Vol. VII. No. 9
*****
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
*****
Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net
*****
Special Item:
In This Issue -
"Beauty, in the Beholder's Eye"
___
Colleague Comment:
Arthur Bauer
Charlene Lazaruk
Douglas John Hall
___
Colleague Contributions:
Mary Jo Leddy
Martin Marty
Jim Taylor
___
Net Notes:
Heart and Soul
Raised on Faith
Pipeline to Disaster
The Fall of Nazi Germany
Arab Spring 'No Threat to West'
Copts Blame Egyptian Authorities
Tutu Tirade over SA Dalai Lama Ban
St. Steve Jobs? Probably Not, But...
Leaders Chart Faith Future in Indonesia
Church in Kerala says "Have More Children"
George Harrison Changed the Way We Believe
Williams to Mugabe: Stop Attacking Anglicans
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Twenty ENI Geneva stories.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Origen of Alexandria
Laguna Pueblo Prayer
Cclare of Assisi
Ben Okri
Anne Wilson Schaef
T.S. Eliot
Eleanor Roosevelt
___
On This Day:
Oct. 3, 1990 -
West and East Germany end 45 years of
division; create a new, unified country.
---
On Oct. 4, 1957 -
Space Age begins. USSR launches Sputnik,
the first man-made satellite, into orbit.
---
Oct. 14, 1964 -
Martin Luther King Jr. named winner of
the Nobel Peace Prize.
___
Closing Thought: Mechtild of Magdeburg
(end)
*****
Dear Friends:
We have now returned home to Calgary
after a week of beautiful fall colours
and worthwhile cultural activity in
Ontario. My special item this week
is a brief reflection on the theme:
"Beauty, in the Beholder's Eye."
Next week, I hope to provide a book
notice for colleague Mary Jo Leddy's
new release "The Other Face of God."
Be sure to check that out, Oct. 22nd.
___
This week, our Colleague Comments
come from:
Arthur Bauer - who shares his views on
my article "On Smelling the Roses" which
appeared in the October 1st issue of
Colleagues List.
Charlene Lazaruk - who discovered an
internet gem she wants to share with us.
Douglas John Hall - who thanks me for
my introduction of his new book "The
Messenger" (September 17th issue of
Colleagues List) and adds some kind
words about this blog.
___
Colleague Contributions:
Mary Jo Leddy - colleague Beth Porter
interviews colleague Mary Jo Leddy
on the subject of her new book "The
Other Face of God" - a further
development of her thinking in an
earlier book "At the Border Called
Hope." It expands her views on
political refugees in Canada.
Martin Marty - comments on a new movie
"Machine Gun Preacher" reminding us
that some themes never really change.
Jim Taylor - expands on the subject of
"bullies" - a subject that many of us
need to understand better.
___
Net Notes:
"Heart and Soul" - an extensive three-
part series on Christianity in China
is provided by the BBC.
"Raised on Faith" - parents raise their
children in the church, then find that
even though the kids live 'Christian'
principles they don't attend. What to
think about that? (America Magazine)
"Pipeline to Disaster" - the Alberta
oilsands are becoming a global issue
and here is an important perspective
countering the positive, current spin
of the government of Canada
(The Christian Century)
"The Fall of Nazi Germany" - poignant
pictures from a time and place about
which many of us are unfamiliar
(The Atlantic Monthly)
"Arab Spring 'No Threat to West'" -
a Catholic authority paints a very
positive picture of this development
in spite of such realities as the
Coptic crisis in Egypt (Ucan News)
"Copts Blame Egyptian Authorities" -
other Catholic voices are deeply
concerned about the violence against
Christians in Egypt (The Tablet, UK)
"Tutu Tirade over Dalai Lama Ban" -
a noisy story last week was the
decision of the South African
government to decline a visa to
permit the Dalai Lama to celebrate
Tutus's 80th birthday and Tutu's
strong, subsequent reaction
(Anglican Journal News)
"St. Steve Jobs? Probably Not, But..."
