Letter to the Editors of The Post and The Athens News
To the Editor: I must say that as a member of the OU and Athens peace and justice community, I am very disappointed with the theme and speakers of this year's Baker Peace Conference (held last week). Having a peace conference featuring mostly men and representatives and proponents of the military and defense industry is ironic at best and dangerous at worst. Where are the nonviolent peacemakers in your conference line-up? We are out there (and here and everywhere), and the Contemporary History Institute missed yet another opportunity to seriously, and with integrity, promote values and real nonviolent strategies for peace and justice.
You have been given a great opportunity (and the resources) to put on a conference that could work toward undoing militarism and violence and domination, yet you choose to support it through the very themes and voices you chose to showcase. We should be able to look to the annual Baker Peace Conference as a venue for serious academic theory and activist praxis for peace and justice, and sadly this has not been the case. This should be a conference which promotes critical engagement with racism, militarism, sexism, colonization and other oppressive systems so that participants may further our understanding of the roots of conflict and how we might undo these systems at a personal as well as national and global levels.
I hope that the Contemporary History Institute will seriously reflect on their responsibility to the OU and Athens communities and not allow this Orwellian "war is peace" doublethink/speak to continue to dominate the annual Baker Peace Conference. As for me, I ain't gonna study war no more.
Melissa Wales
Executive Director
United Campus Ministry (UCM: Center for Spiritual Growth & Social Justice)
Athens
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Preaching Truth to Power
UCM's campus minister, Rev. Evan Young, delivered the opening prayer at the Ohio House of Representatives today (April 5, 2011). "I confess to a certain ambivalence about this," Young said, "because I'm not certain prayer belongs there. But since it is there, I think it's incumbent on me to speak a progressive word of truth to power." Here is the prayer he offered:
Spirit of Life, source and ground and destination of us all--here we are, in this chamber of power, gathered to do the work of leading your people who live in this great state of Ohio. Those in this chamber have the power to decide and determine what rights and privileges our government will protect and defend, and who qualifies to enjoy those rights and privileges. Who is entitled to a say and who is not concerning the conditions under which workers' labor is bought and sold; who may marry and who may not; what sort of treatment we the people will consider hateful and abusive and who should be protected from such treatment, and how; to what great moral purposes the taxes collected from the people of Ohio should be put. The power concentrated in this chamber is powerfully attractive to those who wish to see their own interests furthered by the decisions made here; so attractive that they bend every effort to ensure that their voices are heard here and their interests are represented here. So, as we begin this session, we pray that the hearts of these representatives who have answered the call to serve be turned ever toward justice. We pray that they be given to understand that the measure of our justice consists in how we treat those who have been pushed to the margins of our society. We pray that they yield not to the temptation to listen only to the voices of those with the power and privilege to make their voices heard here, but that they strive to hear and attend to the voices of those who have been too often silenced by oppression or alienation. We pray that they humbly and steadfastly focus on the "all" in "justice for all," and seek to extend justice across all the lines and walls that so often divide us. And most of all we pray that the decisions they make produce the just, merciful, and compassionate society we dream of for all of Ohio's children, for their children after them, and for all the children who find their way here by whatever means in the years to come. Mindful of all that we have been given through your abundant grace, we lift up this prayer in all the many names we give to you who have always been beyond naming. Amen; blessed be.
Spirit of Life, source and ground and destination of us all--here we are, in this chamber of power, gathered to do the work of leading your people who live in this great state of Ohio. Those in this chamber have the power to decide and determine what rights and privileges our government will protect and defend, and who qualifies to enjoy those rights and privileges. Who is entitled to a say and who is not concerning the conditions under which workers' labor is bought and sold; who may marry and who may not; what sort of treatment we the people will consider hateful and abusive and who should be protected from such treatment, and how; to what great moral purposes the taxes collected from the people of Ohio should be put. The power concentrated in this chamber is powerfully attractive to those who wish to see their own interests furthered by the decisions made here; so attractive that they bend every effort to ensure that their voices are heard here and their interests are represented here. So, as we begin this session, we pray that the hearts of these representatives who have answered the call to serve be turned ever toward justice. We pray that they be given to understand that the measure of our justice consists in how we treat those who have been pushed to the margins of our society. We pray that they yield not to the temptation to listen only to the voices of those with the power and privilege to make their voices heard here, but that they strive to hear and attend to the voices of those who have been too often silenced by oppression or alienation. We pray that they humbly and steadfastly focus on the "all" in "justice for all," and seek to extend justice across all the lines and walls that so often divide us. And most of all we pray that the decisions they make produce the just, merciful, and compassionate society we dream of for all of Ohio's children, for their children after them, and for all the children who find their way here by whatever means in the years to come. Mindful of all that we have been given through your abundant grace, we lift up this prayer in all the many names we give to you who have always been beyond naming. Amen; blessed be.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Why Interfaith Impact Matters
"I find that altogether odd and unsettling things happen to my vision as I struggle to see and hear the merciful, reconciliatory heart of religion despite riveting, better-publicized rancor. This angle of approach to the broken world resists choosing sides and accepts antithesis and contradiction as given realities much of the time. I find that I grieve as bitterly for the broken humanity of the perpetrators of crimes as for their victims. I excel at righteous indignation, full of loathing for self-serving people who behave destructively and arrogantly in the name of faith. But I find it harder and harder to label and dismiss them, render them abstract. I am constrained to be mindful of both the fragility and the resilience of the human spirit. I sense that seeing the world the way God sees the world means, in part, grieving in places the world does not forgive, and rejoicing in places the world does not notice. It would mean, therefore, to live with a patience that culture cannot sustain, and with a hope the world cannot imagine." (Krista Tippett, Speaking of Faith: Why Religion Matters--and How to Talk about It. New York: Penguin Books, 2008, p. 171)
Interfaith Impact every Thursday at 7 p.m.-- 18 N College St, UCM lounge.
