The Power of Awe -- The unifier, the conflict healer
04 September 2017
"A human being is part of the whole, called by us Universe.
A part limited in time and space.
He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as
something separated from the rest -- a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.
This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to
our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us.
Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by
widening our circle of compassion to
embrace all living creatures and
the whole of nature in its beauty."
~ Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)
Physicist, Nobel Laureate
MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE
Living, perceiving, and identifying beyond one's own, exclusive, limited life experience,
in a way that transcends boundaries and disconnection from each other and Earth, and
includes all of humankind and creation -- newly realized as
interconnected, spiritual, holy, sacred, awe.
~ Anon
Today
1. The Power of Awe As Unifier, Healer
2. Awe of Engagement Changes Lives in Palestinian-Jewish Relationships
3. Awe of Being Together Changes Young Women's Middle East Relationships
(two special quotes)
4. Awe of Worshiping Together Unites Nebraska, USA Muslims, Christians,
and Jews
== 1 ==
The Power of Awe
As Unifier, Healer
Unleashing the power of the human embrace was the plea to all of
us from Professor Albert Einstein.
The visionary was seeing disconnected, fearful humankind drifting with
technology worship and atomic powers toward "unparalleled
catastrophe."
Just as Einstein uncovered mystery, now we humans must discover, practice every
day, and teach the new power of authentic engagement that unites .
Not splits.
Experiencing the dependable, mystical beauty and overwhelming awe of returning
to one another.
Being heard and listening, lowering walls, touching hearts, opening minds
-- becoming fully alive and reunited with our global sisters and brothers, and
with our one Earth.
This is awe.
Transcending what divides, with the power of face-to-face, heart-to-heart
human connection and Dialogue communication that dignifies and equalizes. .
.finally.
This Summer, 2017, psychologist Kirk Schneider's landmark publication
details why and how experiences of awe have a powerful outcome following
successful civil discourse.
The Spirituality of Awe
by Kirk J Schneider, Waterfront Press, June 2017, 195 pp
https://www.amazon.com/Spirituality-Awe-Kirk-Schneider/dp/1945949694
A hopeful advantage and beauty of awe is that it resonates with
everyone.
Culture-inclusive, it transcends differences in gender, age, tribe, and
religion -- empowering people to become their best selves "in spite of and
in light of their pain."
By participating in something greater than oneself, cultivation of awe
additionally increases life satisfaction, patience, emotional health,
volunteerism, and even one's immune system.
Describing "The Intercultural Impact of Awe," the social scientist
cites a wave of studies documenting the intercultural power of awe for conflict
resolution.
Schneider calls for urgent training of a "New Army of Depth
Healers" and facilitators "as important, and hopefully more
important, than the conventional army now enshrined. . .in a new war...for
humanity's dignity."
== 2 ==
Awe of Engagement
Changes Lives in
Palestinian-Jewish Relationships
In Jerusalem this summer 2017, the Parents Program Coordinator of
Kids4Peace (K4P) -- http://www.k4pjerusalem.org/parents
-- created a chavruta program pairing up
Palestinian and Israeli parents for facilitated one-on-one meetings to
strengthen individual relationships over the summer.
Nava Levine-Coren: "Participating in K4P was a catalyst for me.
It opened my eyes to the other side of the story (and) led me to
become aware of the brokenness that exists.
And it also gave me a glimpse of the simple sweetness of human
connection."
"After our last meeting, I wanted more.
I wanted to keep up the relationships I had begun to forge."
READ of the parents' moving and transformative experiences:
As a Religious Zionist, My First Encounter With A Palestinian Changed My Life
The Forward -- 24 August 2017
Nava Levine-Coren
== 3 ==
Awe of Being Together
Changes Young Women's
Middle East Relationships
Creativity for Peace -- http://creativityforpeace.com
-- is summer camp-like program in New Mexico, USA.
Relationship based, it includes art experiences for preparing "the next
generation of female leaders in Israel and Palestine" -- young women
facilitators of courage, communication excellence, compassion, and friendship
in their own communities and across borders.
The Palestinian and Israeli young women are prepared to partner as leaders
by transforming anger and prejudice to mutual respect, facilitating an
understanding of themselves and the others, and inspiring action that models
equality and living together supportively.
Back home, they continue with a two-year process of seminars and trainings -- a
continuation of the Dialogue and personal growth.
Palestinian living in Israel: Creativity for Peace widens our
horizons, encourages us to think out of the box, and helps us deal with the
conflict.
We live together in the same country, but there's no contact."
Jewish Israeli: "We sleep together. we shop, we play. . . what girls like
to do.
The biggest impact on me was doubting all the truths I was taught.
It's a different thing hearing it from the news, than from the other people
directly."
Palestinian: "It's not only about sharing stories and expressing
yourself.
It's also about hearing the others' stories that are still in my heart."
Jewish Israeli: "It's easy to hate when you don't know the other person.
To say they should die, they should not be here.
But when you meet the people, they become your friends and cannot be your
enemy any more."
Palestinian: "Sharing and listening; it's only in the Dialogue.
I cannot not come back, because they are the only people who can really
understand me."
Palestinian: "I think we're making the way for peace, showing people
there's hope,
It's not easy, but it's worth it."
WATCH their video:
Creativity for Peace
7-min video -- 06 July 2017
https://youtu.be/_ATmsHjHLc0
"Without diversity and
contrast, life's meaning is lost.
We complete each other."
~Taleb Al-Harithi, Hebron, Palestine
"We were together. I forget the rest."
~ Walt Whitman, poet
== 4 ==
Awe of Worshiping Together
Unites Nebraska, USA
Muslims, Christians, and Jews
The Tri-Faith Initiative -- https://trifaith.org
-- is a new kind of neighborhood nearing completion in West Omaha, Nebraska.
Muslims, Jews, and Christians will share spaces, food, ideas, joy, and pain.
For over 10 year, a tenacious, visionary group of Omahas religious and lay
leaders have held firm to their divine dream.
Three, brand-new houses of worshipa temple, a mosque, and a churchlocated close
together on the same plot of land, will feel borderless, flowing, and inviting
of interaction.
It will encourage communication between communitiespromoting, among other
things, cross-religious education and understanding.
This beautiful, transcendant example of life together can only help inspire
awe -- awaken the imagination of others on Earth, on the road to global reunion
and community.
In Omaha, Three Faiths Share One Big Idea
The Tri-Faith Initiative brings together a synagogue, a church, and a mosque,
with a promise to build bridges between them
Tablet Magazine -- 30 August 2017
http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/243791/omaha-three-faiths-one-big-idea/
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Hundreds of other success stories are preserved at http://traubman.igc.org/messages.htm