- an interesting reflection on the
life of Steve Jobs of Apple, who died
recently (The Huffington Post)
"Leaders Chart Faith Future in Indonesia"
- an important gathering of global Christian
leaders from all the major church traditions
took place recently in Indonesia (ENI news,
Washington Post, Ucan News)
"Church in Kerala says "Have More Children"
- Christians in the Kerala state of India
are concerned about population decline,
and the church is suggesting a solution
(Yahoo News/Associated Press)
"George Harrison Changed the Way We Believe"
- the former Beatle had an approach to faith
that has become popular since his time
(National Catholic Reporter)
"Williams to Mugabe: Stop Attacking Anglicans"
- another major news series of the week from
Africa, reports on how the Archbishop of
Canterbury is attempting to handle matters
with a despot (Anglican Journal)
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
This week, I offer twenty news reports from
Ecumenical News International, Geneva.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Origen of Alexandria, Laguna Pueblo Prayer,
Cclare of Assisi, Ben Okri, Anne Wilson
Schaef, T.S. Eliot and Eleanor Roosevelt
provide their insights.
___
On This Day:
West/East Germany form united country (1990)
Space age begins, USSR launches Sputnik (1957)
Martin Luther King wins Nobel Peace Prize (1964)
___
Closing Thought this week is provided by:
Mechtild of Magdeburg a medieval woman mystic.
Matthew Fox reflects on her comment.
___
Thanks for joining me again this week.
We are now back to a regular routine, and
Colleagues List should come to you weekly.
Blessings!
Wayne
************************
SPECIAL FALL STUDY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Introducing the Full Program
ST. DAVID'S MONDAY NIGHT STUDY 2011
"Living Ethically Amid Chaos"
Two Books by Richard Holloway
September 19th - November 28th
TM Room, St. David's United Church
7:00PM - 9:00PM
"Godless Morality"
Learning how to separate "God says"
from doing what is right
Information about the book from Amazon.ca
http://tinyurl.com/3d45x3t
---
"Between the Monster and the Saint"
Spiritual support for pursuing a life
that seeks above all to be good
Information on the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/4369obx
---
Led by Jock McTavish and Wayne Holst
Registration: $25.00 for class fees,
and special hospitality. No more books
are available. Order from Amazon.ca.
*****
UNIVERSITY TUESDAY NIGHTS
A Study Program Sponsored by:
The Department of Continuing Education
At the University of Calgary
Taught by: Wayne Holst
"God, Atheism and Morality" (ten sessions)
Tuesday Nights, 7:00PM - 9:00 PM
September 27th - November 29th
Program underway.
*****
ST. DAVID'S ACTS MINISTRY AND
THE FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY CENTRE
ON THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY CAMPUS
Welcome to our -
Noon Hour Book Discussions for Faculty,
Staff and Students Autumn and Winter Series
for 2011-12
Series One -
"A Public Faith:
How Followers of Christ Can Serve the Common Good"
by Miroslav Volf
Putting your personal faith to work for others.
Oct. 14th - Nov. 25th - six Friday noon sessions
http://www.ucalgary.ca/faithandspirituality/
http://tinyurl.com/42hkejb
---
Series Two -
"An Altar in the World" by Barbara Brown Taylor
Discovering God in the ordinary experiences of life
March 2nd - March 30th - five Friday noon sessions
Time and Location for all sessions:
12:00 to 1:00PM in the Native Centre Board Room
Located above the Dairy Queen, Mac Hall Student's
Centre
Led by: Wayne Holst,
Coordinator of the ACTS Ministry, St. David's United
and a Faith and Spirituality Centre Liaison.
Cost of the books: $15.00 each
---
Join us this year for stiumlating campus discussions!
For more information: Adriana Tulissi 403-220-5451
Co-ordinator, Faith and Spirituality Centre, U. of C.
artuliss@ucalgary,ca
*****
SPECIAL ST. DAVID'S LINKS
Contact us at: asdm@sduc.ca (or)admin@sduc.ca
St. David's Web Address - http://sduc.ca/
Listen to audio recordings of Sunday services -
http://sduc.ca/services.htm
*****
STUDY ARCHIVES
A collection of twenty-five+ studies conducted
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://bookstudies.stdavidscalgary.net/
This collection of study resources represents
a decade of Monday Night Studies at St. David's,
plus extra courses too!
You are welcome to use our course outlines,
class notes and resource pages in your personal
and group reflections.