Find us on facebook.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Interfaith Impact Aims to Serve Body and Mind
Ohio University student group Interfaith Impact is moving– not just the day and time, but moving deeper.
In an effort to feed more than just the spirit, but the body too, Interfaith Impact’s new meeting day will be every Thursday at 7 p.m., giving members an opportunity to attend UCM’s weekly free meal, Thursday Supper, at 5:30 p.m. Both programs are held at UCM, 18 N College St.
United Campus Ministry’s Campus Minister, Evan Young, will now be attending all meetings, providing structure and creating a safe and sacred space for students to share and explore their spiritual journey. The group is also adding a community service aspect to its core, giving students the chance to put their faith and beliefs to action.
“Too often we hear about faith as something that divides us,” explains Young. “I want Interfaith Impact to be that space where what you believe and what you think will never keep you out. But what you yearn for and what you can envision might bring you in.”
Interfaith Impact is part of UCM’s endeavor to promote dialogue and cooperation across faith lines and to build a genuinely interfaith community. Programs such as Interfaith Bible Study, and organizing efforts like the Interfaith Youth Core campaign at Ohio University, make UCM a pioneer in interfaith work. UCM's important role in this work was recognized recently in an entry in President Obama's weekly blog announcing the White House's Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge.
“A big part about what we’re doing is relating what we study and learn to what we experience in our lives,” says Young. “It’s the ‘so what?’ question for me--that point where you explore and explain how what you believe leads you to choose and to act in your own life. And that’s the key to Interfaith Impact; engaging people in the ‘so what’ factor.”
In an effort to feed more than just the spirit, but the body too, Interfaith Impact’s new meeting day will be every Thursday at 7 p.m., giving members an opportunity to attend UCM’s weekly free meal, Thursday Supper, at 5:30 p.m. Both programs are held at UCM, 18 N College St.
United Campus Ministry’s Campus Minister, Evan Young, will now be attending all meetings, providing structure and creating a safe and sacred space for students to share and explore their spiritual journey. The group is also adding a community service aspect to its core, giving students the chance to put their faith and beliefs to action.
“Too often we hear about faith as something that divides us,” explains Young. “I want Interfaith Impact to be that space where what you believe and what you think will never keep you out. But what you yearn for and what you can envision might bring you in.”
Interfaith Impact is part of UCM’s endeavor to promote dialogue and cooperation across faith lines and to build a genuinely interfaith community. Programs such as Interfaith Bible Study, and organizing efforts like the Interfaith Youth Core campaign at Ohio University, make UCM a pioneer in interfaith work. UCM's important role in this work was recognized recently in an entry in President Obama's weekly blog announcing the White House's Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge.
“A big part about what we’re doing is relating what we study and learn to what we experience in our lives,” says Young. “It’s the ‘so what?’ question for me--that point where you explore and explain how what you believe leads you to choose and to act in your own life. And that’s the key to Interfaith Impact; engaging people in the ‘so what’ factor.”
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
UCM gets mention in President Obama's weekly blog!
Last week, President Obama launched a campus interfaith initiative and in his weekly blog posting he mentioned Ohio University as one of the campuses across the country that are already working towards interfaith community! Although he doesn't go into the specifics of what organization is spearheading the interfaith movement on Ohio University's campus, it should be noted that it's Interfaith Youth Core at Ohio University and United Campus Ministry organizing these efforts. He speaks of our upcoming stream clean up with Rural Action's Monday Creek Watershed Restoration Project, which will be held on April 16. If you're interested in getting involved with the service project or the interfaith movement with UCM, contact Melissa Wales at ucmathens@gmail.com.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Interfaith Action Strengthens My Commitment to My Faith
The Kara is a steel bangle worn by male and female Sikhs. It is one of the five external articles of faith that identify Sikhs to the outside world. It is in the shape of a circle because, like the eternal Lord, it has no beginning or end. The Kara is a constant reminder to me to do God’s work as a Sikh disciple, and it keeps the mission of performing righteous actions as advocated by the Guru (spiritual teacher/saint) in the forefront of my mind each day.
On the way home from the Interfaith Youth Core winter training I attended for fellows alliance members, I lost my Kara in the airport. Though it may sound silly, this got me thinking about one of the main ‘fears’ I have encountered doing my interfaith work: is my commitment to interfaith action chipping away at my faith identity and watering it down?
