A weekend celebration of Peterborough’s rich spiritual diversity began as the desire of a few members of the Unitarian Fellowship here to respond to the horrible massacre of worshipers in the Quebec mosque last March. The idea grew and developed over the next few months as citizens of other faith practices worked with them to produce a rich and powerful sharing of divergent practices. Many Windows…One Light became the logo that captured the intent of the weekend that was held on October 14-15 in the Jewish Community Centre in Peterborough.
Saturday afternoon began with short presentations by 15 citizens who spoke about how the practice of their faith contributed to their personal journey in life. This section began with acknowledgement of the land and a song by a First Nations woman who later shared her indigenous faith perspective. She was followed by representatives from the following faith groups: Anglican, Unitarian, Sikh, Roman Catholic, Quaker, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Baha’i, Hindu, and United Church. A humanist spoke as well, explaining his lack of belief in God and his faith in the ongoing evolution of humanity to throw light on our source of life. More than 80 people were present for this enriching and enlightening programme, chaired by Reverend Julie Stoneberg, Minister of the Unitarian Fellowship.
A potluck meal followed immediately upon the Saturday afternoon presentations, a highlight of the weekend as the group assembled shared a delicious and inviting display of vegetarian food from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Shared as well was an interesting and informative dialogue between speakers and listeners at the attractively set tables. The evening was a time for celebration as entertainment provided by a number of religious and cultural groups as well as individual performers was well received. We heard songs by an indigenous woman, by Catholic musicians, by a Jewish doctor, by the Trent choir who chose numbers from Hawaii and Zimbabwe. We listened to the poetry of a young woman born in India, skillful storytelling by a social activist, and enjoyed cultural dances by Iranian and Afghani children. A spectacular Punjabi dance by students from Sir Sanford Fleming College in colourful costumes was much appreciated by those present. A spirit of unity and respect for diversity was evident as the day ended.
Sunday afternoon was marked as a day to go deeper as 27 people gathered at the Jewish Centre to be led by Peter Pula of The Resonance Centre through an experience that we would call contemplative dialogue. The afternoon began with an invitation to place on a centered table whatever we had been instructed to bring as a symbol or artifact that had special meaning for us. We then formed triads with participants we knew least to respond to challenging questions about our spiritual journey. Focussed listening was at the heart of these dialogues which were guided by the facilitator. The sharing was rich and powerful as we repeated the process three times over the afternoon. The session ended with a short reflection by each participant on the experience, as comments expressing appreciation and gratitude echoed around the circle that had formed.
This beautifully – orchestrated weekend that could be called a success at many levels left many with the hope that such a project would somehow go on. Many ideas came forth about the next step as committee members met to evaluate. Hopefully this was only a beginning for Many Windows … One Light.
Joan Driscoll, CSJ