******************************************
SPECIAL ITEM
A Personal Reflection:
"Beauty, in the Beholder's Eye"
As I proposed here two weeks ago, my wife
Marlene and I spent a week in Ontario,
observing the coloured leaves in all their
autumnal glory.
Toronto was our base of operation, but we
traveled to Ottawa/Gatineau, west through
Algonquin Provincial Park and Muskoka, then
south to the vineyards of Niagara and some
sugar maple regions of southwestern Ontario.
Everywhere, we saw autumn leaves turning
from green to multi-coloured splendor.
We enjoyed historic sites in Ottawa and
Niagara-on-the-Lake, question period in
the House of Commons, and "My Fair Lady,"
"Heartbreak House," and "The Misanthrope"
at the Shaw and Stratford Festivals.
All told, it was a lovely way to spend the
early part of October. We were fortunate
that our timing allowed for maximum benefit
from seasonal natural and cultural tableaux.
For Marlene, it was a first opportunity to
see the colours of the eastern woodlands
in all their magnificence. For me, it was
an opportunity to enjoy what I had not much
appreciated during early years, as a youth
growing up in southwestern Ontario.
---
Most migrants to western Canada from the
"east" (Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic
provinces) will say they miss the coloured
leaves. They will comment that while the
"yellows" of Alberta, for example, can be
nice, they pale in comparison to what exists
"back home."
I probably said something similar over
the years, but I say it less now. I have
lived in western Canada the major part
of my life after first coming to Winnipeg
in 1971 and Calgary in 1979 (that's forty
years of prairies and foothills!)
The truth is, I saw the Ontario leaves
with a somewhat similar eye to my wife's -
a native Calgarian. I have become very
much at home in my western environment.
While I was truly awed by the colours I
saw in Ontario, I am also very aware of
the many beautiful aspects of an Alberta
autumn.
I see beautiful colours here, even though
they may not be as contrasting as what
we saw on our trip. Seeing the beauty
of Ontario this fall helps me enjoy the
richness of the setting I now call home.
This reminds me of a conversation I once
had with a native of the province of
Saskatchewan. The large, flat regions
of the southern part of that province
first struck me as boring. He countered
my views by saying that he enjoyed the
vital nature of the prairies because he
observed the subtle hues and manifold
changes he observed there. For him, there
was nothing like the beauty of what he
knew as home.
Enjoy the goodness of other places - yes!
Enjoy the goodness of home - above all!
That insight helps me appreciate the truth
of the wise maxim - "beauty lies in the
eye of the beholder."
---
Colleagues List book notices return next week.
*****
COLLEAGUE COMMUNICATION
ARTHUR BAUER
Pompton Plains, NJ
October 1st, 2011
Wayne,
Your mature comments about yourself and your
three observations are welcome reflections
from a long-time friend. It is a source of
happiness to read it. Enjoy Ontario and the
colored leaves. You, among other Canadians,
have made my own connections to Canada a
delightful part of my own journey and growth.
Every good wish.
Art
---
CHARLENE LAZARUK
Calgary, AB.
October 3rd, 2011
This is by far one of the most excellent
commercials I have ever seen!! Enjoy!!
I'm betting you won't guess WHAT this
commercial is about until the last !!
Voted the BEST commercial ever!
Totally made my day.
Charlene
http://tinyurl.com/4xsl8l5
---
DOUGLAS JOHN HALL
Montreal, QC
Oct. 13th, 2011
Dear Wayne - A quick thank you for that
lovely review (of my book "The Messenger"
September 17th.) I wish my readers were
all as kind as you! There have, however,
been some very fine responses — especially
from those who knew Bob Miller.
I continue to marvel at the scope and
pertinence of your work.
Doug.
*****
COLLEAGUES CONTRIBUTIONS
MARY JO LEDDY
Interview on her new book:
"The Other Face of God"
From L'Arche Canada's - "A Human Future"
Fall issue, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3m8e9t2
*****
MARTIN MARTY
Chicago, IL.