I contemplated this on the plane ride home. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that in fact the opposite is occurring: my commitment to interfaith work has greatly strengthened my relationship to my own faith of Sikhism. I thought back to the times this year when I served others, and how much more inspired I was to serve others after thinking of service as an interfaith experience. One of the central tenets of Sikhism is the importance of serving others, and Sikhs throughout the world are famous for hosting frequent and generous free meal programs (langar). Interacting with members of other faiths and acting as spokesperson for the interfaith movement on my campus, has forced me to become more familiar with aspects of my faith I had forgotten or lost touch with in the course of my college years, as others have inquired about my personal faith beliefs constantly since I began my fellowship.
Anxiety slowly turned into a deep contentment. A smile came to my face as my thoughts turned to interfaith Sikh leaders such as Guru Nanak and the Siri Singh Sahib. Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the founder of the Sikh religion, was famous for building bridges between Hindus and Muslims in India. He incorporated the writings of famous Muslim and Hindu theologians in the primary scripture of Sikhism, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The Siri Singh Sahib (1929-2004) was the first to spread Sikh teachings to the West, and my parents were some of his many followers during the counterculture movement in the 1960s. He served on countless interfaith panels throughout his lifetime, and even met with Pope Paul VI and urged him to take the lead in creating an intentionally interfaith space where leaders of the major faiths could meet to convene on important issues. At that moment, I felt the peaceful and beautiful presence of these saints smiling down upon me.
Interfaith action does not necessitate compromising one’s values. It does not mean that we must become a “melting pot” of religious watered-down religious values in order to reach a consensus. Instead, we can maintain the beautiful diversity of our unique faith traditions, while engaging with members of all and no faith backgrounds over common values of service to others, greatly enhancing our global impact for good and lessening violence and conflict between adherents of different faith communities.
Guru Amrit Khalsa is a senior at Ohio University majoring in journalism, with a concentration in world religions and global leadership. She is the treasurer of Interfaith Impact, and is completing a fellowship with the Interfaith Youth Core this year, where she organizes large-scale interfaith events and service projects at Ohio University, and promotes a climate of religious pluralism via social media outreach and engagement with the press.
Interfaith Action Strengthens My Commitment to My Faith
The Kara is a steel bangle worn by male and female Sikhs. It is one of the five external articles of faith that identify Sikhs to the outside world. It is in the shape of a circle because, like the eternal Lord, it has no beginning or end. The Kara is a constant reminder to me to do God’s work as a Sikh disciple, and it keeps the mission of performing righteous actions as advocated by the Guru (spiritual teacher/saint) in the forefront of my mind each day.
On the way home from the Interfaith Youth Core winter training I attended for fellows alliance members, I lost my Kara in the airport. Though it may sound silly, this got me thinking about one of the main ‘fears’ I have encountered doing my interfaith work: is my commitment to interfaith action chipping away at my faith identity and watering it down?
I contemplated this on the plane ride home. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that in fact the opposite is occurring: my commitment to interfaith work has greatly strengthened my relationship to my own faith of Sikhism. I thought back to the times this year when I served others, and how much more inspired I was to serve others after thinking of service as an interfaith experience. One of the central tenets of Sikhism is the importance of serving others, and Sikhs throughout the world are famous for hosting frequent and generous free meal programs (langar). Interacting with members of other faiths and acting as spokesperson for the interfaith movement on my campus, has forced me to become more familiar with aspects of my faith I had forgotten or lost touch with in the course of my college years, as others have inquired about my personal faith beliefs constantly since I began my fellowship.
Anxiety slowly turned into a deep contentment. A smile came to my face as my thoughts turned to interfaith Sikh leaders such as Guru Nanak and the Siri Singh Sahib. Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the founder of the Sikh religion, was famous for building bridges between Hindus and Muslims in India. He incorporated the writings of famous Muslim and Hindu theologians in the primary scripture of Sikhism, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The Siri Singh Sahib (1929-2004) was the first to spread Sikh teachings to the West, and my parents were some of his many followers during the counterculture movement in the 1960s. He served on countless interfaith panels throughout his lifetime, and even met with Pope Paul VI and urged him to take the lead in creating an intentionally interfaith space where leaders of the major faiths could meet to convene on important issues. At that moment, I felt the peaceful and beautiful presence of these saints smiling down upon me.
Interfaith action does not necessitate compromising one’s values. It does not mean that we must become a “melting pot” of religious watered-down religious values in order to reach a consensus. Instead, we can maintain the beautiful diversity of our unique faith traditions, while engaging with members of all and no faith backgrounds over common values of service to others, greatly enhancing our global impact for good and lessening violence and conflict between adherents of different faith communities.
Guru Amrit Khalsa is a senior at Ohio University majoring in journalism, with a concentration in world religions and global leadership. She is the treasurer of Interfaith Impact, and is completing a fellowship with the Interfaith Youth Core this year, where she organizes large-scale interfaith events and service projects at Ohio University, and promotes a climate of religious pluralism via social media outreach and engagement with the press.
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