complications of even the simplest issues pose real obstacles to progress. The U.S. has been pushing to allow concrete into Gaza, for instance, to facilitate the repair and rebuilding of thousands of buildings, but Israeli officials fear that Hamas will seize the cement to rebuild its badly damaged military infrastructure.

Here's a link to Brit Tzedek v'Shalom's web site for more information about the group:

www.btvshalom.org

Eight Ramadan Lessons for All Spiritual Seekers

Friends, I'm not the biggest fan of Beliefnet.com, but every once in a while they post something that is very useful. I'm going to share one of them with you now.

You may be aware that we are in the lunar month of Ramadan for Muslims throughout the world. This is a month during which from sunrise to sunset Muslims fast from food and beverage. It is a challenging time, but a cleansing time. Here a wise Muslim spiritual master shares with his fellow religionists some sound and compassion advice about how to benefit from this stark period of time. His column also contains advice that can be beneficial to those who practice other religions...or no religion. Perhaps the most challenging advice is to avoid a spiritual letdown. What do you think?

Eight Ramadan Lessons for All Spiritual Seekers
by Dilshad D. Ali, Islam Editor

Ramadan , the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, is special to Muslims as a holy period dedicated to fasting, self-purification, and spiritual attainment. Whether you're Muslim, Christian, Jewish, or just a spiritual seeker, you can probably appreciate the goals of Ramadan : a whole-body awareness of God and a humble thankfulness for whatever blessings He has granted.

Achieving those goals is a challenge for anyone. But after 20 years of fasting, I've learned some valuable lessons to simplify and spiritualize the Ramadan experience--and how to keep that special feeling alive throughout the year--lessons that can help anyone make their life a little more spiritual and uncomplicated. So check out these tips, whether you're a Muslim who's been fasting for years, or just someone looking for more depth in your spiritual life.

Take the Remembrance of God Inward

For Muslims:

Do dhikr (reciting short du'as, or supplications) silently while you're driving, waiting in line somewhere, or doing endless household tasks. Keep a thasbi (the equivalent of a Muslim rosary) in your purse or pocket and use it to count off du'as (prayers).

For all:

Spending whatever downtime you have to remember God or peacefully meditate is a great idea for everyone. Thousands of hours go by every year in our work commutes and in chauffeuring our kids around. Why not try to use that time to quiet our minds, remind ourselves of a higher being, and appreciate what we've been given?

Appreciate Technology, Then Tune It Out

For Muslims: In past Ramadans I always went on a sort of technology crash diet--television, music, inane web surfing, and movies were all self-banned for 30 days. All the extra time was designated for reading Qur'an, praying, and reconnecting with my family. Well, crash diets never work in the long term.

So the better thing to do is to use technology wisely: Use your email to stay in contact with friends and family, get the news from television and the Internet, and use your ipod to listen to Qur'anic prayers. And when basic needs have been met, turn the technology off and take the extra time to pray and reconnect.

For all:

Use the technology to do what you need to do for work and family. But then, instead of spending hours surfing the web or TV channels, fight the urge and tune out. Discover your family, and discover meditation and prayer. You can start slow--cut out an hour of web surfing (or one TV program) every week and build up.

Share Meals Together as a Family

For Muslims:

Having iftar (the fast-breaking meal at sunset) as a family should be easier this Ramadan. Muslims follow a lunar calendar, which moves Ramadan back 10 days earlier each year. This year most iftars will be after 7 p.m., late enough for the family to be home together. Breaking the fast with the family is a great opportunity to appreciate one another's holy efforts and discuss spiritual topics.

For all:

The family dinner is a concept hammered home by family and social organizations. Even some television stations, like Nickelodeon, show spots advising us to "Make time for the family table." A weekly or bi-weekly family dinner is a great time to reconnect, to learn about each other, and to discuss a designated list of topics that are of interest to your family.

Do New Types of Charity

For Muslims:

After becoming a parent, I used to get discouraged that I couldn't properly do those things recommended to Muslims during Ramadan: Go for tarawih prayers or read the entire Qur'an. But my mom and mother-in-law gave me sound insight: Everything you do for the comfort of your family is charity and a way of worshipping God.

That being said, Ramadan is a great time to try new acts of charity and goodness: Put aside a can of food a day and donate it all when the month is up. Cook a few dishes and take them to your mosque for those who come there to have iftar.