Sightings 10/3/2011
"Machine Gun Preacher"
http://tinyurl.com/6jzuhbz
*****
JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC
Weblog, Oct 9th, 2011
"Bullies"
http://tinyurl.com/yl374wj
*****
NET NOTES
HEART AND SOUL
Faith and Religion in China
(A three-part BBC video series)
October, 2011
Provided by Ucan News
October 10th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3q6nfjr
*****
RAISED ON FAITH
"Living it, but not practicing"
America Magazine
October 17th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3zapcc7
*****
PIPELINE TO DISASTER
Confronting the Alberta Oilsands
The Christian Century
October 3rd, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3ffge7h
*****
THE FALL OF NAZI GERMANY
The Atlantic Monthly:
A Picture Collection
October 9th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3bgth65
*****
ARAB SPRING 'NO THREAT TO WEST'
Muslims and Christians in Dialogue
Ucan News
October, 3rd, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3gqbcjw
*****
COPTS BLAME EGYTPIAN AUTHORITIES
Riots Kill Many Christians
The Tablet, UK
October 15th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/65vtm4m
*****
TUTU TIRADE OVER DALAI LAMA BANN
Ecumenical News International
Geneva, October 4th, 2011
Dalai Lama refused visa by South Africa
Johannesburg (ENI news) - The Dalai Lama
cancelled a planned trip to South Africa to
celebrate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu's
80th birthday after Tutu's home country
declined to issue a visa to the exiled
Tibetan Buddhist leader. Critics said the
government of President Jacob Zuma and his
African National Congress party were bowing
to pressure from China, a close trading
partner that has clashed with the Dalai
Lama over greater freedoms for Tibet,
which has been ruled by China since 1950.
_____
The Guardian,
October 5th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3oyjvtc
*****
ST. STEVE JOBS? PROBABLY NOT,
BUT...
The Huffington Post
October 10th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/44b4r9s
*****
CHRISTIAN LEADERS PLOT
ECUMENICAL FUTURE IN INDONESIA
Broad Christian Representation
At International Conference
Ecumenical News International
Geneva, October 3rd, 2011
Christian leaders plot
ecumenical future in Indonesia
Manado, Indonesia (ENI news) - An
estimated 275 Christian leaders are
meeting in Indonesia from 4 to 7 October
to plot an ecumenical future in what one
veteran of the ecumenical movement called
a watershed gathering. Leaders of the
fledgling Global Christian Fellowship will
gather evangelical, Pentecostal, mainline
Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox
Christians here to assess recent changes
in global Christianity, Religion News
Service reports.
---
Washington Post
October 3rd, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3wq2yl2
*****
"Interfaith Contact Essential"
Says Vatican Envoy to Conference
Ucan News
October 7th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3g3wdqq
*****
CHURCH IN KERALA, INDIA
SAYS 'HAVE MORE CHILDREN'
Yahoo/Associated Press
October 11th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/425x2aw
*****
HOW GEORGE HARRISON
CHANGED THE WAY WE BELIEVE
Beatle Star Charted New Course
National Catholic Reporter
October 12th, 2011
View using Mozilla search engine:
http://tinyurl.com/3lodn6t
*****
WILLIAMS ASKS MUGABE TO
HALT ATTACKS ON ANGLICANS
Anglican Journal
October 11th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/6xxb8r3
*****
GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI
Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
3 October 2011
Zimbabwe diocese to welcome Williams
as ex-bishop prepares snub
Harare, Zimbabwe (ENI news) - As Zimbabweans
prepared to welcome Archbishop of Canterbury
Rowan Williams this week in a visit designed
to support Anglicans under siege from a
renegade ex-bishop, the former cleric himself
said he would snub the Anglican Communion
leader. Anglicans in Zimbabwe are embroiled
in a fight over church property with former
bishop of Harare Nolbert Kunonga who fell out
with the church in 2007 over what he said was
its pro-gay stance. Kunonga has formed his own
church with a clique of followers, claiming he
has rights over church property including
buildings, schools and hospitals.
_____
Christian leaders plot
ecumenical future in Indonesia
Manado, Indonesia (ENI news) - An estimated
275 Christian leaders are meeting in Indonesia
from 4 to 7 October to plot an ecumenical future
in what one veteran of the ecumenical movement
called a watershed gathering. Leaders of the
fledgling Global Christian Fellowship will
gather evangelical, Pentecostal, mainline
Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox
Christians here to assess recent changes
in global Christianity, Religion News
Service reports.
