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Page 6Pax Christi Little RockPeace Offerings2019 Cotham Lecture withJohn Pavlowitz 10:30 am 9/22 and 7 pm on 9/23 Westover Hills Presbyterian ChurchTASTE OF FAITHSaturday, September 2810th Annual Seeds of Peace Festival 9 am-Hot Springs Creek-Greenway nearthe Farmer’s MarketPax Christi’s Monthly MissionOur custom is tocontribute to a different peace andsocial justice causeat each of ourmonthly meetings.In September, we will be collecting donations for Dorcas House. DorcasHouse is a women’s ministry, reachingout to those who are trapped in domestic violence or struggling with chemicaldependency and other addictions. Housing, classes, counseling, and chapeltime help change lives and providehope. Please give generously!Pax Christi LR wants to invite all interested parties to send in articles pertaining topeace and social justice to add to ournewsletter. Your story can be related toyour opinion on a topic, a personal experience or an event that affects our work towards social justice. You can email yourarticle to paxchristilr@gmail.com.Seminarian Band Rocks the HousePax Christi Little Rock supported the2019 Taste of Faith dinner to raisemoney to help pay for seminarian education in the Diocese of Little Rockby hosting a table that was filled withPax Christi members and partners. Itcosts the diocese about 1.5 millionper year to provide for immediate education and living expenses of theseminarians. This annual fundraiserwas held August 10 at theStatehouse Convention Center. Emmanuel Torres, one of the seminarians attending St. Meinrad’s, gave aheartfelt story about how he wascalled to enter the seminary. Msgr.Scott Friend provided an update onthe House of Formation and appealedfor support for these seminarians andBishop Taylor gave some insights intothe training of these young men. Atthe end of the evening, the seminarian band brought the crowd to its feetwhen they played several rock androll classics. For more information oncontributing to this fund, call DianneBrady at 501-664-0340.

Page 7Pax Christi Little RockPeace OfferingsHABITAT FOR HUMANITY:PEACE PARTNERSPeace Partners highlights various peaceand social justice organizations that shareour vision: active promotion of peace inour neighborhood, state, country andworld. The goal is to increase awareness ofthe many organizations in our area thatwork for peace through social justice andinvite joint ventures between these groupsto increase the effectiveness of our mission.LET’S BUILD A HOME TOGEHERPax Christi Little Rock is coordinating a project betweenseveral peace and social justice organizations in the Central Arkansas area to sponsor all or part of one home construction through Habitat for Humanity. We have now received pledges of 2305 from different sources. This meanswe can at minimum do landscaping for a home. Habitatneeds 20,000 in addition to their grant money to build onehome. Here are the possible Sponsorship levels we canachieve dependent on the amount of money we raise:Adopt a Home Sponsor ( 20,000) Exclusive level that funds a whole home! Five on-site building daysBlueprint Sponsor ( 10,000) Two on-site building days Participate in home dedication ceremonyTrim Sponsor ( 5,000)ARKANSAS PEACE WEEK One on-site building dayArkansas Peace Week is a coalition of central Arkansas peaceand social justice organizationsthat celebrates peacemaking asa means to instill justice, buildstronger communities, alleviatepoverty, promote ecological stewardship. end war, eliminate violence in society, while seekingrespect, inclusion and fair treatment of all people. They work tobring about a better world byteaching peace during PeaceWeek and throughout the year. Invitation to home dedication ceremonyBeautification Sponsor ( 2,000) One on-site landscaping day Invitation to home dedication ceremonyOur level of sponsorship is contingent on the amount donated by the end of Sept. If you or your group is interestedin participating, send your donation to PCLR at 415 N.McKinley St., #1040 Little Rock, AR 72205 or call Sherry at501-258-8653. Let’s work together to bring peace throughsocial justice to our community.SOLES4SOULSOver the past month, 324 corks have been donated toSoles4Souls. Added to the total number (11,846) sent outDo your little bit of good where you are; to Soles4Souls previously, our total is now 12,170. Saveit’s those little bits of good put together your corks and bring them to our next PCLR meeting,that overwhelm theTutuworld. Desmonddrop them off at 415 N. McKinley St., #1040, or call 258 -8653 and we’ll pick them up. Thanks!

Page 8Pax Christi Little RockPeace OfferingsHIROSHIMA/NAGASAKI REMEMBRANCE VIGILPax Christi Little Rocksponsored the HiroshimaandNagasakiRemembranceVigilheld on August 9 at thePromenadeonCandlelight vigilKavanaugh in Hillcrest.John Coffin introduced several speakers who reminded the crowd of 40-50 people about the horrors of nuclear war. Rev. Lisa Hlass read the WarPrayer by Mark Twain, revealing the ugly side ofcombat that is often romanticized at the outset.Michael Vaughn, an Afghanistan war veteran,shared statistics on the cost of warfare and thenumber of wars currently ongoing. George Simonemphasized the fact that the threat of nuclear waris greater today than ever before in our history, noting the importance of negotiation vs war. FatherWarren Harvey, PCLR Chaplain, discussed Catholicsocial teachings regarding war. Tristan Norman,student at Hendrix College talked about his experiences studying in Japan where he met survivors ofthe bombing. After sharing some of their stories, heemphasized that we must continue to tell the stories of these survivors so that history will not repeatitself. Susej Thompson,choir director at HolySouls, played guitarand led the crowd insinging Where Have Allthe Flowers Gone andGive Peace a Chance.Crowd at the PromenadeSAVE THE DATEPAX CHRISTI LR SPEAKER SERIESPresentsDeacon Matt GloverChancellor for Canonical AffairsDiocese of Little RockThe Sexual Abuse Crisis: Path to Healingfor the Body of ChristTHURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 at 7 PMFITZGERALD HALL, ST. JOHN’S CENTER2500 N. TYLER STREET, LITTLE ROCK 72203