For all:

Recognizing the things you do for family and friends as acts of goodness that are acknowledged by God is a great step toward achieving inner spirituality. But do take a step out of your comfort zone to tackle one small charitable project each month, whether it's donating a little money each day to your favorite charity or taking charge of your office's annual volunteer project.

Get to Your House of Worship and Find Community

For Muslims:

About the only time most Muslim-Americans go to the mosque is for Friday prayers or for Sunday school. During Ramadan, why not make the mosque an integral part of worship? Go there for as many tarawih prayers as you can, especially the end ones when the Qur'an is being completed. Pick one day a week and go to your mosque for iftar. It's amazing how good we feel to see others fasting and striving as much as we are.

For all:

If you are religious, try visiting your church , synagogue , or temple outside of regular worship services. You may meet different people and take part in different experiences that can replenish your spiritual well. If you don't favor any particular house of worship, designate some spot--a park or your backyard at sunset--where you feel some calm, and visit it with family or friends, free of mental distractions, and with a focus on each other.

Realize That Faith and Worldly Life Go Hand-in-Hand

For Muslims:

During Ramadan some Muslims indulge in spiritual extremes--they may try to shutdown all "worldly" aspects of life, like watching TV or playing with kids, and replace it with all spiritually related activities. But man cannot exist on prayer alone. Yes, Ramadan is the month when Muslims are told that God stops the devil from harassing us, and our prayers are more powerful. But though we must ramp up our spiritual practices, we need to keep up our everyday routines.

For all:

Finding and maintaining a balance between spiritual pursuits and life practices is always a good idea. Resolving to remember God more or to be spiritual in other ways can be a soulful way to center ourselves. But I've found that only trained holy persons or gurus can be spiritual or religious-minded 100 percent of the time. The rest of us should make time for worldly and spiritual practices.

Don't Wait for Ramadan to Get More Spiritual

For Muslims:

Imam Zaid Shakir has a popular video about preparing for Ramadan as if you're training for a big race. You can't just stand at the starting line and then all of a sudden run the spiritual race. Start by fasting on Mondays and Thursdays in Shaban (the month preceding Ramadan) as prescribed by hadith (verified sayings of Prophet Muhammad). Want to read the entire Qur'an in Ramadan? Then before Ramadan, put aside 15 minutes each day to read the Qur'an.

For all:

If you want to become more spiritual, pray more, practice your religion more closely, or read religious scripture more, working up to it will help you attain your goal and maintain it in the long run. Starting any new practice (or giving something up in small increments) will help you gain a taste for it and work it into your regular routine. Going full blast or cold turkey is rarely the best way.

Avoid a Spiritual Letdown

For Muslims:

One of the biggest Ramadan problems is what happens immediately afterward. Muslims are consumed with fasting and prayer. Then Ramadan ends and we resume the mantle of our everyday flawed lives. What we should be doing is keeping some of our good Ramadan habits throughout the year.

So be sure to engage in a cool-down period afterwards with an eye toward maintaining some of your Ramadan practices. Try fasting one day a week. Resolve to keep up a charitable practice. Read the Qur'an for five minutes daily. A little bit goes a long way.

For all:

At some point you're probably going to work towards a big goal. Maybe you want to lose 10 pounds. Maybe you're going to kick smoking. So you'll go all-out to achieve that goal. But once it's done, avoid the letdown. It's so easy to go back to old habits once a goal is accomplished. Instead, focus on small ways to maintain that momentum. Making life-altering changes is great. But it's how we manage small, daily changes that make the real, long-term difference.

Whirling Dervishes: Dancing Our Way to Peace

At the first of August I was in Istanbul as part of an interfaith excursion. On the last night of the trip I pulled my way loose from the group to attend a Sufi Music concert and Whiling Dervishes Ceremony in the old part of the city not far from the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia.

That night I wasn't sure what I was going to encounter. I guess I thought I would witness frantic spinning (like the speedy motion of a top). Instead I witnessed an elegant turning that seemed in some ways to be as slow and elegant as the rotation of the earth on its axis.

The ceremony was deeply meaningful. Here is the text from that night's printed program. It explains the meaning of the ceremony I witnessed. But first, a word of caution. if you decide to try whiling, be very careful. The Mevlevis who whirl practice whirling for years under the guidance of a trained master. If you don't know how to whirl properly, you may find yourself crashing into something or falling.


