Emerging In ServiceSpace: Interfaith Wisdom Circle
ServiceSpace
--Aryae Coopersmith
2 minute read
Jul 25, 2015

 

I want to share my excitement with you about a  dream that is manifesting in the ServiceSpace community.

It started on a Wednesday, when Nipun invited me to suggest an Awakin Reading from my book "Holy Beggars". So I sent over a couple of passages to the Awakin team. While they felt the excerpts weren't quite a fit for that secular platform, they didn't respond with a flat no -- but instead, took it as an opportunity for creatively building a bigger pie. At the next Awakin Circle, I got one of those taps on the shoulder, accompanied by a very big smile, from Nipun. (Ever get one of those?) "Hey Aryae, here's something that you may like. And if you want to do it, I'll support you all the way!" Then he told me his idea.

A few weeks later, on a conference call with a guy in Maryland, the three of us agreed on a plan for getting started. The guy was Rev. Canon Charles Gibbs, who's served as Canon at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, and as founding Executive Director of URI (United Religions Initiative) which has the mission of promoting "enduring interfaith cooperation ... to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings."

Matthew Fox coined the phrase "deep ecumenism." It's about each of us deepening our relationship with the All through opening ourselves to the universal wisdom present in each others' traditions. The way his friend and colleague, and my teacher, Reb Zalman, used to say this: "The only way to get it together, is together!" For me this expresses the purpose of this circle.

The idea: a monthly global video-conference circle of people who practice different faiths and aspire to "deep ecumenism," each circle anchored by a spiritual leader from a different faith tradition.

The plan so far: we'll do a pilot with one circle in August and one in September. Charles Gibbs will anchor the first, with me as moderator. For the second, Charles will be moderator and founder of the International Association of Sufism, Dr. Nahid Hanga, will be our guest. After that, we'll see! I'm especially excited at the possibility of including some of the spiritual leaders from many traditions that have been connected with the ServiceSpace community.

To join the first circle, RSVP here.  We'll be reflecting on the Parable of the Good Samaritan.   

 

Posted by Aryae Coopersmith on Jul 25, 2015


3 Past Reflections