Today in church our minister talked about the idea of having many different ways to say something.\u00a0 He told us that the \u201ccreeds\u201d that we recite were written to uphold some particular version of God against another version.\u00a0 (This is within the Christian Church, not the Christians trying to prove that some other faith is wrong.)\u00a0 Our minister suggested that when we sing a hymn, or recite the doxology we might want to use words that expressed our individual understanding.\u00a0 I often say in the last line, instead of \u201cPraise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,\u201d \u201cPraise Mother, Child, and Sophia.\u201d<\/p>\n
I reminded me of an experience I had at Findhorn<\/a> for the Festival of Sacred Music, Song, and Dance.\u00a0 We were gathered in the great hall, about 200 of us.\u00a0 In the center were 6 singers, each with a big poster saying words in different languages.\u00a0 We all stood in six wedges, and each wedge learned one set of words.\u00a0 These words were:<\/p>\n OM MANE PADME HUM After we had each learned the tune that went with the words, we began to sing.\u00a0 It was like a round with six parts.\u00a0 After we had done it for a while, they suggested that we should wander around the outside and listen to, or even join another group.\u00a0 Finally they suggested we pick the one that felt most appropriate and sing that one, and wander around \u00a0individually.\u00a0 I felt closest to Buddhism, so I sang \u201cOm Mane Padme Hum,\u201d and as I walked around I heard \u201cShanti, shanti,\u201d \u201cGloria in Excelsis Deo,\u201d and then another “Om Mane…\u201d\u00a0 O there\u2019s one of my clan.\u00a0 We are all walking about, singing the name of god in our own language, and we are making beautiful harmony together.\u00a0 I had a very strong sensation that we were the planet.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never forgotten that experience.<\/p>\n Recently we did a circle dance to a new piece of music called \u201cDreams of Harmony<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0 It affected me the same way.\u00a0 It\u2019s also a round, and they sing \u201cGood night,\u201d in nine different languages.\u00a0 It\u2019s a perfect example of what we do when we dance dances from around the world, even the dances of our \u201cenemies,\u201d we are celebrating our differences, not fighting about them.<\/p>\n As the current world situation seems to get scarier everyday, I listen to this. \u00a0It’s a beautiful antidote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today in church our minister talked about the idea of having many different ways to say something.\u00a0 He told us that the \u201ccreeds\u201d that we recite were written to uphold some particular version of God against another version.\u00a0 (This is … Continue reading
\nLA ILLAHA IL ALLAH HU
\nSHANTI SHANTI
\nSHALOM SHALOM
\nGLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO
\nO GREAT SPIRIT, SUN AND SKY AND SEA,
\nYOU ARE INSIDE, AND ALL AROUND ME.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n