The Mevlevi Sema Ceremony

Mevleviye are known for their famous practice of whirling dances. At their dancing ceremonies, or Sema, a particular musical repertoire called ayin is played. This is based on four sections of both vocal and instrumental compositions using contrasting rhythmic cycles and is performed by at least one singer, a flute-player (neyzen), a kettledrummer and a cymbal player. The oldest musical compositions stem from the mid-sixteenth century combining Persian and Turkish musical traditions. The repertoire was continuously broadened, and the first notations were made from the early twentieth century onwards.

Dancers would receive 1,001 days of reclusive training within the mevlevihane, a sort ofcloister, where they learnt about ethics, codes of behaviour and beliefs by living a practice of prayer, religious music, poetry and dance. After this training, they remained members of the order but went back to their work and families, combining spiritualism with civic life.

Following a recommended fast of several hours, the whirlers begin to rotate on their left feet in short twists, using the right foot to drive their bodies around the left foot. The body of the whirler is meant to be supple with eyes open, but unfocused so that images become blurred and flowing. The Sema takes place in a large circular-shaped room that is part of the mevlevihane building.

As a result of secularisation policies, all mevlevihane were closed in 1925. In the 1950s, the Turkish government, began allowing the Whirling Dervishes to perform annually in Konya on the Urs of Mevlana, December 17, the anniversary of Rumi's death. In 1974, they were allowed to come to the West. They performed in France, for Pope Paul VI, and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and other venues in the United States and Canada - under the direction of the late Mevlevi Shaikh Suleyman Hayati Dede. Many practitioners kept their tradition alive in private gatherings, and thirty years later, the Turkish government began to allow performances again, though only in public. From the 1990s, restrictions were eased and private groups re-emerged who try to re-establish the original spiritual and intimate character of the Sema ceremony.

The Mevlevi Sema Ceremony is proclamated as an INTANGIBLE WORLD HERITAGE in Traditional performing art social practices themes by UNESCO in October 2005.

Sema: Human Being in the Universal Movement

Text by Dr. Celaleddin Celebi, illustrations by Ingrid Schaar «Dr. Celebi's other writings»
Sema is part of the inspiration of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi (1207- 1273) as well as of Turkish custom, history, beliefs and culture.
From a scientific viewpoint we witness that contemporary science definitely confirms that the fundamental condition of our existence is to revolve. There is no object, no being which does not revolve and the shared similarity among beings is the revolution of the electrons, protons and neutrons in the atoms, which constitute the structure of each of them. As a consequence of this similarity, everything revolves and man carries on his live, his very existence by means of the revolution in the atoms, structural stones of his body, by the revolution of his blood, by his coming from the earth and return to it, by his revolving with earth itself.

However, all of these are natural, unconscious revolutions. But man is the possessor of a mind and intelligence which distinguishes him from and makes him superior to other beings. Thus the "whirling dervish" or Semazen causes the mind to participate in the shared similarity and revolution of all other beings... Otherwise, the Sema ceremony represents a mystical journey of man's spiritual ascent through mind and love to "Perfect." Turning towards the truth, his growth through love, desert his ego, find the truth and arrive to the "Perfect," then he return from this spiritual journey as a man who reached maturity and a greater perfection, so as to love and to be of service to the whole of creation, to all creatures without discrimination of believes, races, classes and nations.



Sema consists of seven parts:

The first part:

The dervish with his headdress (his ego's tombstone), his white skirt (his ego's shroud) is by removing his black cloak spiritually born to the truth, he journeys and advances there. At the onset and each stop of the Sema, holding his arms crosswise he represent the number one, and testifies to God's unity. While whirling his arms are open, his right hand directed to the skies ready to receive God's beneficence, looking to his left hand turned toward the earth, he turn from right to left around the heart. This is his way of conveying God's spiritual gift to the people upon whom he looks with the eyes of God. Revolving around the heart, from right to left, he embraces all the mankind, all the creation with affection and love... It starts with an eulogy "Nat-I Serif" to the Prophet, who represents love, and all Prophets before him. To praise them is praising God, who created all of them.







The second part

is a drum voice, symbolizing God order to the Creation: "Be."

The third part:

is an instrumental improvisation "taksim" with a reed "ney." It represents the first breath which gives life to everything. The Divine Breath.

The fourth part

is the "dervishes" greetings to each other and their thrice repeated circular walk "Devr-i Veled," with the accompaniment of a music called "peshrev." It symbolize the salutation of soul to soul concealed by shapes and bodies.

