God's October Surprise

From Gather Heart

http://fvcommunity.org/gatherheart/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

 

God's October Surprise By Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Honorary Co-Chair At just the moment of history when religious conflict, violence, terrorism, and war  have reemerged bearing lethal dangers for our different communities and our shared planet, God has given our spiritual and religious traditions a gift of time: During October 2005, a confluence of sacred moments in many different traditions invites us to pray with or alongside each other and to work together for peace, justice, human rights, and the healing of our wounded earth. To begin with, two strands of time that are celebrated inm two communities now often at odds with one another are this fall woven together in way not seen for many decades:  The sacred Muslim lunar month of Ramadan and the sacred Jewish lunar month of Tishrei, which includes the High Holy Days and the harvest festival of Sukkot both begin October 3-4. But there is more: October 4 is the Saint's Day of St. Francis of Assisi. October 2 is Mohandas K. Gandhi's birthday. October 2 is Worldwide (Protestant) Communion Sunday. October 4 to 12 are for Hindus Navarathri (nine nights of spiritual struggle), followed on October 13 by Vijayadashami, the tenth day of spiritual victory. And for Buddhists, Vassa (the rainy season of spiritual reflection) ends on  October 18 with the full moon day, Pavarana. There is much that we could do to heal the world during this sacred season made up of sacred times: * Perhaps in groups of congregations -- a church, a synagogue, a mosque, a temple -- each congregation could host one meal for members of the others, after nightfall on any of the evenings of Ramadan. * Jews could invite Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus into the Sukkah, a leafy hut that is open to the wind and rain. Traditionally, "sacred guests" are invited in and the ancient Rabbis taught that during Sukkot, blessings are invoked upon "the seventy nations" of the world. Traditional prayers implore God to "spread the sukkah of shalom" over us. These are perfect rubrics for peacemaking among the children of Abraham and all humanity with each other and with all the earth. * Muslims could invite other communities to join in celebrating some aspects of Eid el-Fitr (the feast at the end of Ramadan), and Jews and Christians could (as in Morocco) bring food to the celebration of the end of Ramadan's fasting. It marks and underlines the month-long commitment to fast so as to offer food and life-abundance to God as a sacrifice, and to focus on devotion to God instead of to material success. * Churches could invite Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus to join in learning about and celebrating the teachings of Francis of Assisi. (He was one of the few Christians of his day who opposed the Crusades, who learned in a serious way from Muslim teachers, and who was deeply dedicated to kinship with the earth and all living creatures.) * Synagogues could invite Muslim scholars and spiritual leaders to teach on Rosh Hashanah when Jews are reading Torah passages from the saga of Abraham, Hagar, Ishmael, Sarah, and Isaac, how it is that Muslims understand that family story. Then there could be open discussion of the differences, the similarities, the wisdom held in each of the versions of the story. * Synagogues could set aside a time during Yom Kippur or the Shabbat just before, or another special time during the month, to read and discuss the Torah's story (Gen. 25: 7-11) of the joining of Isaac and Ishmael to bury their father Abraham, and then to achieve reconciliation at the Well of the Living One Who Sees Me. They could invite Muslims to join in some part of the day or in the break-fast (by Muslims called Iftar) at the end of the day. * In light of the fact that we are standing on the precipice of religious war and repression, rabbis, cantors, priests, nuns, ministers, and imams -- perhaps with their congregants -- could together take some action during the Ramadan/ Tishrei month to change public policy -- in favor of protecting human rights, healing the earth, and achieving peace in the whole region where Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah sojourned. It is also possible that as the crowning moment of  this sacred season of prayer and meditation, learning,  listening to each other, and healing action -- That from sunrise to sunset on the day that for Muslims is one of the fast days of Ramadan and for Jews is the fast day of Yom Kippur -- October 13 -- all Americans observe a Nationwide Fast for Reflection, Repentance, and Renewal. All of us could learn from the passage of Isaiah that in Jewish tradition is read on  Yom Kippur morning. God, speaking through Isaiah, says, "Do you think the fast that I demand this day is to bow down your head like a bulrush? No! The fast I demand is that you feed the poor, house the homeless, clothe the naked, and break off the handcuffs on your prisoners." So in our own generation, we could encourage those who join in this Fast to take visible steps in the world to "End the war, Feed the poor, Heal the earth." Why talk about October when we are scarcely through April? Because if we wish to do this, we need to begin to reach out to each other now. To plan now, in our own cities and neighborhoods as well as nationally and internationally. To plan with each other how to use God's October Surprise of these sacred dates to carry out God's will that we live in peace together. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Rabbi Waskow is director of The Shalom Center. The October project was initiated by The Shalom Center, with The Tent of Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah. It has been endorsed by the National Council of Churches, the Islamic Society of North America, Pax Christi, and Faith Voices for the Common Good. The Shalom Center | The Tent of Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah.