Friday, October 23, 2015

Parliament of the World’s Religions in Salt Lake City, October 15 – 19, 2015
Theme: Reclaiming the Heart of Our Humanity
Working Together for a World of Compassion, Peace, Justice, and Sustainability

 
What a lofty goal! What a grand vision!  The Parliament of the World’s Religions, this year bringing together over 9500 representatives of over 70 religions from 40 countries, first met in 1893 in Chicago.  It was reconvened at its centennial in 1993 in Chicago, then in 1999 in Capetown, South Africa; in 2004 in Barcelona, Spain; in 2009 in Melbourne, Australia; and the current gathering in 2015 in Salt Lake City.

The day preceding the formal opening of the Parliament was devoted to the Inaugural Women’s Assembly, focusing on issues pertaining to women’s dignity and human rights.  The earth itself was called “Mother” in discussions about the vital importance of honoring and protecting the environment. Panelists discussed such topics as Women, Compassion, and Social Justice; Indigenous Women’s Wisdom Sharing; and Religious and Spiritual Sources of Inspiration and Empowerment for Women.  A dramatic opening ceremony by SHeroes, a women’s dancing and drumming group dedicated to survivors of trauma, performed, each one wrapped in a bright red scarf emblazoned with the logo of SHeroes.  
SHeroes, dancing and drumming


A powerful and distinguished array of speakers brought wisdom from their own teachings and experience, including Mother Maya Tiwari, Bishop Dr. Barbara King, Marianne Williamson, and indigenous grandmothers, to name just a few.

Dr. Barbara, head shot
Dr. Barbara appeared in a flowing emerald green gown, and immediately got everyone’s attention.  No one could believe this energetic, powerful woman was 85 years old!  She exhorted everyone to “Hug yourself.”  She related how she wasn’t allowed to be a Baptist preacher, so she turned to New Thought, and insisted that we all could overcome any circumstance. She founded the Hillside Chapel, known as Hillside International Truth Center in the 1970’s. She spoke forcefully about her belief: “Hope starts… and faith completes it.”  “What you think becomes your reality.” She encouraged people to stop and rest after action since our energy is our light.  Dr. Barbara had everyone stand and hold hands to feel connected and feel each other’s joy and pain. She urged each of us to live life fully, to follow our passion, to find a support group, to use uplifting words, to give thanks, and… to be still. Just listing some of her comments doesn’t come close to feeling the electric energy of her presence.
Dr. Barbara, seated in green robe, part of panel of speakers

Marianne Williamson was also a powerhouse who roused the crowd of thousands to stand up and clap and cheer.  Each speaker had a vibrant and unique energy, a positive and inspiring message, and touched people in a profound way. 


It would be impossible to give a full description of this massive and overwhelming conference.  At any time during the day from 7:00 a.m. until the evening hours, there were about 20 sessions, screenings, discussions, and meditative practices from which to choose.  At the plenary sessions, there were thousands of people in the main hall, but the rest of the day, there were a few hundred gathered in smaller rooms, ballrooms, and halls around the large Salt Palace Conference Center.  Colorful booths displaying posters, literature, clothing, crafts, and educational opportunities filled three large halls. 




Each person attending this conference came away with a different impression, depending on the choices of sessions, and the random encounters with other attendees.  In open areas, one could observe devotional chanting, drumming, and dance.  Hundreds of Sikh volunteers prepared vegetarian meals for anyone who wished to enter, once each person covered their head with a white scarf, and removed their shoes.


An app for one’s phone contained all the information in the 300-plus page booklet describing all the sessions and the speakers. One could make choices and then save one’s personal schedule in the app. We were constantly checking our phones for the next session and asking friends where they were going. This was new technology for me, and proved very helpful in organizing the huge range of offerings.

Although most people stayed in nearby hotels, I was invited by a close friend from our rabbinical seminary to stay with her and several other rabbinic colleagues at her condo in Deer Valley, about 45 minutes’ drive up the mountain.  We had a warm reunion filled with sharing our personal and professional stories. 


The distance, however, made it impossible to attend the very early morning sessions during which various faith groups led services – Hindu meditation, a Friend’s Meeting, Devotional Yoga Satsanga, Healing Service for the World, African Religions of Brazil, Tai Chi, Chi Gong, Mystical Christian Interfaith Healing Communion, Sikh Religious Observance, Gospel Service, and many more examples.