The fifth part

is the Sema (whirling). It consists of four salutes or "Selam"s. At the end of each as in the onset, the dervish testifies by his appearance to God's unity.

The first salute

is man's birth to truth by feeling and mind. His complete conception of the existence of God as Creator and his state of creature.

The second salute expresses the rapture of man witnessing the splendor of creation, in front of God's greatness and omnipotence.

The third salute

is the transformation of rapture into love and thereby the sacrifice of mind to love. It is a complete submission, it is annihilation of self with in the loved one, it is unity. This state of ecstasy is the highest grade in Buddhism, defined as "Nirvana" and in Islam "Fenafillah." However, the highest rank in Islam is the rank of the Prophet, he is called God's servant first and his messenger afterwards. The aim of Sema is not unbroken ecstasy and loss of conscious thought. At the termination of this salute, he approves again by his appearance, arms crosswise the Unity of God, consciously and feelingly.

The forth salute

Just as the Prophet ascends till the "Throne" and then returns to his task on earth, the whirling dervish reaching the state of "Fenafillah," return to his task in creation, to his state of subservience following the termination of his spiritual journey and his ascent. He is a servant of God, of his Books, of his Prophets and all his creation.

The sixth part

Sema ends with a reading of the Quran and specially of the verse from sura Bakara 2, verse 115, "Unto God belong the East and the West, and whither over ye turn, you are faced with Him. He is All-Embracing, All-Knowing."

The seventh part

is a prayer for the repose of the souls of all Prophets and all believers.
Posted by Terry Taylor at 12:47 PM 0 comments
Labels: mevlevi, rumi, sema ceremonty., whirling dervishes

What is dialogue?

I returned from a week-long visit to Alaska yesterday and was handed an invitation to attend a conference in Qatar (on the Saudi pennisula) in October on the topic of "Interfaith Dialogue". In July I was part of a seven person delegation that visited Turkey to promote interfaith dialogue.

The word dialogue is bandied around a great deal, but I rarely am able to pin down those using this term to an exact definition of this word. For some it means just having conversation. For others it seems to mean interacting with people who are not regularly part of our social circle. And for still others it means bringing together for quiet conversation people who usually shout at each other.

I remember talking to someone who is an expert of dialogue some years ago and hearing a definition that I found very powerful.

The source might have been Michael Toms, the host of the Public Radio program called "New Dimensions," but I honestly don't remember.

In any case, the definition that I remember hearing contrasted dialgue with conversation. When we are engaged in a conversation or discussion with someone,more often than not we are not really listening to the other person. When the other person is taling we are forming in our mind the response to what is being said. In dialogue we learn to listen deeply, recognizing our own assumptions, allowing time to reflect, and using the interaction as an opportunity to learn and understand.

I found a web site for something called the dialogue group that contains some very useful information. Here's some of what the Group has to say about dialogue. (A link to the web site appears at the end of this post.)

THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF DIALOGUE

Skill Building Blocks and Guidelines for Dialogue

The building blocks and behavioral guidelines outlined below are concepts that form a scaffolding for Dialogue. Like the scaffolding used in construction to aid in the initial stages of building, they are meant to help provide an environment conducive to unfolding the dialogical process.


Rather than a set of rules, you might think of them as reminders of the level of attention which lies at the core of Dialogue. Attention to our thinking, our feelings, our communication, assumptions and judgments. Attention to the unfolding meaning of the group, the spirit of inquiry and the pauses for reflection that lead to learning and understanding.


Held lightly, these guidelines and building blocks will help you enter into Dialogue. Held too firmly, they will trap you in just one more structure and limiting system. Dialogue is a living process and requires the willingness of all participants to be open to letting go of the known in order to discover new perspectives and understanding. As one writer so eloquently put it, "We must be prepared in each moment to give up (our ideas of) who we are to discover all we may become. "


So, by all means use these guidelines to help you begin your exploration of Dialogue, and in each moment, be prepared to release them and let your attention guide you to the next level of learning.


FOUR SKILL BUILDING BLOCKS


Suspension of Judgment

Of all the building blocks, suspension of judgment is the foundation for Dialogue, and perhaps, the most challenging. Our normal way of thinking divides, organizes and labels. Because our egos become identified with how we think things are we often find ourselves defending our positions against those of others. This makes it difficult for us to stay open to new and alternative views of reality. It is hard to listen when we are engaged in a heated battle about "who's right and who's wrong!"


