Sorry for being so late on my blog posts. This is the first time that I have internet since I have arrived in India over a week ago. We started out in Mumbai, known in India as Bombay, and spent 3 or so days touring the area, visiting a college and spending a night out with our new Indian friends. Mumbai is home to the largest slum in the world, and I have spent a large amount of time in poverty beyond my imaginings. I am presently staying at the ECC (Ecumenical Christian Center) that is in Whitefield, India. It is about 30 min outside of Bangalore, a major city that has been hailed as the Silicon Valley of India. On Wednesday October 22nd, a historic event took place at the ECC that had significance to all of the ECC residents, but did not receive the significance it deserved worldwide. That day, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, visited the ECC. He is the first since 1985 to make the visit to the center, but he wasn’t there on a visit to talk with only the people at the ECC. The Archbishop headed an interfaith dialogue between himself and 6 prominent Swamis, heads of the Hindu religion in India. It was a visually stunning event, with the archbishop in his flowing white gown leading the discussion with a deep powerful voice. The Swamis followed suit all in orange colored robes, all showing their personality and beliefs with tattoos, decorations, hats, and 2 of the Swamis carried staffs draped with fabric. They all sat together on a stage adorned with giant chairs covered with white cloth, and floral decorations everywhere. They made a commanding image, a symbol of religious unity. This is an event that never happens. Historically the world religions have been awful at having dialogues within their faith. A great example would be discussions between the Catholic Church and Lutheran Church in Christianity. The first fruitful theological discussion between the Lutheran protestant sect of Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church occurred in the 1980’s and 1990’s, hundreds of years after the split between the two. This is true of all religions. There has not been a universal movement towards ecumenicalism, especially interfaith movements. Archbishop Williams has organized and created something extremely powerful by discussing the similarities between Christianity and Hinduism. There was a private dialogue to which none of my group was invited to, but there was a public question answer dialogue afterwards that I was luckily able to attend with my classmates. In order to keep this post shorter, I will sum up 2 major points that were given in the public dialogue. First was made by the Archbishop; we will never be able to pretend that there are not differences in religions. We should instead embrace and recognize these differences, while understanding that most of our spiritual and moral beliefs are the same. As a people we should welcome each other as brothers. One of the Swamis later made an observation that has stuck with me, and for myself was the most powerful moment in the hour and a half of dialogue. To paraphrase his words: In this day and age there has been a large discussion about the world and how it is shrinking. As everybody becomes more connected the world will become what has been hailed as the Global Village. This is not good enough, we cannot stop there. We must instead become a Global Family. For only a family will be able to live and flourish with one another in our world.
Do you know what the position of Archbishop of Canterbury is? And can you give a quick synopsis on Rowan Williams? What does ecumenical mean? What is the role and position of a Swami in the Hindu faith? And lastly what is your opinion on the idea of a Global Family?
If you would like to research more, research the Christian Ecumenical Movement and give a quick summary of it. Also research the question: Why do all Hindu Swamis wear the color orange?
I hope you are having a wonderful time with Mrs. A! You are lucky to have such an awesome teacher. Have an awesome few days before I write to you again!
Chase