*****
4 October 2011
In Australia, Catholic opinion
divided on gay marriage
Wellington, New Zealand (ENI news) - Catholic
opinion on gay marriage in Australia is divided
after a state parliament passed a motion endorsing
it. Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey warned he might
not perform any marriages at all if the law
requires him to perform gay ones, while two
Catholic politicians spoke out in favor of
gay marriage.
_____
Survey shows dissatisfication
among Israeli Jews
Jerusalem (ENI news) - Some 80 percent of
Jewish Israelis are dissatisfied with how
the government handles issues of religion
and state, according to a recent survey
released by the Smith Research Institute
for Hiddush-Freedom of Religion in Israel,
Inc. In addition, the survey revealed that,
although the data was collected in the midst
of a tense social-economic protest which has
focused primarily on the cost of housing and
living, 64 percent of the respondents viewed
tension between secular and ultra-Orthodox
Jews as the most or second most acute
domestic conflict in Israel. Thirty percent
said it is tension between rich and poor.
*****
5 October 2011
U.S. National Cathedral to re-open,
but needs quake repairs
Washington, D.C. (ENI news) - Washington
National Cathedral will need "tens of
millions of dollars" over "numerous years"
to repair extensive damage to the nation's
second-largest church following a 23 August
earthquake, church officials said on 4
October. The landmark church requires $25
million "just to get to June 2012, for
the first phase of work ... we know it
will ultimately be much more," said Richard
Weinberg, a spokesman for the cathedral,
Religion News Service reports via USA Today.
The building has been closed since the quake,
with services held at other locations in the
U.S. capital. It is scheduled to reopen on
12 November for the consecration of the
Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the new Episcopal
bishop of Washington.
*****
6 October 2011
Mennonites support Lutheran efforts
in Horn of Africa
Geneva (ENI news) - An organization
supported by Mennonites has made a
significant contribution to the
Lutheran church's work at refugee
camps serving the Horn of Africa,
a gesture that both groups said is
a practical expression of a
reconciliation that was celebrated
last year. The Akron, Pennsylvania-
based Mennonite Central Committee,
a relief and development agency,
pledged a contribution valued at
US$369,500 that includes mosquito
nets as well as expertise for
education projects, said the
Geneva-based Lutheran World
Federation (LWF), which is
managing the Dadaab refugee
camp in Kenya for the U.N.
High Commissioner for Refugees.
_____
Major demographic shift is under
way in Christianity, say scholars
Manado, Indonesia (ENI news) - Scholars
claim the biggest change in the history
of Christianity is underway amid the
religion's move to Africa, Latin America
and Asia. "The story of Christianity as
a worldwide faith is being written before
our eyes," declared Dr. Dana Robert of
Boston University School of Theology, as
she addressed a group of world church
leaders at the Global Christian Forum
(GCF) in Manado, Indonesia.
*****
7 October 2011
German university courses aim
to help Muslims integrate
Berlin, Germany (ENI news) - As more
Muslims become part of European society,
German universities have begun courses
aimed at helping Islamic clergy (imams)
and religious teachers understand German
culture, including Christianity and
Judaism. The first program began last
year at Osnabrueck University, with
another due to start this year at
Tuebingen. "The idea was to have a
program for imams because most of them
are educated in Turkey, Morocco, Egypt
or Bosnia," Moussa Al-Hassan Diaw,
coordinator of the Osnabrueck program,
said in an interview. "The focus [of
their previous education] is very much
on theology and the society where they
come from, but they don't have enough
knowledge concerning the situation in
Germany. Some imams don't speak the
German language, for example; they
don't know [German] history," he said.
_____
People of faith join Wall Street protests
New York (ENI news) -As police helicopters
hovered overhead, seminarian Rix Thorsell,
wearing a clerical collar, marched on 5
October with other members of Brooklyn's
Greenpoint Reformed Church in a "Occupy
Wall Street" protest that has captured
national and international attention.
"Jesus stood with the 99 percent [of
society that is not wealthy]," said
Thorsell, a student at New York's Union
Theological Seminary. Thorsell and the
members of his church and seminary were
among people of faith who have joined
the protests in lower Manhattan against
what activists are calling "corporate
greed" and growing economic inequity
in the United States.