When we learn to suspend judgment, to "hold our positions more lightly", we open the door to see others' points of view. It is not that we do away with our judgments and opinions - this would be impossible. We simply create a space between our judgment and our reaction, and thus open a door for listening.


Suspending judgment is also a key to building a climate of trust and safety. As we learn that we will not be "judged" wrong for our opinions, we feel freer to express ourselves. The atmosphere becomes more open and truthful.


Assumption Identification

Identify means "to recognize, to pick out from your surroundings, to feel one with." Assumptions are "those things which are assumed or thought to be". So to identify assumptions is to recognize, or identify, that which we think is so.


It is probably obvious to most of us that our assumptions play a large role in how we evaluate our environment, the decisions we make and how we behave. Yet, it is just this aspect of our thinking that we consistently overlook when we seek to solve problems, resolve conflicts, or create synergy among diverse people.


Why do we overlook the obvious? David Bohm would say because our "assumptions are transparent to us". They are such a built-in part of our seeing apparatus that we do not even know they are there. We look right through them.


Our failure to look at underlying belief systems can lead to disappointing results. When we examine the underlying assumptions behind our decisions and actions we reach to the causal level of problem solving. We are able to identify where there are disconnects in our strategies and take more effective actions.


By learning how to identify our assumptions, we can also explore differences with others, work to build common ground and consensus, and get to the bottom of core misunderstandings and differences.


Listening: Key to Perception

Take a minute, right now, to ask yourself for your personal definition of listening. Think about that activities you identify with listening? How do you know you are listening? Being listened to? What does listening feel like? How could your listening be enhanced?


The way we listen, has a lot to do with our capacity to learn and build quality relationships with others. When we are able to suspend judgment and listen to diverse perspectives we expand and deepen our world view. It is the act of listening that allows for integration and synthesis of new insights and possibilities. When we listen deeply we are willing to be influenced by and learn from others.


In Dialogue, listening also involves developing our ability to perceive the meaning arising both at the individual level and within the group. What assumptions are we hearing, which ones are shared? Listening for shared meaning informs us about the culture we live in, and presents us with the opportunity to make choices about our decisions and actions (rather than moving unconsciously, on auto-pilot).).


Inquiry and Reflection

Inquiry and refection are about learning how to ask questions with the intention of gaining additional insight and perspective. Through this process we dig deeply into matters that concern us and create breakthroughs in our ability to solve problems.


Inquiry elicits information. Reflection permits the inspection of information and the perception of relationships. The combination of reflection and inquiry enables us to learn, to think creatively, and to build on past experience (versus simply repeating the same patterns over and over again).


By learning how to ask questions that lead to new levels of understanding we accelerate our collective learning. Such questions often begin with "I wonder...", "what if....", "what does xxx mean to you?" As we ask these questions and listen, we gain greater awareness into our own and others' thinking processes and the issues that separate and unit us.


By creating pauses to reflect, we learn to work with silence and slow down the rate of conversation. We become able to identify assumptions and reactive patterns and open the door for new ideas and possibilities.


Interlocking Building Blocks: Weaving the Dialogue

Each of the building blocks is an integral part of the Dialogue. They are living parts, which, like the organs of our bodies, constantly work to support the form they are part of. In each moment, the building blocks weave both the context within which the Dialogue unfolds and act as catalysts to support the unfolding itself. The more consciously we use them, the more they help us to enter into and sustain the Dialogue.


And, all the skills are interrelated. For example, as we begin to draw aside the curtains of our judgments, we develop the capacity to speak and listen without the automatic coloring of past thought patterns. We become less reactive, more aware of the assumptions through which we filter our observations. Choosing to suspend these assumptions, we may experiment with expanding the horizons of our perceptions, increasing the number of points of view available to us. By creating space to reflect on what we are perceiving, seeking the next level of inquiry, opening up our senses and listening deeply, with the intention to discover and understand we enter into Dialogue.


BEHAVIORS THAT SUPPORT DIALOGUE


Suspension of judgement when listening and speaking. When we listen and suspend judgment we open the door to expanded understanding. When we speak without judgment we open the door for others to listen to us.


Respect for differences. Our respect is grounded in the belief that everyone has an essential contribution to make and is to be honored for the perspective which only they can bring.


Role and status suspension. Again, in dialogue, all participants and their contributions are absolutely essential to developing an integrated whole view. No one perspective is more important than any other Dialogue is about power with, versus power over or power under.


