|
ED Reflections: URI Star Shines Brightly |
|
|
|
Written by Charles Gibbs, Executive Director
|
|
Saturday, 29 December 2007 |
|
Dear Friends in the URI,
Greetings of love and peace.
In the Christmas story cherished by Christians around the world, wise ones from Persia (scholars speculate that they may have been Zoroastrian astrologers) follow a star to Bethlehem where they behold a new light that entered the world with the birth of the Christ child, who came to be known by his followers as the Prince of Peace. As I celebrate Christmas this year, I rededicate myself to honoring the Prince of Peace by offering my life in service of a more peaceful and just world.
And I will be thinking of another star, one made in 1996, during URI’s
first small global summit. An 11-year-old boy, Walter Gray, was forced
to sit through an entire day of adults talking about the possibilities
of creating what has become the United Religions Initiative. To amuse
himself, Walter spent the day folding origami shapes out of beautifully
colored sheets of paper.
At one point during the day, the adults, seated in circles of eight,
were asked to imagine what a United Religions might be like. Would it
be like a solar system – a brilliant, life giving sun with an intricate
system of planets and moons orbiting around it? Or would it be more
like a tree, with roots sinking deep into the rich soil of spiritual
wisdom, with a strong trunk of interfaith cooperation, and branches
bearing the fruits of peace, justice and healing?
As group after group reported, Walter folded a new shape with his
origami paper. When he finished folding and an adult finished speaking,
Walter stood up. I have something to say, Walter began. He held up a
colorful origami octagon with an open center. This is how things are
now, he said. The religions don’t talk with each other, and no one
comes together.
But, if we begin talking with each other, things will change, Walter
explained. He began moving the sides of the octagon. Little by little,
we come closer together, until we touch in the center, and something
that never existed before is born – a new star, the United Religions!
Walter’s origami star became the model for URI’s logo – a star of many
colors that represents people of diverse religions, spiritual
expressions and Indigenous traditions uniting to promote enduring,
daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence and
to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all
living beings.
In this season of light, I give thanks for my URI sisters and brothers
around the world whose light of service helps the URI star to shine
ever more brightly. And I pray that the light of the living URI star
shine ever more brightly in our world, illuminating a path to a new
future of peace, justice and healing for all.
It is a privilege to share this journey with you.
Love,
Charles
|
|
Last Updated ( Sunday, 27 January 2008 )
|