_____
Peace Prize winner Gbowee says
faith helped in peace campaign
New York (ENI news) One of the 2011
Nobel Peace Prize winners, Leymah Gbowee,
a Liberian activist who helped bring her
country out of a brutal civil war, said
on 7 October that the best way to achieve
global peace is to start in local
communities. "It is time for us to do
justice in our communities ... one day
the world's problems will meet you at
your doorstep," she said at the
Interchurch Center in New York. Gbowee,
Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
and Yemen's Tawakkul Karman, who leads
opposition to dictatorial President Ali
Abdullah Saleh, shared the prize.
*****
10 October 2011
Egypt still rocked by sectarian violence
in post-Mubarak regime
Jerusalem (ENI news) As Egypt approaches
the anniversary of the protest movement
that overthrew former president Hosni
Mubarak, the country still finds itself
torn by sectarian violence. On 9 October,
a demonstration in Cairo protesting an
attack against a Coptic church in the
Aswan province last week erupted into
the worst violence since Mubarak's ouster
in February. Between 17 and 24 people were
killed and between 180 and 200 people were
wounded.
_____
Archbishop of Canterbury commends
courage of displaced Anglicans in Zimbabwe
Harare, Zimbabwe (ENI news)- The Archbishop of
Canterbury, Rowan Williams, praised Anglicans
in Zimbabwe for remaining firm in the face of
assaults by followers of an excommunicated bishop
who has seized church property, forcing people to
find other places to worship. "You know very well,
dear brothers and sisters, what it means to have
doors locked in your faces by those who claim the
name of Christians and Anglicans," Archbishop
Williams told the approximately 15,000 people
who attended a communion service at a sports
stadium on the outskirts of the capital, Harare,
on 9 October.
*****
11 October 2011
Philippine church seeks support
for probe into bishop's murder
Manila, Philippines (ENI news) A homegrown
Philippine church is seeking international
backing to help pressure the government to
reinvestigate the unresolved murder of a
bishop five years ago. "We continue to ask
our partner churches -- such as the Anglican,
Episcopal and Old Catholic Churches -- in
the international community for solidarity
and support for the case," Bishop Ronelio
Fabriquier of the Philippine Independent
Church told ENI news in an interview in
early October.
_____
UN condemns Coptic killings in Egypt
Geneva (ENI news) - U.N. officials
condemned the sectarian violence in
Cairo on 9 October that left at least
two dozen dead and hundreds injured. A
protest against a church attack in Aswan
turned violent as some Christians and
Muslims battled each other and others
joined forces to protest military rule
and oppose soldiers and riot police.
Meanwhile, in an interview with ENI news,
the U.N.'s special rapporteur (or reporter)
on religious freedom said that governments
must create an atmosphere of religious
tolerance and communication.
*****
12 October 2011
Ecumenical Cuban seminary
celebrates 65th anniversary
Matanzas, Cuba (ENI news) - The Evangelical
Theological Seminary of Matanzas marked its
65th anniversary with a celebration from 3
to 4 October that focused on the theme
"The Mission of the Church and Theological
Education in Cuba today," according to a
news release from the Latin America and
Caribbean Communication Agency (ALC).
"In the complex religious and ecumenical
situation, but also the economic, political
and social one that we are living, God calls
us each one of us who attempt to respond to
that call [and gives] a reason for hope,"
said Reinerio Arce Valentin, dean of the
seminary.
_____
After Japan disaster, faith leaders
explore "another way of living"
Tokyo (ENI news) - Will the 11 March
earthquake-tsunami-nuclear-plant accident
cause the Japanese people to re-evaluate
their society and re-consider the balance
between spiritual and material things?
What role does religion have in this
environment? These were some of the
questions considered at a 10 October
interfaith symposium in Tokyo called
"Thinking about Natural Disasters and
Religion: Looking for Another Way of
Living," supported by several Buddhist
groups and the Japan Religion
Coordinating Project for Disaster
Relief. Spiritual-material balance is
the key for building a new civilization
following the 11 March disasters, said
Ahangamage Tuda Ariyaratne, leader of
Sri Lanka's Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement,
a Buddhist-based relief and development
organization centered on small communities.