Balancing inquiry and advocacy. In dialogue we inquire to discover and understand others perspectives and ideas and we advocate to offer our own for consideration. The intention is to bring forth and make visible assumptions, relationships and gain new insight and understanding.


We often tend to advocate to convince others of our positions Therefore a good place to start with this guideline is to practice bringing more inquiry into the conversation.


Focus on learning. Our intention is to learn to from each other, to expand our view and understanding, versus evaluate and determine who has the "best" view.


When we are focused on learning we tend to ask more questions, try new things. We are willing to disclose our thinking so that we can see both what is working for us and what we might want to change. We want to hear from all parties so that we can gain the advantage of differing perspectives.

Here's a link to the web site for "The Dialogue Group"

http://www.thedialoguegrouponline.com/whatsdialogue.html

Struggling with culture vs. military might

After visiting the Jewish Museum on Thursday we had a wonderful light lunch at a restaurant famous for its baklava, including types filled with meat and cheese, little socially acceptable White Castles (with flair).

The owner showed us a pan of baklava measuring 2 by 3 feet that had been doctored by chefs into a portrait of President Barack Obama. After lunch our van carried us to a famous military museum on the Golden Horn. At the museum we were to hear a concert by a military band dressed in Ottoman-style uniforms.

I wasn’t sure why this visit was on the agenda for a trip that extolled the virtues of peaceful coexistence.

Well, I had adopted a ‘wait and see’ attitude about this stop on our tour until I waited and saw.

We de-vaned in front of a huge cannon of WWI vintage that I am sure was designed to shoot a shell 15 or 20 miles. Our leaders hurried us along. We were running late and the concert was about to begin. The concert hall was at the opposite end of the museum from the entrance. We were told we could visit the museum’s exhibits after the concert. As we rushed along to see the band, we passed room after room of implements of destruction. Everything from arrows to massive machine guns. All designed for one purpose: killing human beings.

A day later I asked one of our leaders why we had been taken to this venue. He confirmed my suspicion that this was not an effort to celebrate the military but rather an attempt to make sure that we had a full experience of Turkish culture.

But as we arrived in the 1,000 seat concert hall I was deeply troubled by what it would mean for me (someone who self identifies as a Quaker) to be part of a tour of weapons on exhibit. I finally turned to Kenan and told him that I meant no disrespect, but that when the concert was over I would not be part of the tour; I would wait outside the museum’s entrance for the rest of the group.
So, an hour later when the music had stopped and the band had marched away, I marched myself to the entrance and sat outside in the sun, just a few feet from the Goliath sized cannon I mentioned above.

As I waited for the group I pondered the contrast between the museum and the tomb of the Sufi poet, Rumi that we had visited two days earlier. Rumi extolled the virtues of living together in peace. He knew no enemies.

As I compared the two venues I took heart in the fact that the military museum was visited on the day we were there by perhaps a few hundred people (including a couple of school groups).

The tomb of Rumi and the adjoining museum on the other hand were swarming with people the day we were there. Thousands of people. A constant stream of Muslims, Christians, and persons of many religions.

I think it would make Rumi smile to know that many more people looked at his resting place than gazed at machine guns and cannons that. I have a feeling Fetullah Gulen would smile a little too.

Back in Istanbul for a visit to the city’s Jewish Museum

Our first day back in Istanbul was a day of contrasts and an ethical challenge for me.

We spent most of the morning window shopping in the high-end market district and square called Taksim. This was the area I had visited the week before. We stopped by a couple of churches, including a Catholic Church named for the Franciscan, St. Anthony of Padua.

A major highlight of the morning for me was our stop at the Karakoy Jewish Museum. We reached the museum by taking the Funicular tram down from the hilltop shopping area, and then walking to a major traffic and light rail intersection at the end of the Galata Bridge.

The museum was hidden away at the end of a side street with no exit.

The museum consisted of two floors, and contained two Torah scrolls and a number of other religious items, but more importantly, it present a series of elaborate posters explain the history of Jews in Turkey. As I believe I mentioned in an earlier blog, Turkey is 99% Muslim. There are only an estimated 100,000 non-Muslims in this large country with a population of 80 million. The 100,000 non-Muslims comprise 25,000 Jews and 75,000 persons who are Christians or me3mbers of other religions.

