An Invitation to Sharing Our Stories
2000 Global Summit in Pittsburgh, PA, USA,
and the United Religions Charter Signing that launched URI
MONK: “All these mountains and rivers and the great earth—where do they come from?”
MASTER: “Where does this question of yours come from?”
1. A story of “birth” from your life experiences. All of us have had the experience of being present or witnessing the birth of someone or something—the birth of a child, or a precious idea, a miracle moment, etc. The experience of new life, of a birth, is often overwhelming, filled with joy, inspiration, fear, awe or hope.
A. If you had to name one experience—the birth of a child, or precious idea, historic moment, a personal shift, etc.—that stands out as a most profound experience of birth in your life so far, what would it be? What happened? Your feelings?
B. Each of our religious or spiritual traditions has beliefs, practices, or rituals at special times—like when a child is born. Can you share with me something about your religion, community, or spiritual practice from the perspective of its special rituals, ceremonies, prayers, or practices at times of birth or creation? An example?
C. Now, describe your story as it relates to the birthing of the URI….what calls you to this work?
- Ways you have helped make this birthing possible? Locally? Globally?
- What is the most memorable, powerful, or significant experience you have had in your life journey toward inter-faith cooperation, peacebuilding, and change?
2. Imagine URI growing up—becoming strong, healthy, alive and capable of living its Purpose and building a better world. The year is 2010; it is now exactly ten years from the year of URI’s charter signing. From the perspective of URI’s great and unknown potential, visualize the kind of URI you would most like to see in your part of the world and globally—as it “grows up” beyond its infancy.
Thinking both locally and globally, can you describe what you see in your imagination? What does URI look like in your region? Globally? For example, what do you see in terms of: People? Important projects/priorities? Ways of being? Connections? Impacts?
3. One ancient metaphor for URI, used repeatedly in the dream and organization design phases, was of Indra’s net, which is about the cosmic web of inter-relatedness extending infinitely in all directions of the universe. Every intersection of the intertwining web is set with a glistening jewel, in which all parts of the whole are reflected. Imagine an organization where the reflections making up each CC are an endless amplification of strengths mirroring onto one another, sparkling and glistening. It is an image that is coming alive right now.
A. Thinking very concretely now and from the perspective of your region, what are the three most important things we can do this year to support, encourage, and collaborate in each others’ development as CCs?
B. If there were a knowledge sharing e-network connecting all parts of the URI—a treasury and storehouse of knowledge, training programs, religious wisdom, best practices (e.g. funding proposals that have worked) and empowering stories—what kinds of knowledge would be helpful to you, your region, your work as CC’s?
C. As you think about the year ahead, what is the smallest thing we could do that would have the largest impact on nurturing CCs and their development?
Please return at _________o’clock. At the end, if there is time, reflect back with your partner some of the insights you have heard from them, and then simply shake their hand and share your gratitude or thanks.