*****
13 October 2011
Repression of religious minorities
is increasing, says human rights group
Geneva (ENI news) - Intolerance and violent
repression of religious and ethnic minorities,
often the most vulnerable groups in many
societies, is on the increase, said a
prominent human rights advocacy group.
"There is a growing trend of growing
intolerance," Philippe Dam, acting Geneva
director of Human Rights Watch, told ENI
news. Recently, he said, the advocacy body
studied repression a gainst Shia Muslims
in Saudi Arabia, Tibetan monasteries, and
Coptic Christians in Egypt.
*****
14 October 2011
Zimbabwe judges rule in favor of
established Anglican church
Harare, Zimbabwe (ENI news) - Zimbabwe's
high court has ordered Anglican Church
staffers back at a mission hospital from
where they were evicted by an excommunicated
bishop last month and ordered another
renegade bishop to hand back control of
a church building. Former bishop for the
Harare diocese Nolbert Kunonga evicted
nurses, teachers and office staff from
Daramombe mission south of the capital
in a series of property grabs before a
9 October visit from Archbishop of
Canterbury Rowan Williams. On 12 October,
High Court Justice Chinembiri Bhunu
ordered that the staffers be reinstated
and Kunonga refrain from interfering with
Daramombe.
*****
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Provided by Sojourners.online
October 3rd, 2011
"We do not arm ourselves against any
nation; we do not learn the art of war;
because, through Jesus Christ, we have
become the children of peace."
- Origen of Alexandria
---
October 4th, 2011
"I add my breath to your breath/
that our days be long on the Earth,/
that the days of our people may be long,/
that we shall be as one person,/
that we may finish our road together."
- Laguna Pueblo Prayer
---
October 5th, 2011
"Place your mind before the mirror of
eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance
of glory! Place your heart in the figure of
the divine substance! And transform your
whole being into the image of the Godhead
itself through contemplation!"
- Clare of Assisi
---
October 6th, 2011
"Yes, the highest things are beyond words.
That is probably why all art aspires to the
condition of wordlessness. When literature
works on you, it does so in silence, in your
dreams, in your wordless moments. Good words
enter you and become moods, become the quiet
fabric of your being. Like music, like
painting, literature too wants to transcend
its primary condition and become something
higher. Art wants to move into silence,
into the emotional and spiritual conditions
of the world. Statues become melodies,
melodies become yearnings, yearnings
become actions."
- Ben Okri
---
October 7th, 2011
"We can create a world as yet unimagined,
a world undreamed, yet dimly felt. We are
like the corn. Mysteriously hidden within
each of us are the seeds that can germinate
into a new society, a new planet. Like the
corn, we have hidden deep within our living
process a wisdom that reaches back to all
knowledge and beyond to all possibilities."
- Anne Wilson Schaef
---
October 10th, 2011
"We shall not cease from exploration/
And the end of all our exploring/
Will be to arrive where we started/
And know the place for the first time."
- T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets:
“Little Gidding”
---
October 11th, 2011
"You gain strength, courage and confidence
by every experience in which you really
stop to look fear in the face. You are able
to say to yourself, 'I have lived through
this horror. I can take the next thing that
comes along.' You must do the thing you
think you cannot do."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
*****
ON THIS DAY
Provided by the New York Times
On Oct. 3, 1990 - West Germany and East Germany
ended 45 years of postwar division, declaring
the creation of a new unified country.
http://tinyurl.com/4556s8v
---
On Oct. 4, 1957 - the Space Age began as the
Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first
man-made satellite, into orbit.
http://tinyurl.com/3ok4vzj
*****
Oct. 14, 1964 - Martin Luther King Jr.
named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
http://tinyurl.com/3lxv6su
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT
The truly wise person kneels at the feet
of all creatures and is not afraid to
endure the mockery of others.
- Mechtild of Magdeburg
Maybe our ecological crises today are the
result of our failure to show reverence to
all creatures, to kneel at their feet, and
in doing so invite the mockery of an
anthropocentric, human-centered, rationalistic
mindset and economic system that rewards those
"above" and exploits or ignores those "below."
- Matthew Fox in "Christian Mystics"
(end)
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