|
A Discussion Group of the
National Storytelling Network
|
Created in Justice, Denver, CO
June 4, 2006
by Cherie Karo Schwartz
The Second Joseph Campbell Roundtable of Interfaith Peace Tales
June 4th, 2006 at B'nai Havurah Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation
"The world is well conducted on two spinning wheels: one that spins
justice and the other that spins mercy." (from the Zohar iv, 259b;
Jewish wisdom).
With the sound of a sacred bell resonating into silence, followed by
three candles lit by the eldest present, so the second Joseph Campbell
Roundtable on Interfaith Peace Tales began. Thirty people from varying
backgrounds. faiths. cultures, and generations came together for an
afternoon of sharing stories from their hearts. After the silence and
the light, we brought our own names and backgrounds into the circle of
story, along with a phrase each on justice. We had storytellers,
mental
health professionals, ministers, a rabbi, radio show coordinator, a
news reporter, a nurse, computer specialist, secretary, cosmetologist,
students, retirees, and others. And wIth this kaleidoscopic
framework,
the stories flowed.
There was no performance, and no set order of storytellers. This was
to be a conversation, a dialogue of stories. A Hindu sacred story led
the way to a dawning of the reality of justice. Then an Afghani Jewish
folktale presented a candle-lit dilemma of justice sought and and the
ensuing moral dilemma. Each story was greeted by the group in silence
to take in the intention of the tale, then a verbal bridge was formed
to the next story by another teller, linking the stories into an
ongoing emerging larger experience of the theme of justice.
We moved to a personal tale from South Africa, told by someone who
was
not a trained storyteller, but who carries her memories with tender
care. In her early childhood innocence, she helped bring justice,
literacy, and freedom to a Black worker. A brief and deep folktale
followed with a theme of awakening justice. This led to a literary
tale
of those strong enough to walk away from injustice. And so the stories
flowed, from personal to sacred to folk to literary and beyond. Each
story strung on the strand of those before it broadened our vision of
justice and the possibilities of peace in the world. We were led
onward to witnessing Civil Rights abuses, and Christian congregants
dying to save others.
Then we heard, among others, tales of domestic
justice revealed through therapy, harsh realities of injustice, an
Irish sibling story of juvenile injustice reframed in maturity, a
personal recollection of complicated medical emergency, a contemporary
news story of Muslims in war helping to save 'the other', and a
teaching tale of Jesus being questioned about the balance of justice
meted out to others.
Each tale shared in the brief shared two-hour timeframe shimmered
with
the possibilities of bringing, creating, and restoring justice and
balance in the world. Each in its own way helps to restore peace. In
this new format of story-sharing, there was no set order, no
performance, no microphone, no formality. People sat in the circle of
story and shared from their hearts as their hearts moved them, and as
they could link their story to the ones before. The stories flowed
like
waves upon sand, and they moved us with them . Not everyone told a
tale. Some were there as story listeners, as witnesses to the emerging
verbal and visceral understanding of justice and peace.
Just as the time for closing was drawing near, the stories slowed,
and
we brought the afternoon full circle with the sound and then the
silence of the bell. Then our elder extinguished the candles with our
intention. As the light went out in the candelabra, the spark of
justice and peace was brought deep into each of our hearts. Our task
is
to take this spark of story out into the world to continue doing the
sacred work of peace. We ended with communal foods and drink and deep
conversation, fed well by our laughter and tears and connection
through
story.
We go forth with the hope that another faith tradition will create
the
next Roundtable of Interfaith Peace Tales soon, and that we can open
to an even wider base of faiths, traditions and cultures to hear,
experience, and share our stories with spirit and soul.
Special thanks and gratitude to the Joseph Campbell Foundation,
Sydney Solis, Congregation B'nai Havurah, Cherie Karo Schwartz, and
all
who made the afternoon of story possible. Special gratitude to Rabbi
Rami Shapiro for his vision of conversing in story rather than
presentational performance.