Walking down the hall, one could see colorful banners representing world religions and cultures.  The attendees themselves were very colorful, with native dress, embroidered robes, colorful turbans, angel costumes with sparkly wings, and some in humorous costumes like the Sacred Clowns. 
        




























Erev Shabbat services led by Rabbi Marcia Prager, my mentor, and her husband, Hazzan Jack Kessler, with drummer Eli Lester, and on cello Rabbi Yitz Husbands-Hankins, were inspiring and transformative.












Compassion and respect were two oft-heard themes voiced by representatives of many faiths.  Whether we agree on our practices, we must have respect for others’ paths of devotion.  The Dalai Lama was supposed to be the guest of honor, but due to illness he wasn’t able to travel.  He taped an interview which was screened at the luncheon. He spoke with humor and conviction about the need to see ourselves as all connected.  Variations of the Golden Rule were cited as leading us to regard our fellow human beings with love.  At the gala Golden Luncheon each table was decorated with ribbons upon which were written variations of the Golden Rule. 
Just a few examples:

He should not wish for others what he does not wish for himself. – Baha’u’llah

Do to others as you would have them do to you. – Luke 6.3031

One should treat all beings as he himself would be treated. – Agama Sutrakritanga 1.10.13

What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man.  – Talmud, Shabbat 31a.

All things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One.  – Black Elk.

The heart of the person before you is a mirror.  See there your own form. – Shinto.

Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss. – Tai Shang Kan YHin P’ien

The list of these sayings goes on for 4 pages in the Parliament book.

So with all of these respectful, compassionate, loving ideas, why is there so much distrust, hatred, and violence in the world… and in the name of religion?!  Ah, that was the question posed and discussed in many of the sessions.  Political usurping of literal religious teachings has allowed people to use messages in the sacred writings of many faiths to claim dominance and superiority or to enslave another people. The charismatic, passionate speakers all made a plea in one way or another for a return to the deeply connected, spiritual roots that proclaim the oneness of all creation. 

I was personally interested in following the sessions of the Abrahamic Reunion, a group of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Druze, and Jews, men and women,  who all live in Israel and Palestine, and, for the past 15 years, have coordinated gatherings for dialogue under tremendous pressure and tension of the current volatile situation.  The founders and organizers, Rabbi Eliyahu McLean (yes that is right) and Shahabudden David Less, a Murshid of the Sufi order,   reach out to people in the entire spectrum of thought and practice in the Holy Land to come to meetings, meals, and ceremonies, to learn about each other.  They are a ray of hope that even when in disagreement, there can be respect and continued communication and caring.




  
My friend Ruth Sharone, a noted interfaith activist, presented songs from her musical-in-process called Interfaith, the Musical.  Delightful and touching songs.  This is going to be a hit!




I have kept the heavy volume of sessions and speakers for anyone who wishes a more in-depth description of the topics offered at the conference.

I am still digesting the sense of excitement, and sometimes slight discomfort, that I felt as a result of the waves of opinions, doctrines, and passionately-held beliefs flowing over me as I walked from session to hall to screening to one-on-one encounters.

One highlight was a concert in the famous Mormon Tabernacle, with hundreds of children from local schools, churches, mosques and clubs forming a choir.  The opening was a series of “Call to prayer” from Indigenous people, Moslem Muezzin, and blasts of the shofar from several rabbis. 




I posted colorful photos on Facebook during the day, and received many positive responses from people who could not attend, and were following my reports about the stream of speakers, musicians, artists, and cultural events. 




A group of monks worked with great skill and concentration to form a huge mandala from colored sand in the entry hall.  On the last day it was finally completed, only to be swept away as something beautiful but impermanent.  That really touched people… to invest so much energy in a beautiful product, and then have it disappear.
Perhaps that is a good metaphor for the whole experience. 
We listen, talk, exchange ideas, give great attention to learning new information, and then… where does it all go?  One hopes it is transformational within our hearts, and will lead to action in the future.  One does not need the physical, concrete evidence of what is beautiful, true, important… We must carry that inside of us. Once our heart strings have been plucked, we hear the reverberations that keep us in tune as a guide forever.









For anyone who wishes to ask questions, or see the bag full of materials from the conference, please contact me at RebAmalia@aol.com.

With blessings for respect, compassion, and honor for all beings and for the earth.

Rabbi Alicia Magal
7 p.m. Tuesday, October 20, 2015.





Coffee Talk with the Rabbi, First Tuesday

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