Spirit Scholars

Stumbling into another New Year with ... Seven Things to Watch in 2007

Did we all notice how quickly our Email "inboxes" began to fill this morning as people returned to more normal schedules? We suggest that January 2, each year, should be designated as the True New Year's Day. (Yes, we know that many retailers jumped into heavy-duty work schedules on January 1 and that many professionals in education, and their students, won't jump back into harness for a while yet.) Our point is this: It's easy to feel relaxed and reflective when we're still lingering in the glow of New Year's Eve. The real test of our spiritual mettle isn't January 1 -- it's January 2.

So, here at Spirit Scholars, we're going to kick off 2007 by extending a theme we began in last week's four-part series we called VISION-Starters, an effort to move through this transitional period in a spiritually mindful way.

Today, here are SEVEN things to watch in 2007 -- and, please, if you've got comments or further Trends to Watch that you think belong on a list like this -- add a Comment at the end of this article or drop us a direct Email with your thoughts. We'd really like to hear from you on this one.

Number ONE: Soul searching in the global Islamic community. It's clear that the Iraqi Civil War gets uglier with each passing month. News about Saddam Hussein's execution (both the hurried execution itself and the later news that broke about the ugly sectarian scene that unfolded at the site of the hanging) suggests that we're going to witness even more extreme violence in 2007. News this week is that up-scale Iraqi refugees continue to pour out of the country much faster than the U.S. is willing to accept them. Anyone with a bright professional future seems to be hitting the Exit doors -- and that's an even darker cloud over the country's future. Now, the U.S. death toll has passed the 3,000 mark. Setting our own American political power struggles aside, the clear, cold light of January is revealing that there is simply no way to ignore the vast scope of this terrifying, tragic conflict. Here at Spirit Scholars, we don't presume to have any great wisdom about resolving the conflict in Iraq -- but it is clear that the 1-billion-plus Muslim community around the world is facing some deep soul searching in 2007 as this sectarian Civil War unfolds.

Number TWO: Newspapers won't be much help in sorting out global solutions. Let's all pray that the emerging forms of New Media grow a Global Conscience in 2007, because the signs are everywhere that newspapers (once our most wide-ranging global watchdogs) fear that they're caught up in an industry-wide Death Spiral. Anyone who opened up the New York Times January 1 Business Day section, for instance, found 4 huge stories about the expansion of new media -- and a single column about the tragic dwindling of newspapers. Here at Spirit Scholars, we think this eventually will shape up as more of a moment of panic across the newspaper industry, rather than a true crash. We think that, once new business models emerge, newspapers will continue to plop on customers' doorsteps for many years to come. But, at the moment, newspapers are scrambling to figure out the Internet and are shrinking their newsprint and their overall investments in larger news coverage. In effect, news executives are Circling the Wagons into highly localized news reports, betting that's the best way to hold onto local markets. This is true in U.S. cities Coast to Coast, at the moment. In the meantime, news coverage of the Larger World is shrinking dramatically in newspapers across the U.S. So, if you care about the Larger World, start Bookmarking Web sites like Spirit Scholars that can supplement what you find in the shrinking morning newspaper.

Number THREE: Movies aren't helping much, at the moment. Remember a year ago, when we all were celebrating deep dramas like "Crash" and we were amazed at the growing popularity of thought-provoking documentaries as well? It is true that "An Inconvenient Truth" had a remarkable impact in 2006 -- virtually all observers of American media seem to agree on that point. But the Bottom Line reports out of Hollywood, widely discussed at this time of year, are not encouraging a fresh wave of edgy, reflective films, at least not from the major studios. In case you missed it, the Top Grossing film of 2006 was "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which has cleared the $1 Billion mark in earnings! Two of the Top 10 earners in 2006 were comic book movies, the latest X-Men and Superman films. And cute animated adventures were Red Hot, too, with "Cars," the latest "Ice Age" film and "Over the Hedge" earning huge returns. The one Bright Spot for spiritually minded cinema is that independent film continues to grow nationwide in a host of forms from direct-mail DVD subscriptions and cable-channel offerings to films marketed directly to groups and congregations.

Number FOUR: And, speaking of "An Inconvenient Truth," it seems we're going to be talking a whole lot more about the environment in 2007, especially about oceans and global warming. Among other trends in 2007, this will be the First International Polar Year in 50 years, a worldwide convergence of scientific efforts focused on the world's poles -- and, of course, that relates to concern both about oceans and global warming. There are a host of other related events and trends planned this year, including a sort of odd-sounding campaign out of Australia this year to focus on life-saving practices related to surfing.

Number FIVE: Science Fiction is on the rise again. Perhaps this is somehow related to our anxiety about the world's environment, or perhaps its an outgrowth of New Media and more affordable Hollywood special effects. But there's a major global Science Fiction convention coming to Japan this year -- one of the world's most significant spiritual homes of this genre. (If you didn't catch it, by the way, the original Japanese version of "Gojira" was released late in 2006 in a fully restored DVD version. For Science Fiction fans, that's almost a "must buy" DVD. Most Americans have only seen the cheesy, American, re-edited version of "Godzilla," not the Japanese original.) You may be asking: Is this a spiritual trend? We think so, most definitely, especially with the strong spiritual themes that are surfacing in many of these adventures. Television's "Battlestar Galactica," for example, gets more and more theological as each new season unfolds.

Number SIX: Watch the Orthodox. Cultural markers were popping up everywhere in late 2006 that Christian Orthodox churches finally are shaking off decades of slumber, much of it forced upon the eastern churches by the long dominance of Communism across eastern Europe and much of Asia. Evangelical Americans seem especially curious about the Orthodox  and at least two major stories on this subject have appeared in Christianity Today, the Newsweek magazine of evangelical America. Orthodox leaders seem ready to welcome the renewed interest, too, and are slowly but surely building up some cooperative organizations to help newcomers sort out their often-confusing array of denominations and traditions.

