Reconciliation with Our Earth: Wisdom from Faith Traditions
NEWS: Reconciliation with Our Earth: Wisdom from Faith Traditions
Year of Reconciliation Events at UNThe Eco-Spirituality Working Group; Spiritual History of the United Nations Working Group;
Women Rising Working Group present:
RECONCILIATION WITH OUR EARTH:
WISDOM FROM SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS
Co-Sponsored by URI-UN
October 27, 2009 1:00-4:00 pm
Church Center for the United Nations, 2nd Floor
This beautiful event was organized by Dr. Michelle Kim, SFO, Ph.D. of Franciscans International with several working groups of the UN NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns. The purpose was to discover and celebrate through an interfaith dialog ecological wisdom that can be shared by all, transcending all cultural, religious boundaries. More than 70 people attended.
Rev. Dr. Thomas Downes opened the event and introduced Angelica Cubides of Women Rising for a blessing to the four directions, assisted by Martha Gallahue, Anele Heiges, and Swamini Sri Lalitambika Devi, all council members of URI-UN. Angelica spoke of her childhood experiences with the indigenous mamas of Ecuador, the guardians of nature who understood the pulsations of the Earth.
After an inspiring keynote address on the concept and urgency of reconciliation with the Earth by Dr. Kim, all were treated to a beautiful Hindu-style dance performed by Radha Devi Dasi.
Then came the heart of the event, an “Interfaith Inquiry” on how various faith traditions relate to and honor the Earth. Deborah Moldow, facilitator of URI-UN, moderated a wonderfully varied panel of international experts of a wide variety of faith traditions:
- Christianity: Giovanna Czander (Italy), Ph.D., Dominican College
- Hinduism: Swami Parameshananda (India), Bharat Sevashram Sangha
- Islam: Sunera Rahman, Upper Westchester Muslim Society
- Judaism: Rabbi Roger Ross, The New Seminary
- Buddhism: Chung Hyun Kyung, Ph.D. (Korea), Union Theological Seminary
Dr. Czander characterized the Christian relationship with nature as being one of “communion and contemplation,” an attempt to look at nature through the eyes of God. Swami Parameshananda spoke of the Vedic vision of unity, and our direct connection to infinite source.
Sunera Rahman explained that Islam proclaims the fundamental oneness of God sustaining the universe. Nature is known as the “unwritten Koran,” so knowing nature is knowing God. In Judaism, according to Rabbi Ross, nature is a gift of the Divine that must be revered and protected.
In Buddhism, there is no separation between humans and nature; we are all interconnected. Dr. Chung showed us how to see an orange as “an ambassador from the Universe.”
At the conclusion of the fascinating panel discussion, Rev. Tim Miner, OUnI, of the Council of Interfaith Congregations of the U.S., delivered an interfaith response, comparing the religious traditions to the colored lights produced when sunlight moves through a crystal.
Two magnificent dancers, Chung Ja Kwon and Suk Jae Yoon, performed an exquisite dance from Korea. Then storyteller Therese Plair kept us spellbound until it was time for the final Blessing Into the World, led by Angelica Cubides. The Women Rising working group distributed little packets containing a rock with a message, and dried corn and beans, so that everyone could appreciate holding these messengers from nature in our hands for the blessing.
“Reconciliation with Our Earth: Wisdom from Faith Traditions” was part of the Week of Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, 26–30 October 2009, with the theme, The Spirit of the United Nations: Global Peace Through Reconciliation. This program on was the beginning of an inquiry that will be continued in the spring of 2010.
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