where have we been?
That’s a good question. It’s been almost two weeks since my last post, and I bet some of you have been wondering: where have you been?
Well, the answer is a long one. And there’s hardly been a break in our schedule to sleep, let alone drop a note on our blog. Why have we been so busy? Well…
We’ve been meeting with dozens of our supporters—churches, synagogues, and mosques—all across the country.
We’ve been packing and unpacking far too many suitcases, in cars far too small for all of our baggage, let alone all of us and all of our baggage.
We’ve been moving from city to city, town to town, sharing our story of peace, juggling radio interviews, reporters requests for photo shoots, and trying to make at least a little bit of time at each stop to see the sights. So far, Sam likes Chicago most. Margaret is taken with New York. Sinina is partial to San Francisco, but I think she likes the sunshine most, so LA may be the ultimate winner. As for JJ, as those of you who know the man, he’s pretty much happy everywhere, and would take the world for his home if he could be everywhere at once.
We’ve been welcomed in the most amazing ways by communities from Baltimore to Washington to Chicago, and now in California, Sacramento and San Francisco. We’ve been thrilled at each stop.
The Bolton Street Synagogue in Baltimore, packed to overflowing with the city’s Jewish, Muslim, and Christian communities.
A fantastic series of events in Chicago, which showed that there is truly an interfaith movement coming together because of this project—standing ovations from hundreds of young Muslims at the Islamic Foundation School, an interfaith welcome organized by the Chicago Fair Trade Coalition, a visit with our dear friends at the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation of Evanston, and an exciting first meeting with St. Sabina’s Catholic Church on Chicago’s southside.
Listen to an interview on Worldview, from WBEZ Chicago.
(Special thanks to Nancy Jones of the Chicago Fair Trade Coalition, and Elaine Waxman of the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation of Evanston for organizing our time in Chi-town.)
Then back home, a beautiful gathering in Santa Rosa, California, on our way to Mendocino, Thanksgiving’s hometown, where we were welcomed by a sold out benefit dinner to raise money for the cooperative’s efforts to combat malaria.
All in all, it’s been quite a whirlwind. A combination of exhausting and exhilarating, non-stop, and unstoppable.
I find myself thinking a lot these days about what it means to be traveling in the service of peace, to be sharing this story of hope at a time when we commemorate the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq. So many lives have been lost, so much hatred has been stoked and sustained. And yet, in these same five years, in this community in Uganda, people have been working together for peace. And in this country, in last 4 years, we have been working to bring this story of peace into people’s lives, and these people have been working to make sure that the farmer’s efforts succeed. Two very different stories, the same world. Two different examples of our human capacities. I hope that each of you reading this blog has had the chance to meet these amazing farmers, and I’m thankful to all of you who’ve joined us to affirm that we can in fact work for a more peaceful world. We’ll continue in our work, and we hope you will too. One day, as JJ’s been saying, maybe we’ll learn to stop fighting each other, and work to create the heaven of our dreams right here on this earth.
On our one day off, I took JJ surfing. It was amazing, and a joy for me to share this pursuit which I love so much with my dear friend. I think JJ caught the bug, and as we walked back along the beach with our boards under our arms, JJ told me, At first, I was afraid of the waves, and felt like they were trying to attack me, to hurt me. Then I saw you out there, playing, having fun, and I realized the waves were just being waves. So I tried not to fight them, but to accept them as they came towards me. I relaxed, and pretty soon, I felt like they were there to offer me their beauty and their energy.
And of course, I can’t help but comment that Senator Obama’s speech earlier this week should help us imagine a deeper vision of who “we” are, both as Americans, and as citizens of this world.
So, where have we been? Many places. I think the question really is, where are we going?
Sam, Sinina, JJ, and Margaret on the mall in Washington, D.C.
Kind of like Where’s Waldo, only with more luggage: can you find JJ in this picture?
Our friends from the Islamic Foundation School rep the coffee in Chicago.
St. Sabina’s social justice club with the farmers.
JJ and Sam on the Mendocino Coast, with the Pacific Ocean.
The crew and Holly with one of Northern California’s majestic redwood trees.
With our friends at the San Francisco Interfaith Council.
March 28th, 2008 at 8:54 am
These are amazing pictures! It sounds like you guys had a good west-coast portion of the trip. Can’t wait to hear more stories…
JJ, I’ll see you in June!
May 5th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Dear JJ, Samuel, Margaret, Sinina, Ben, and Holly,
I just wanted to give you my heartfelt thanks for taking the time out of your extremely busy schedule to visit us here in the United Religions Initiative office. It was truly refreshing and inspirational to have the opportunity to meet with you. It is rare that we have the occasion to meet with Cooperation Circle members here in the office, particularly those that are based in other countries. To have you visit and speak about all your great work building a culture of peace and understanding in your community really helps to give body to the ideals that we are all working for. Your visit, though short, was quite energizing as it helps to remind me of why I work here. I read the news daily, and the amount of pain and suffering across the world pains me, but meeting you in person really drives home the fact that there are wonderful people such as yourselves doing great things in the name of peace and it renews my faith in humanity, not a little thing in the face of all the violence in this world. So for that you have my thanks. I hope that the rest of your tour goes well and that you are able to expand the market for your coffee by leaps and bounds.
In peace and thanks,
Sam Ruben
United Religions Initiative