Number SEVEN: Look outside the boundaries of traditional religious organizations. Newsweek Magazine's New Year's issue described a series of emerging American leaders in a series they dubbed "Who's Next 2007" and the Rev. John Foley, a Jesuit priest from the Chicago area, made the cut for his work in developing an innovative system of urban Catholic schools. The Cristo Rey Network partners with corporate executives to channel students into work-study programs that wind up helping to fund the school systems themselves. Newsweek said, "The best ideas are often bred in desperation," and described how Foley's new model is a daring strategy to reverse the erosion of Catholic schools in impoverished urban areas. The Good News here is that Foley is not alone and religious innovation isn't aimed exclusively at schools. Some of the most exciting religious developments in 2007 almost certainly will come from groups working outside the boundaries of existing religious groups and programs.

But, please, Tell us what you think. You may have other ideas about Spiritual Trends to Watch in 2007. Add a Comment by clicking below -- or Click right Here to drop us an Email.

VISION 03: A Path to Happiness Lit by the Glow of Compassion

It's time to quit whining here at Spirit Scholars! Half-way through our 4-part, End-of-the-Year series of VISION-Starters, it's time for us to make like Ebenezer Scrooge, halfway through "A Christmas Carol," and stop grumbling about the confusing Spirits hovering around us. Just like Scrooge, somewhere around the scene in which he glimpses his old boss Fezziwig's generosity at the holidays, it's time for us to make a sharp turn in our thinking. It's time to zero in on strategies for setting things right in our world.

Today's VISION-Starter No. 3 may seem like a truism, not even worth mentioning, to many or our readers. But remember that Boston University's Stephen Prothero -- in his upcoming book about religious literacy -- reports that more than half of his incoming Religious Studies students each year can't identify "The Golden Rule" in his opening quiz. (Click here to read more about Prothero's work.)

Comassion is spiritual bedrock in most of our traditions. In Christianity, it's so basic that most of our readers can recite such teachings by heart. But it's far broader than any one faith. In Buddhism, for instance, it's the cohesive principle that connects a disciple's ever-growing Clarity of Vision to the fabric of life in the Real World. The venerable Eightfold Path is all about recognizing that the abandonment of human desire is directly related to the blossoming of compassion.

SO, HERE is a whole collection of mini-VISION-Starters -- all examples of compassion either blossoming -- or going tragically awry -- to spur our meditation on where we hope to find ourselves in 2007:

FIRST, Speaking of Scrooge, let's not deceive ourselves into thinking that, hey, everybody's naturally compassionate. No, the truth is that there are a LOTof un-reconstructed Scrooges out there. Did you catch the Christmas Eve edition of the New York Times Business section? Check out the piece by Gretchen Morgenson, headlined "A Lump of Coal Might Suffice." She reported on the stunning severance package that ousted Pfizer CEO Hank McKinnell hauled away with him -- one fifth of a Billion dollars ($200 million in all, Morgenson reported)! She wrote that his immense settlement "is even more disturbing when put next to the roughly $137 billion in market value that vaporized on his watch. That Mr. McKinnell forced his shareholders to pay $305,644 for his unused days off after draining them of $137 billion is downright stupefying." We ask: Where are those Ghosts when a real-life Scrooge needs to be scared out of his wits?

THEN: How about a movie this weekend? Check out "The Good Shepherd," a deeply thought-provoking experience at nearly 3 hours filled with haunting scenes orchestrated by director Robert DeNiro. It's the tale of Edward Wilson (played by Matt Damon), an idealistic Yale graduate who wants to help the world (or at least the American portion of it). He joins the World War II OSS, seeking out Nazi agents in the midst of the Blitz of Britain, and continues into the post-war agency that eventually  becomes the CIA. Really, the movie is a cautionary tale of America's best aspirations going sadly awry, at times. The young man starts out nobly proud of his country and burning with compassion for the Americans he claims to want to safeguard. And by the end of the film? Well, the prices Mr. Wilson pays by the closing credits are heartbreaking. The key question raised in the film is this: Where do our boundaries lie when we seek to help the people around us?

WELL, speaking of boundaries, let's switch to a truly prophetic Boundary Crosser: Evangelical writer and teacher Tony Campolo. In case you missed it in the holiday crush, Campolo released a brand-new book this month, called simply: "Letters to a Young Evangelical." Trust us on this one: For Protestant clergy and teachers, this is a Must Buy book that we all should savor and, then, keep on our office shelves to pass along to someone else. Campolo continues along the trajectory that many people have called "prophetic" (and some have called "outspoken" and some have called "heretical," to be honest). He's a unique voice, at the moment, using his accumulated authority to call for -- yes, you guessed it: Compassion. What makes his book so unusual is that he addresses topics, such as sexual orientation, that other compassionate evangelicals still fear to address.

BUT, Wait a Minute! We've focused on the Famous so far -- and the whole idea of compassion is that we ALL need to express this in our ordinary, everyday lives. That's why it is so COOL to read that the giant Beliefnet online magazine awarded its "Most Inpsiring Person of the Year" prize to the Amish of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. This community showed amazing spiritual resources -- and compassion -- in the face of heartbreaking tragedy this year. (Click here to read Spirit Scholars' earlier Amish story, which explains part of their remarkable religious response.)  (OR: Click here to jump to Beliefnet and read their more in-depth coverage of the Amish -- and about other nominees for Beliefnet's Most Inspiring prize, too.)

Compassion is woven into the fabric of many religious communities. This weekend, Muslims are celebrating the Hajj (the pilgrimage season) with the Eid Al-Adha holiday, known in English as the Feast of the Sacrifice. The ancient story that's recalled on this occasion is Abraham's willingness to obey God and sacrifice his son -- his son Ishmael in the Muslim version of the story. That was the crucial moment in our shared tradition when Abraham learned a major lesson about God's compassion and, of course, his son was spared from any evil that day. To this day, Muslim families in many parts of the world still mark the holiday by symbolically sacrificing a sheep, then distributing meat to family, friends and needy neighbors. The idea is to remember the ancient story with an eye to compassionately meeting the needs of the entire community. In the United States, Muslim families also plan holiday meals for themselves, while making some charitable provision to help hungry families, as well.