The most important piece of information I encountered was something I already knew, but of which I was glad to be reminded. In 1492 when the Catholic Church was burning Jews and non-believers at the stake, and when it expelled the Jews from Spain, the Sultan of what is now Turkey not only invited the Jewish expatriates from Spain to his own land, but actively worked to bring them to their new home, where, it seems they have lived happily, if anonymously for half a millennium and more.

As I was leaving the museum I encountered the guard at the front door. He didn’t speak English and my Turkish was too small to be of help, but through sign language I asked him if he was a Jew. He nodded. I then gave him one of our blue pins with the symbols of Judaism, Islam and Christianity sitting in the company of what we know as the peace sign. I pointed to that peace sign and said “barish” the Turkish word for peace. This man who a moment earlier was very quiet and reserved suddenly became animated. He put the pin on. I asked if I could take his photo and he again gave an affirmative sign, but motioned for me to wait. He rushed into his office and returned while putting on a tie. I took his picture and then he disappeared again returning with two other men associated with the museum. Soon Kenan arrived and served as interpreter for the four of us.

The men thanked us for coming, and thanked Kenan and the members of the Gulen movement for bring foreign visitors to view this important piece of world history. They encouraged the Gulens to continue to bring guests to the museum, in the same way that the Sultan had invited the homeless, no, country-less Jews to come to Turkey in the year that Columbus rediscovered America.

Then we departed for lunch and a visit to a museum celebrating weapons anD Turkish military might, a visit that raised serious questions for me about my stance toward even tacit endorsement of war.

Should I trust Allah or tie up my donkey?

First a correction. In one of my earlier blogs I said that the Bosphorus Strait connects the Black Sea and the Aegean. that was not accurate. The Bosphorus connects an almost entirely enclosed body of water called the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea.

I also swhould say a word or two about the extraordinary group of people traveling with me.

We all met to begin our journey on Friday, July 24 at Hotel Anka in Istanbul. One of our two leaders, Kenan, picked me up at Hotel Eres. We gathered my luggage to take the train to the new hotel, but first went to lunch at Simit Serayi (as noted earlier, Turkish fast food). Kenan was anxious to make Friday prayers (Friday is the equivalent of Sunday for Christians)and he offered to leave me at the restaurant. I asked to go along. The mosque we went to was of the local neighborhood variety. Not historical. It was only about 200 meters from the waters of the Golden Horn.

Two interesting things happened at prayers. First, at one point I decided to get down on the carpeted floor with the men who were prostrating themselves as part of the prayer ritual. I got down, but discovered that my left wrist was still not strong enough to get me to my feet and it took several men to help me up. I felt really embarassed.

Second, there is always preaching by an Imam on Friday, and this time the Imam preached on a text i had heard before.

Kenan told me he had spoken about the end time (something that Christians and Muslims have in common as the Day of Judgement). But the text he chose to speak about is, I believe, a Hadith, or saying of the Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH). According to the tale, a follower of Islam asks Muhammad if he should tie up his donkey when he comes to prayers, or trust Allah. Muhammad looks at the man for a long time and say, You should trust Allah, of course...AND tie up your donkey!" As Christians say, God helps those who help themselves.

That evening we were driven to a lovely contemporary restaurant in the suburs of Istanbul for supper and the opportunity to introduce ourselves to each other.

I introduced myself and passed around to each participant a sheet of paper with information about Interfaith Paths to Peace, and about me. I also distributed the small blue pins I have that bear the symbols of the Abrahamic (including Sarah and Hagar)religions and the American/English peace symbol.

Then the others introduced themselves. Our group included Hasan Ozturk, a Ph.D. candidate in political science3 at UK, and my friend Kenan, who just received his masters in electrical engineering from the University of Louisville. Kenan hopes to move to Tennessee Tech this fall to begin work on his doctorate.

The other participants include:

Anthany Beatty – Assitant VP for Public Safety, University of Kentucky, Former Police Chief of Lexington

Eunice Beatty – Retired Professor, University of Kentucky's Bluegrass Community and Technical College

Carey Cavanaugh – Former U.S. Ambassador, Director of Patterson School of Diplomacy, University of Kentucky

Chase Cavanaugh – Senior at Notre Dame University, just back from a year of study abroad in Paris

Alan DeYoung – Educational Policy Chair, College of Education, University of Kentucky

Sakah Mahmud – Professor Political Science, Transylvania University in Lexington who is originally from Nigeria.