Religion, hope, humanism and rainbows
Monday night I attended the AGM of Swansea Interfaith Group. http://www.interfaithswansea.org/ The group was set up two years ago, tp promote unity between the different faiths of Swansea, in the wake of the 7/7 London bombings.
On September 11th, the anniversary of the Twin Towers bombings, they held their first peace conference, attended by more than 100 people, of all faiths and cultures.
The group holds monthly meetings, each one at different faith centres across the city. Usually the business of the meeting is followed by a brief talk, fellowship and/or a voluntary act of joint worship, for those who feel comfortable with such things.
The latest was held at the Quaker House on St Helen's Road and was followed by a presentation on Quakerism and a brief (half-hour) shared silent meeting. The act of sitting in silent unity with people of all faiths and none was incredibly powerful, and a unifying, peaceful experience.
As is normal in Quaker meetings, people were invited to stand up and speak, when promoted by the spirit to do so.
Several did so, including a humanist who said that he felt touched by the shared experience and the words he had heard, even though he did not share a faith. Another woman spoke eloquently about the beauty and stillness of being united in silence, and another about how it reminded her of voices joined in singing. I also got up, not because I wanted to, but because I felt I had to. This is what I told them:
"ON my way to the interfaith meeting tonight, I had to go home again to get my camera, because I saw something incredibly beautiful.
As I turned the corner from my house, I saw an amazing rainbow, spread across the sea. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
Tonight, being here with so many people, of different faiths and backgrounds, it occurs to me that we are all unique. We each have our own unique experiences, our own background, our own faith. But when we come together and share these things, even though we are different, we can create something beautiful, like the colours of a rainbow.
Also, it occurs to me that rainbows come out of stormy skies and that sometimes, even when the skies seem very dark, something beautiful can arise."
I've kept a picture of the rainbow, to remind me of these things. The rainbow isn't all that clear in the picture, but you can just about see it, if you look hard enough.
I like to think it's kind of a sign.
On September 11th, the anniversary of the Twin Towers bombings, they held their first peace conference, attended by more than 100 people, of all faiths and cultures.
The group holds monthly meetings, each one at different faith centres across the city. Usually the business of the meeting is followed by a brief talk, fellowship and/or a voluntary act of joint worship, for those who feel comfortable with such things.
The latest was held at the Quaker House on St Helen's Road and was followed by a presentation on Quakerism and a brief (half-hour) shared silent meeting. The act of sitting in silent unity with people of all faiths and none was incredibly powerful, and a unifying, peaceful experience.
As is normal in Quaker meetings, people were invited to stand up and speak, when promoted by the spirit to do so.
Several did so, including a humanist who said that he felt touched by the shared experience and the words he had heard, even though he did not share a faith. Another woman spoke eloquently about the beauty and stillness of being united in silence, and another about how it reminded her of voices joined in singing. I also got up, not because I wanted to, but because I felt I had to. This is what I told them:
"ON my way to the interfaith meeting tonight, I had to go home again to get my camera, because I saw something incredibly beautiful.
As I turned the corner from my house, I saw an amazing rainbow, spread across the sea. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
Tonight, being here with so many people, of different faiths and backgrounds, it occurs to me that we are all unique. We each have our own unique experiences, our own background, our own faith. But when we come together and share these things, even though we are different, we can create something beautiful, like the colours of a rainbow.
Also, it occurs to me that rainbows come out of stormy skies and that sometimes, even when the skies seem very dark, something beautiful can arise."
I've kept a picture of the rainbow, to remind me of these things. The rainbow isn't all that clear in the picture, but you can just about see it, if you look hard enough.
I like to think it's kind of a sign.