Finally, here's a high-tech idea that's fresh from Washington D.C. The Holocaust Memorial Museum is launching a creative effort to weave compassionate concerns into a bi-weekly Podcast on the dangers of hatred and specifically anti-semitism. This is a most timely offering in an era when a world leader as prominent as Iran's president thinks its a savvy political move to stage a global conference of Holocaust deniers. The new Washington-based Podcast series debuted with Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg discussing her own experiences with anti-semitism as well as her thoughts on free speech and Holocaust denial. (Click here to jump to the Holocaust Museum's site and check out the Podcasts.) (Or, Click here to read some of our Spirit Scholars coverage of the Iranian conference.)

SURELY, these are enough images of Compassion to get us thinking, right? If you've got thoughts to share, leave a Comment here -- or drop us an email, if you prefer, by clicking here.

And STAY TUNED -- There's one more Spirit in this tale, a fourth VISION-starter looming on Friday.

Have a Happy Hanukkah! As We Approach the First Candle on Friday, We Add a Few More Lights

Happy Hanukkah!

On Friday evening, keep your eyes open for the glow of candles in neighbors' windows as the Festival of Lights begins.

There's a whole lot online about the holiday, which marks a victory 2,170 years ago by a small group of Jews who reclaimed the descrated temple in Jerusalem from a king who was determined -- under threat of death -- to wipe out Jewish faith and culture. Not only was the temple nearly ruined, but Jews were ordered to adopt the Greek culture that was sweeping large parts of the ancient world. In the face of overwhelming evil, the daring Maccabees prevailed!

Is it "The Jewish Christmas"? No, that kind of phrase might be used, in joking perhaps, if weary parents are talking about the gift-giving pressures that American Jewish families face in what is often called the December Dilemma. But it's not a helpful reference and it may sound offensive.

However -- and this is intriguing to think about -- there is a direct link to Christianity, which even many rabbis may mention in their talks about the holiday. If the Maccabees had not reclaimed the temple in Jerusalem in this little chapter of history, which is largely unknown to Christians, then the wandering Jewish teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, would have stepped into an entirely different world about 170 years later.

(The photo at left here is a fanciful Maccabees vs. Hellenists chess set created by artist Giani Tosso. Click here to read a little more about his work.)

One wonders, as well, how Islam may have been affected, had it not been for the bravery of the Maccabees. If Judaism had vanished, and if Jesus (who is regarded as a great Prophet in Islam) had lost his cultural context ... ... Well, we don't mean to push too hard on this "What If" scenario, but the entire modern shape of the Abrahamic Faiths might have looked a lot different. So, while no one wants to "steal" the spiritual genius of another person's holiday -- we might all express a word of thanks as our Jewish friends light their candles, starting Friday night.

And the oil? Well, the miraculous story of the sacred oil that burned for eight days, after the Maccabees reclaimed the temple, is a later addition to the tradition. That's what many rabbis will explain in their talks about the holidays. Nevertheless, it remains a wonderful part of the overall story -- and is related to the annual enjoyment of treats like oil-fried latkes (potato pancakes) and oil-fried jelly doughnuts (although some Jewish families, especially those watching their weight, don't serve the pastries anymore).

NOW, there is MORE here to think about: As our Jewish friends like to say in their Passover readings: If that's all God had accomplished in Hanukkah -- an annual festival for families and friends to celebrate their faith and heritage -- "it would have been enough!"

But there is So Much More to this festival in its underlying themes! Rabbi Emeritus Irwin Groner of Congregation Shaarey Zedek will be featured in the Detroit Free Press this week, reflecting on those timeless themes -- especially in light of the almost biblical-class story of evil eminating from Tehran this week.

If you haven't seen Groner's book, published in 2005, "Renewing Jewish Faith," it's well worth the $30 cost on Amazon. Published by the University of Michigan Press, it's a collection of sermons by a nationally recognized master at Jewish preaching. Yes, if you're a preacher yourself, it's worth coughing up the $30 to have this volume on your shelf.

To prove our point, here's a quote from the final chapter of Groner's book -- on a theme perfectly suited to Hanukkah reflections, especially in light of the troubled times in Tehran this week. In this passage, Groner is wrestling with the problem of living fruitfully in anxious times -- of finding spiritual strength in the face of overwhelming evil. And, he concludes that the key is admitting that evil will be with us in all generations -- but, as people of faith, we can rise above it to gain fresh perspective -- to catch at least a small glimpse of God's perspective.

He writes: “If you can stand on a higher level and continue to see the promised land in spite of the day-to-day heartbreak, the day-to-day frustrations, the day-to-day dis-appointments, that is one of the grandest spiritual achievements a person can attain. In spite of all the crime and the corruption and the violence, domestic and international, and the threat of violence, we believe, because of Moses, and because of Isaiah, and because of all the teachers of Judaism, that there is a promised land. And we have mountaintops from which we can look out and acquire this vision. That’s the
Jewish will to believe, because if the heart continues to have faith, the soul will continue to strive for goodness.”

As Christian clergy like to say: That'll preach! (And, by the way, Click here if you'd like to read an earlier Spirit Scholars article about mountain metaphors, focusing on the work of writer Philip Yancey.)

Finally, in our view here at Spirit Scholars -- always seeking to weave connections in the realm of spirituality -- here's a wonderful Hanukkah gift, courtesy of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Dawud Walid, who is Michigan's coordinator for the nationwide group that focuses on Muslim civil rights.

