Around the Dinner Table

We were told to go to dinner together as a group. The vision- that we would get a chance to talk amongst ourselves, as secularists and people of faith.

Being the good retreat participants that we are *smile* we did & during dinner we went around the dinner table- 3 women of faith & 2 secular men- telling stories about our life, our faith/lack thereof, growing up in the U.S. and our commitment to our values.

The characters-

1.) A Quaker woman, distinguished in her career in government and public service, looking towards what she wants to do over the course of the next 10 years of her life

2.) A Colorado politician, Latina leader and activist, a personal friend of Cesar Chavez & the civil rights movement committed to her progressive politics & faith

3.) A New Mexico native son, fighting to preserve hyeroglyphics at ancient sites, inspired by the brave journey of his people to a life of activism & critique of the church

4.) A D.C. media maverick/political change maker raised Catholic, turned secularist now re-embracing the possibility of being spiritual though not dogmatic

5.) Myself

In age we must have ranged from 30s to 50s. Some of us had made the history, others of us were building on the shoulders of them.

Our common commmitment-
To social justice, love, responsibility, opportunity, freedom, hope, equality, inclusiveness and sustainability.

However we got there, whatsoever the path, what's key for me is that we share those values and on them we can create a vision of the future that we jointly commit to build. As for our differences, I see difference not as a divider but as something that can strengthen the effort. In the end what's most important is that, as Ghandi said, we share the same values and we are committed to being the change that we want to see in the world.

As the tapestry of each of our lives unfolded, I was struck with a profound sense of respect for each of those there and a feeling of the divine. It was clear to me that God was present at that dinner, in each person that spoke. I was also struck by the beauty & vulnerability of all of our humanity. When it's all said and done that's all that's left for me, love.

It was a tremendously rich discussion. Different threads of that conversation are still present in my mind. I intend to blog about them over the course of the next few weeks-

1.) The Catholic Church & Native people

2.) The strong history of activism in the Christian faith: from the abolitionists, to the suffragists, to the Civil Rights movement...

3.) La Lucha y la Virgen de Guadalupe

4.) Growing up Christian & intellectually curious- what then?