Photo by Richard A. Huston
August 2004 | From the Editor
When the Spirit Moves Us
One snowy afternoon in New York, Harold Kushner, the rabbi, storyteller and best-selling author, was waiting out an airport delay by speaking to a reporter by phone. The interview was as leisurely as it was wide-ranging. Kushner seemed happy for the diversion.
We finished the more structured question-and-answer part of the interview and started talking about the advantages of being a health writer who gets to write about spirituality compared to the typical religion-beat reporter who writes about politics more than faith.
“Spirituality brings people together,” said Kushner, plane announcements serving as background sound. “Religion breaks us apart.”
I thought of that phone call and Kushner’s insightful remark as the Evergreen Monthly staff pulled together this August issue. Our cover story, solidly reported and written as is customary for regular contributor Silja J. A. Talvi, fills out the reasons why Buddhism works into the faith puzzle for thousands of Puget Sound residents.
Not to spoil it for you, but one reason why Buddhism fits so harmoniously into a spiritual seeker’s life is the lack of demands and dogma it places on people. The accent is on spirituality and not religion.
Check it out: You will discover the inspiration for the local people Silja interviewed — including a city attorney with Christian faith ties, a construction worker and Vietnam vet, a technical writer and a tatooed punk rocker-turned-meditation teacher, among others.
What’s more, we have our own rabbi providing spiritual and personal growth insights this summer month. Rabbi Ted Falcon, who is the director of the Seattle Unity Project, checks in with his views on how forgiveness can free the soul — make more room for happiness and vitality — without condoning any past wrongs. His essay marks the debut of what we call the EM Mini-Retreat.
As will our future Mini-Retreats, Rabbi Falcon’s article is accompanied by a set of suggestions for conducting your own reflections on the topic covered. You can do the EM Mini-Retreat by yourself (forgiving yourself might be the most important step of all), with a partner or in a small group. The idea is to provide some nourishment for our spiritual sides — and introduce Evergreen Monthly readers to leading voices of faith in the Pacific Northwest.
Expect a steady supply of Mini-Retreats and other spirituality/personal growth coverage in our coming issues. There is no more important time than now to deepen our appreciation of how spirituality can bring us together — and, if we make the effort, keep it that way.
The path is not always smooth. I recall a conversation on another snowy day, this one in Chicago, including a dear priest friend of mine and another mutual friend. Just three Catholic guys veering toward a serious discussion without consciously trying.
The mutual friend was complaining about the lack of progressive thinking at his suburban parish church. He didn’t think the music was up to par either.
He was talking directly to our priest friend, who is the driving force behind a downtown Chicago church that grew from a literal handful of members when he started as pastor to thousands of churchgoers every Sunday.
“It’s just not like your church community,” said the mutual friend.
The priest smiled, just slightly.
“So what are you going to do about it?” he asked earnestly.
Good question. It’s up to each of us to find a good answer.
— Bob Condor
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