Dawud wanted Jewish friends across Michigan to know that American Muslims, too, are shocked by the Iranian president's conference this week. (Click here to read our Spirit Scholars article on that, if you haven't seen it already. The events in Tehran this week, set in motion by the Iranian president, are virtually a biblical tale of evil on the rise.) On Wednesday, Dawud telephoned some Jewish colleagues and also sent out an email to express his own "disgust about this matter. We are trying to do our part by standing up for justice and improving our relationship with our Jewish brethren."

The official CAIR statement, issued nationally from Washington D.C., "condemned a conference in Iran that seeks to deny the Holocaust, the systematic destruction of the Jewish community in Europe by the Nazis during World War II. No legitimate cause or agenda can ever be advanced by denying or belittling the immense human suffering caused by the murder of millions of Jews and other minority groups by the Nazi regime and its allies during World War II. Cynical attempts to use Holocaust denial as a political tool in the Middle East conflict will only serve to deepen the level of mistrust and hostility already present in that troubled region."

The group also said: "Islam, through the example of the Prophet Muhammad, has always rejected racism in any form."

To that, we can only add: Amen. And this: Even in these troubled times, enjoy the gatherings yet to come with family and friends, enjoy the lights, enjoy the tasty treats, enjoy the mountaintop perspectives of such a celebration. Happy Hanukkah!

A Shocking Reminder of the Ongoing Need to Promote Holocaust Education

  As shocking as is to the rest of the world, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad feels it is appropriate to deny the reality of world history in his ongoing effort to fire political missiles at Israel. And, given his stunning afronts to human rights this week, his hateful aggression almost certainly will make more of the world's leaders wary of allowing him to fire real, nuclear missiles toward Israel.

If you've missed the news, here are the opening paragraphs of the piece filed this afternoon by the Associated Press' William J. Kole (a news story filed from Kole's base in Austria, but hitting the key points of the impact of Tehran's adventurism): (AP) — A gathering of Holocaust deniers in Iran touched off a firestorm of indignation Tuesday across Europe, where many countries have made it a crime to publicly disavow the Nazis’ systematic extermination of 6 million Jews. The European Union’s top justice official condemned the conference as “an unacceptable affront” to victims of the World War II genocide. British Prime Minister Tony Blair denounced it as “shocking beyond belief” and proof of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s extremism.

The Vatican also issued an urgent condemnation of the gathering in Iran. In English, Vatican officials declared: "The memory of those horrible events must remain as a warning for people's consciences."

UPDATE to this article: Here at Spirit Scholars, we often write about the difficulty of achieving precision and clarity in our views of the world. There's no question that the Iranian president's remarks were shocking in their implications of violence. But his full text, translated in English, is more difficult to obtain, apparently. News reports continue to be posted from around the world about the conference and Ahmadinejad's comments are quoted in slightly different versions, apparently depending on which English translation was used by each reporter. Also, reporters seem to have quoted various portions of his talk. Here's an Associated Press quote from his talk: “The Zionist regime will be wiped out soon the same way the Soviet Union was, and humanity will achieve freedom."

The two-day conference in Tehran included a sham exhibition of photos with captions rather crudely designed to deny the Holocaust. One exhibition "board," for instance, showed photos of healthy-looking prisoners labeled with the caption "Truth" and photos of other Holocaust scenes labeled "Myth."

American readers will get the drift of this hatefest at a glance, when they spot former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke among the chief participants -- eagerly taking the microphone to help deny the reality of the Holocaust as a Jewish-conceived myth. (In case you've forgotten what he looks like, that's Duke at left in the photo.)

Here's the Bottom Line on this event: The Iranian president apparently is attempting to bolster his own standing among Iranian hard-liners (and throughout the larger Arab and Muslim world) by further infuriating Israel and Western nations on this issue. He's poking the world's eyes with a very sharp stick to increase his own stature.

In English translation, the Reuters wire service quoted the president -- who has earlier refered to the Holocaust as a "myth" and has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" -- as telling the conference participants on Tuesday:

"Thanks to people's wishes and God's will the trend for the existence of the Zionist regime is downwards and this is what God has promised and what all nations want."

AND: "Just as the Soviet Union was wiped out and today does not exist, so will the Zionist regime soon be wiped out."

Reuters followed these quotes by reporting: His words received warm applause from delegates.

That's absolutely bone chilling to anyone with hopes of improving global relationships.

Now, what are the Spirit Scholars "lessons" from this shocking development? Well, FIRST, many Spirit Scholars readers are clergy, teachers, students, writers and others involved in shaping American attitudes. The news out of Tehran represents a screaming reminder of the importance of continuing to study the Holocaust. (Click here to read our own recent story on one new development.)

SECOND, for those of us involved in global issues, this is a reminder of how commonplace Anti-Semitism remains across much of the Arab and Muslim world, stretching from the Middle East across Asia.

This summer, via the East-West Center based at the University of Hawaii, your Spirit Scholars editor traveled extensively in Indonesia and Bangladesh. (For those who aren't familiar with the international shape of the Islamic world: There are more Muslims in Indonesia alone than in the entire Arab world.) While touring at least a few schools in Indonesia, we made a point of visiting high school libraries and leafing through any Social Studies or History texts we could find. The result? In most boarding schools, the high school texts did cover events in World War II -- and they DID report somewhere the deaths of millions of European Jews. But the references were brief -- sometimes only a single sentence in an entire, thick text about world history. And, the focus of the texts tended to be the dangers of Fascism and not the reality of the Holocaust's calculated use of hate.

We may forget, as Americans, that as recently as 20 years ago, most American students graduated from high schools with very little background in the Holocaust. Educators and activists have worked tirelessly in recent decades to place units on the Holocaust into standard high school programs -- just as they have promoted crucial lessons on the American Civil Rights era. And, in case anyone questions it -- Here at Spirit Scholars, we are saying: That is a very good thing, indeed.

Religious studies, whether pursued as theology, psychology, sociology or anthropology, must recognize even the most tragic truths about religion-related bigotry. The alternative is simply unthinkable -- until we wake up one morning and read about an ugly, anti-intellectual,hatefest like the one unfolding in Tehran. Then, the horror is thinkable, once again.

Two Programs Examine Mary's Power to Change with Time and Place

NOW, this is something truly amazing: She's the world's most famous woman and yet no one really knows what she looks like!

That's a stunning fact, especially in this moment in history when image is everything! We think that somewhere in this realization lies the feminist reappraisal of Mary that tries to reclaim her from the northern-European-pale, fragile-as-porcelain imagery in sky-blue drapery that many artists have chosen for this most daring of young women. (The next image at left is typical of that style.)

The evangelical author Scot McKnight poses pretty much this argument in his new book, "The Real Mary: Why Evangelical Christians Can Embrace the Mother of Jesus." (Paraclete Press) In the book, McKnight says that he is struck by the latter portion of the Magnificat in which Mary issues what amounts to a bold-as-steel affirmation of God's ultimate social justice. McKnight argues that musical settings for the Magnificat ought to be equally bold -- even foot stomping -- like "We Shall Overcome" or "We Shall Not Be Moved" from the civil rights movement.

TO HELP US ALL REFLECT on this idea of Mary's evolving look and significance, there are TWO Major Events on the horizon: One "live" in Detroit and the other one via the PBS network nationally.

The first was organized by the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit. It's a free program that's open to the general public (and -- psst! -- they're even serving refreshments before the program). It's called “A Conversation on Mary” and will feature scholars discussing Mary's significance to different theological traditions. It's at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 12. (The seminary is at 2930 Woodward Avenue in what once was Detroit's First Presbyterian Church for those folks more familiar with the old landmarks in the city. There's free, secure parking close to the building. To make reservations or to get directions, contact Judy Holmes at 313-831-5200, ext. 209.)

Here are three reasons that this program is really cool!

First, it's happening because of something a seminary staffer read right here in Spirit Scholars: an earlier article about Mary, stressing that Mary is revered by both Christians and Muslims. "I kept thinking about that point and talked with people at the seminary and -- this program is the result," said Dennis Archambault, a local freelance writer and communicator who works part-time for the seminary.

Second, as far as we've heard across the state of Michigan, this is the one public opportunity to hear Protestant, Catholic and Muslim perspectives on Mary all in one place.

Third, the seminary lined up three women as the panelists, which seems to us an obviously wise choice -- and, yet, it's rarely the case in public discourse about Mary. Often, the scholars are predominantly male. At the seminary, the three scholars scheduled are: Dr. Anneliese Sinnott, O.P., who is the seminary's Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean; the Rev. Dr. Annemarie Kidder, Associate Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, PC (USA), Ann Arbor, and seminary faculty member; and Dr. Fatima Al-Hayani, a faculty member of University of Toledo.

Of course, the seminary's new president, Dr. Marsha Foster Boyd, is a pioneering woman herself in seminary leadership. About the program she is hosting, Foster Boyd said, "What a wonderful opportunity to reflect together across theological and religious traditions about the significance of this girl, her community, her context, and her role in religious history. Who was Mary, and how was she shaped by her faith and her environment? How does her response to a seemingly impossible situation serve to inspire and challenge our witness to the power of God and our own responses when faced with the opportunity to give birth to new possibilities in our own lives?”

(There will be one man on hand that evening. David Crumm, religion writer for the Detroit Free Press and editor of the online journal Spirit Scholars, will serve as facilitator for the discussion.)

BUT THAT's NOT ALL: And, for the second major event, we all should set our video recorders, because we'll want to save this documentary and watch it more than once: "Picturing Mary," produced by WNET for PBS nationally. PLEASE NOTE: We've posted the Detroit PBS air date in our Spirit Scholars calendar (in the upper left corner of this Web site) as 9 p.m. on December 20, but the schedule varies from one PBS affiliate to another across the U.S.

This wonderful documentary, which we've already previewed, is perfect for high school and college students studying humanities, art history or the sociology of religion. Plus, it's simply entertaining to watch! In just under one hour, the program skips across Europe, the Middle East and even into northern Africa, examining the cultural and, in many cases, the powerful societal needs behind each new image of Mary that emerges through the centuries.

We spoke with writer James Clifton, who scripted the program, and he said he'd love to expand the program someday across Asia, Latin America and other regions, but the one-hour production was a fascinating way to make this basic point that changes in Mary's imagery often are signals of changing cultural and social realities.

We asked Clifton the question: Were you surprised to discover how often, and how dramatically, people in each time and venue felt free to adapt her image and her meaning?

He responded: "We traced a similar phenomenon in images of Jesus in the earlier film, 'The Face: Jesus in Art.' Because the Gospel texts are so laconic in narrating the lives of even the most important people – especially Mary, about whose life we have very little direct information – readers have tended to elaborate those narratives in ways that can vary from culture to culture and from person to person. 

"Similarly, Scripture provides few descriptive details about places, as well, so artists have had to provide visual information that is not in the text.  They have done this based on artistic conventions, their imagination, theological imperatives, and so on.

"In the history of art, concern for historical or archaeological accuracy is relatively rare. Artists have been much more concerned with making their subject meaningful to their viewers, and this can be done by adapting the subject to the specific culture in which the artwork is made, even by giving Mary, for example, the appearance of someone from the artist’s culture rather than her own. 

"In the late Middle Ages and following, devotional texts urged the readers to imagine themselves present at the events narrated in the Scriptures and even to imagine that those events had taken place where they lived.  Artists assist the viewer in making the narratives present and immediate. 

"For many people, if Mary is to be meaningful to them as their intercessor, guide, example, mother, and so on, she must be in some sense like them, but better – an ideal version of them.  For that reason, she must look like them.  Historically, Mary belonged to a specific time and place, but theologically and devotionally, she belongs to all times and all places, and her appearance can change accordingly."

Amazing, really! So, if you're reading this in Michigan, mark your calendars for December 12th -- and, wherever you live, look for this PBS gem, coming our way just in time for Christmas.

Please -- Tell us what you think about these ideas. Add a Comment here, or shoot us off a quick email by clicking here.

Putting the Maaaaa Back into Christmaaaaas!

Thanks to Hollywood, the eyes of the world will be fixed on "The Nativity," this December. Before we get nervous about what Hollywood might "do" with our story -- let's think about all the good things that can come from occasionally dusting off a sacred story and moving it into the public square. Simply moving a symbol away from our own own houses of worship into a different cultural sphere encourages us to re-examine all the connections that people have woven around the edges of our ancient traditions. (If want more background on the movie, click here to read our earlier story.)

HERE's an EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THE FRESHNESS that can come with new portrayals of the past: We were thrilled to discover "Through the Animals' Eyes," a new picture book that's out this week from artist Christopher Wormell. At first glance, this new book seems to be aimed at young children, but, frankly, it's a gift to all of us. It's an illustrated celebration of the Middle East's traditional wildlife -- set in the context of the Nativity story. It's another bright sign on the horizon of how many creative, helpful interconnections can be made to this 2,000-year-old story.

Here at Spirit Scholars, we are constantly arguing that "expanding our vision" is one of the most desperately needed skills in this new millennium. We've already written about how reflections on Mary may spark fresh conversations between Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox -- not to mention our Muslim neighbors, who have their own sacred story of the Nativity in the Quran.

Wormell has expanded that vision in an entirely new direction! He's trying to put this rural, agrarian story of Jesus' birth back into its original setting by reminding us of all the non-human creatures that surely played bit parts in the periphery of the drama. These are not cute, talking animals. This is an artistic reflection on what this wild-and-woolly world might have looked like two millennia ago. Each of the visually striking woodcuts in his new book highlights a bird, mammal, insect or reptile that once was a part of life in the Middle East.

From the Asiatic Donkey and the Black Stork to the Syrian Brown Bear, each scene brings new creatures to life.

Most surprising to us were the Arabian Oryx, which seemed like something out of an African safari at first glance. No, Wormell says in his appendix. The Arabian Oryx (shown at left) is "a grass-eating white antelope with two long horns. The Arabian Oryx was hunted to extinction in the wild in the 20th Century, but since has been reintroduced in the area through breeding programs."

This book plays creatively with all of our visual assumptions about the story we think we know so well.

Here's another example: Western Christians are so used to thinking of the Nativity as taking place in a wooden, barn-like structure that even olive-wood "Nativity sets" from Jerusalem feature little barns as the stage setting for the story.

However, Orthodox Christians have long depicted the Nativity as a scene set in a cave-like enclosure. (Take a look at the icon at right -- and, don't forget, you can see any picture in Spirit Scholars better by clicking to enlarge it.) Of course, Western pilgrims to Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity have climbed down into the cave-like, underground chapel in the church and have a better feel for the rocky terrain in the region. A cave-like enclosure makes a lot more sense after wandering the hills of Bethlehem, just a few miles to the south of Jerusalem.

Families who curl up around Wormell's picture book will find scenes that are closer to that imagery than most Christmas books we've seen in recent years.

Now, before you complain that it's "only November" and we've got a long way to go until Christmas -- please, remember that Spirit Scholars is committed to scanning the horizon. So, we're looking NOW at what's going to unfold next month, while it's still early enough for all of us to go and buy a new book or two, ask a fresh question or spark a creative conversation with friends and neighbors.

If you'd like to order a copy of Wormell's book, click on the mini-review at right and you'll jump to Amazon where you can purchase a copy right now. And, if you're part of a Nativity-related program or project this year -- hey, tell us about it! Post a Comment here, or Email us your thoughts.

STAY TUNED! That Star in the Sky is "The Nativity"!

  STAY TUNED! Coming soon to a Theater, and a Bookstore, and a Church -- and maybe even a mosque -- near you: It's MARY!

It's time to start scanning the horizon for this particular spiritual wave. This morning, a huge box of new books appeared in the office with an ominous thud. It turned out that everything in the box was about Mary -- and all of the books were from just a single publisher, Tyndale. They included a gorgeous coffee table book called, "The Nativity Story." (Click on any images in the Web site to see a larger version -- including this image at right.)

It's all about Christmas, one might think -- but, no, in this case, it's all about a movie -- the next major bid to cash in on the trend toward traditional religious tales on the big screen.

We haven't seen a preview of the film, at this point -- but the creative team behind the film suggests this is one movie that'll be worth a close look.

Director Catherine Hardwicke worked as a production designer on the visually innovative, "Vanilla Sky," which came out in 2001, and the religiously innovative "Three Kings," released in 1999. Her two actual directing experiences were the 2003 film, "Thirteen," and last year's "The Lords of Dogtown." If you know anything about that array of films -- this is a most intriguing choice as director for a traditional biblical story. Hold tight for some creative surprises.

The writer is Mike Rich, who penned the feel-good films, "The Rookie" and "Radio." But what's far more interesting in this case is that Rich's debut job as a screenwriter was the eloquent, "Finding Forrester," which appeared in 2000 with Sean Connery as a reclusive writer who befriends a troubled inner-city youth.

(Click here to go to the official Movie Web site. BUT -- One Word of Warning -- It's a multi-media intensive site and will load slowly on some computers. Nevertheless, it's got all the normal trappings of such releases -- from computer "wallpaper" you can download -- to a Web link to ask about "group sales.")

Now, if you're reading this as a clergyperson, a teacher, a student, a writer -- think about all the rich array of connections that might be drawn to this cultural wave that's going to crest with the December 1 debut of the film nationwide.

And, remember: Mary isn't owned by any one religious movement. This would be a great time for some Catholic-Orthodox-Protestant dialogue.

Or, want to get even more creative? Invite some Christian and Muslim friends to get together and talk about Mary. We bet that most Christians aren't aware that there are long sections of the Quran devoted to Mary's story -- and that Muslims take a very high view of her role in religious tradition. (Now, we caution here that this film is retelling the Christian version of Mary's story -- and the Quran's vesion is somewhat different. But, that diversity in the stories is room for some interesting conversation, isn't it?)

However the story is told, though, Mary remains a major linking figure between Christianity and Islam. Even the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s officially saluted Islam for its respect for Mary. (Click here to read more about that.)

So, keep your eyes open for a Star on the horizon. You know, a Star? It might be the twinkling Bethlehem star, or perhaps this December we mean a movie star -- or perhaps it's one of those unusual ecumenical and interfaith opportunities that seem to light up the horizon, hmmm?

Stay tuned for more on this. And, if you're in Michigan and do plan to take a group to go see the film -- or to organize a discussion group around it -- please let us know. Post a comment here -- or Email Detroit Free Press Religion Writer David Crumm by clicking here.

Can You See That Sound? It Takes Seasonal Spiritual Vision

Did you hear it this morning? That crackling sound as the sunlight hit the red, orange and yellow leaves of Michigan maples, oaks and birches? It was the sound of frosty leaves, struck by the sun and swayed by the breeze, literally bursting from their branches to form a brilliant autumn cascade.

Maybe you're reading this article so far from Michigan that this visual image doesn't make sense to you. But, the endless cycle of seasons is a universal rhythm on Earth and, in Michigan this morning, that rhythm rose into a full-scale symphony. Anyone out walking this morning had to be struck dumb for a moment at the glory of it -- chilly breezes, golden beams of sunlight and a swirling, leafy cloud of hot autumn hues!

There are cycles in faith, too. In fact, seasons and cycles are powerful metaphors in all of our faith traditions.

Christians and Jews only need to reread Psalms or, better yet, the 38th chapter of Job in which God personally steps out on centerstage in this ancient drama to lecture poor little Job about both the nature of power -- and the power of nature. It's a high dramatic moment as Job, after all of his suffering, unexpectedly gets a double-barreled lecture from the Creator! If you've got a moment, click on this link for a quick review of Chapter 38.

This metaphor appears in all of our traditions, though. Muslims may want to reread Chapter 56 of the Quran, especially the beautiful passage about creation in which God delivers essentially the same lesson to the Prophet Muhammad that once was delivered to Job.

Translations vary, but here's the heart of that passage from the Quran rendered in English (excerpts starting with verse 63): "Consider the seeds you sow in the ground. Is it you who make them grow, or We? ... Consider the water you drink. Was it you who brought it down from the rain-cloud, or We? ... Consider the fire you kindle. Is it you who make the wood grow to fuel your fire, or We?"

Here at Spirit Scholars, we have charted some of the tensions and challenges religious people are facing these days, but it is worth noting that religious movements roll in cycles like everything else.

Even as some leaders and groups are pulling away from inter-religious relationships, there's an almost inevitable, seasonal cycle in which others are rising up to greet neighbors in fresh ways.

This weekend, two major events kick off in western Michigan -- the vast Encountering the Other Conference in Kalamazoo, co-sponsored by the Fetzer Institute and Western Michigan University, and the Fourth Annual C.S. Lewis Festival in Petoskey, featuring Muslim scholar and writer Reza Aslan (photo at left) talking about the nature of myth in world religion. (Click here to read a more detailed article about the two events and find Web links to them.)

The folks organizing these events have what must be described as Seasonal Spiritual Vision -- a realization that the world is so vast that, even as we stand firmly rooted in our own individual traditions, our appreciation of the overall Creation demands that we glimpse the other hues cascading around us.

That's what led evangelical writer Sarah Arthur and her colleagues in Petoskey to welcome Reza Aslan -- a young, creative Muslim voice coming to the heartland of the evangelical Midwest. And it's what led a scholar like Huston Smith (photo at right), aging and aching from various disabilities, to fly across the country to visit Kalamazoo this weekend. Smith sensed a freshness in this season in Kalamazoo that lifted his weary bones.

And it's not just big world-class events like these that are blossoming. News came this week from the Troy Interfaith Group, based in a suburban community north of Detroit, that they're ready to unfold a couple of really creative events.

On Sunday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m., Congregation Shir Tikvah at 4400 Northfield Parkway, just south of Wattles Road, will host "Exploring the Faiths of our Community.” It's an unusual series of open houses that will extend through 2007. Each house of worship that participates will be challenged to present to visitors -- in a 90-minute program -- the answers to 10 common questions about traditions, beliefs and culture. Over time, pilgrims to these open houses will be able to compare the array of answers.

Then, on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m., the Big Beaver United Methodist Church at 3753 John R Road will host the Troy Interfaith Group's Thanksgiving celebration. Among the unique twists in this service will be, first, one of the broadest arrays of religious voices to be heard this autumn in metro Detroit and, second, an unusual series of stories about migration. At the service, a half dozen men and women will relate their personal experiences of either coming to America for the first time or, in some cases, stories of first settling in Troy.

And so, the leaves swirl. The seasons turn. It's not a fresh observation for us to draw, though. This particular story is as ancient as scriptures themselves.

Pulling Back from Earth to Glimpse the Colorful Fabric of Prayer

If only we could pull back from the Earth a bit.

You know? If only we could rise up for a moment like Robert Frost described climbing into the heavenly upper branches of a birch tree -- then, with our blood pumping and our breath quickened from the climb, a bracing breeze sweeping across our faces -- we could look back at Earth for a moment with clear eyes and open ears. If we could achieve that perspective for even a moment, we just might catch the colorful tapestry of prayer that stretches out among us.

That hope sprang up afresh this week as two of us from the Center for Spirituality began our week early Monday morning at the Pilgrim Nation retreat in Plymouth at the St. John's Retreat Center. At 8:57 a.m., a hush swept through the 100 clergy and lay people gathered in the Retreat Center as writer Phyllis Tickle stode to the front of the room, ramrod straight, her mane of silver curls adding to her stature. As compellingly as the morning sun cresting the Tennessee mountains, she commanded the whole room in her powerful, Southern drawl to: "Wait!"

And we did.

After a full measure of stillness, she said, "We are waiting until exactly 9:00 a.m. just as Christians across this time zone are waiting to pray with us." And, then, at precisely 9:00, she led the group in Terce, the mid-morning cycle of ancient prayers in the Liturgy of the Hours, a traditional practice that she is helping to revive across the U.S.

The resonance of voices rising and falling in waves that have echoed for hundreds of years in thousands of places was nothing short of spiritual electricity.

That one room was a blessing. But, those of us who love the heady higher branches of birch trees were making other connections, I suspect.

For instance, almost certainly by 9 a.m. Monday, Rabbi Danny Nevins and his minyan of men and women at Adat Shalom, just up the road in Farmington Hills, already had completed their morning cycle of prayers. Of course, the whole notion of Christian and Muslim cycles of daily prayer sprang from the wisdom of our elder brothers and sisters in the Abrahamic family of faiths.

Then, on Tuesday morning, we caught the second day of the Eid al-Fitr, the celebratory morning prayers that mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Because the start and end of the fasting month are marked by lunar cycles, Muslims around the world wound up celebrating two different Eids this year -- the first based on the arrival of the new moon's crescent in one part of the world; and the second based on the new moon's sighting elsewhere.

Of course, the Eid actually blends into several days of prayers, family dinners and celebrations with friends that are likely to stretch into this coming weekend for many families in busy North America. So, if you're non-Muslim, it's quite appropriate to wish Muslim friends "Happy Holidays" through this coming weekend.

But, back to the Eid prayers themselves: Non-Muslims really should squeeze their way into an Eid festival at least once in their lives -- if only to glimpse the deep emotion on the faces and in the voices of young and old on this morning each year, when the month of self-denial has ended. It's not a celebration of excess. It's not a time for boasting or triumphalist back slapping. It's a remarkably humble and hopeful time. The chief symbols of the Eid are hugs and kisses as families unite and break the fast together. There's just as much electricity in the Eid prayers as there was in the St. John's Center on Monday.

On Tuesday morning at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Khalil Abboud stood in the swirling crowd with nothing short of a heavenly look on his face. He was surveying the more than 40 members of his family gathered around him for the Eid prayer.

As a reporter shook his hand and began to talk with him about his Ramadan reflections, though, Abboud admitted that there was one ache in his heart, even in the midst of the holiday.

What was that longing? "Peace," he said. "My one, deepest wish really is to live to see peace in our world again. It seems so impossible with the state of world politics right now." He paused, then added, "Peace. That is the one thing that, even at a time like this, still hurts so much. Where can we find peace?"

So, this is not a fabric of simplistic joy. It's not a retreat from the needs of the world into some beautiful, private haven. It's a tapestry of human lives lifted up in strands that run from Plymouth, Farmington Hills and Dearborn into a fabric that links with countless homes and houses of worship around the world.

May each of us climb high enough this week, if only for a moment, to glimpse these vibrant strands.

News from a Muslim Family with a Global Reach to its Ministry

  We got fresh news this morning about the patriarch of the Qazwini family, a clan that is emerging as one of the most prominently interconnected Muslim families in Michigan with links that span the continent and circle the globe.

Imam Hassan Qazwini (photo ar right) is the spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, now ranked as North America's largest Muslim center.

One of his brothers, based in California, is Imam Moustafa Al-Qazwini whose creative reach extends from occasional commentaries on National Public Radio to a role as Muslim advisor in the production of the movie, "Three Kings." (He even appeared as an uncredited extra in the film.)

And there's a whole lot more to come from this family: Next year, the Dearborn-based Imam Hassan Qazwini's memoirs are expected to be published nationally in the U.S.

It is possible that Imam Hassan Qazwini may emerge from his Dearborn base as one of the leading public voices of Islam in North America, depending on the reception of his memoirs. His public reception isn't entirely assured. He is a Shi'a leader and most American Muslims are Sunni, so that may restrict the reach of his voice somewhat. But, he also has become a pioneer in reaching out across Muslim and interfaith boundaries, so he is poised to attempt that cross over.

The family also holds the title Sayid, which means they stem from the family of the Prophet Muhammad himself.

But the key link in this family at the moment is the patriarch -- Imam Hassan Qazwini's father, Ayatollah Mortada Qazwini who returned to the family's home base in Karbala, Iraq, in 2003. He now is a famous teacher there (the photo shows him delivering one of his talks in the major shrine at Karbala). Plus, he is a key supporter in the inner circle of Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, who generally is regarded even by outside observers as an important moderating influence in Iraqi politics.

And so, with all that background, here's the news:

Ayatollah Mortada Qazwini collapsed recently in Karbala while delivering one of his nightly talks. At age 76 and the recipient of triple-bypass surgery on his heart a few years ago, this naturally sent a shockwave through his family. The Ayatollah is a U.S. citizen, the result of many years living in exile in California. So, he was rushed to a hospital in California for evaluation.

The medical verdict is that he is fine now and the collapse apparently was a brief episode, perhaps brought on by the strain of his heavy workload.

In addition to his withering lecture schedule, the Ayatollah also is helping to organize a new hospital in Karbala and is trying to build an orphanage to serve many of Karbala's estimated 27,000 orphans. And, if that wasn't enough to shoulder -- he survived an assassination attempt in Karbala earlier this year that left bullet wounds in his arm and leg. He still wears a cast on one arm.

"But, he plans to go back and continue his work," Imam Hassan Qazwini said on Tuesday. "And he is doing so much important work in Iraq that we think he probably will return after a couple of weeks of rest in California. One of my brothers probably will return to Iraq to assist him and, certainly, our prayers will go with him."