Page 9Pax Christi Little RockPeace Offerings“Better Angels” Chart a Path for Civil DiscoursebyGeorge Simon, Mary Hunt, and Marian PaquetteAngels are special messengers. And the members of Better A ngels want folks to know that evenin this day of deep political divide civil discourse is possible. That seems a comforting and inspiring message indeed. For in many ways, it appears our differences have never been greater.So how do we bridge the divide? Better Angels thinks they have found a few answers.In December, 2016, 10 Trump supporters and 11 Clinton supporters gathered in South Lebanon,Ohio in what became the first “Better Angels” Red/Blue Workshop. The goal? To see if folkscould respectfully disagree, yet still find common ground. The results were remarkable. The participants ended up not only hearing each other but also respecting and even liking each other.And they wanted to know more about each other, too, and to keep meeting! Their coming together in civil discourse began a movement that led to workshops in communities all acrossAmerica.Pax Christi members Marian Paquette, Mary Hunt, and George Simon attended just such a workshop in Little Rock on September 7th. Each found the event informative, constructive, and inspiring. Mary commented:This workshop gave me the basics for how to state my views without alienating the other side. It also showed me how I can listen better and learn more about where othersare coming from and appreciating where we have common ground.I am recommending this organization and their workshops to all of my family andfriends who are open to having respectful and insightful conversations with those whohold different views. We all need to know how to DISCUSS our differences withoutcoming to blows!Marian found the workshop helpful, too. She noted:At the Better Angels workshop, I found myself recounting conversations I have had in

Page 10Pax Christi Little RockPeace Offeringsthe past with others who held different viewpoints on various issues. I would tend to feeltense, and sometimes shut down the conversation and dismiss the other person into a certain stereotype. Even though deep down I have always believed there is common groundand values to be found, the workshop really increased my awareness of this and providedme with skills and techniques to be more diligent in uncovering them in others. Now I feelmore confident in making connections and having more satisfying and constructive conversations with those of differing viewpoints. I’m so glad I attended!You don’t have to be a member of Better Angels to attend a meeting or workshop or to subscribe totheir newsletter. But the organization is well worth looking into. Yearly dues are a mere 12 dollars.And members are afforded a host of networking opportunities through various electronic media. Thisorganization is serious about helping folks come together in a divisive age. And that makes them atrue partner in active peacemaking. Visit them at: www.better-angels.org.LOVE THY NEIGHBOR: SOUND AND SPIRITLove Thy Neighbor is a gathering of manyfaiths under one roof. It was created afterthe 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001terrorist attacks, founded as a way to commemorate that day. Leaders of severalfaiths worked closely together to bring thismemorial and interfaith dinner togetherthis year. Sophia Said, Muslim founder ofthe Madina Center in Little Rock, SusanSmith, Episcopal priest, and DeborahTroillett, Sister of Mercy organized theevent. Muslim scholar Dr. Muhammad Ninowy, founder of the global Madina Institute, discussedhow sound recognizable in spiritualitybringspeople together.ComposerandarrangerDr.Ysaye BarnwellOpening Interfaith Blessingsengaged the con-gregation in avocal communityworkshop.TheRiver City Men’sChorus sang twofaith-basedsongs designedRiver City Men’s Chorusto bring peopletogether in the name of peace.Perhaps the most memorable aspect of theservice was the opening call to worship. Asalways, the Jewish shofar was sounded.But then, we heard the Muslim azan (callto prayer), the shankha, a conch shellused in Hindu tradition, and other soundscelebrating this joining of faiths. The pointmade over and over again on this eveningof sound and silence was that God is everpresent and that we are joined in thisPresence through language that transcends our differences, taking us out of oursmall minds so we may experience God.

Page 11Pax Christi Little RockPeace OfferingsYou Must “Lose Your Mind” to Find GodI had the unique honor and absolutepleasure of attending the interfaithgathering, “Love Thy Neighbor:Sound and Spirit” at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church this past Thursdayevening. The experience of coming together with people of so many differentfaith backgrounds and engaging withthem in both silence and music sothat we might find acommon ground for recognizing God in ourmidstwasaweinspiring. It brought tomind something CarlJung, the Swiss psychotherapist, said whenasked if he believed inGod. Jung said, “I couldnot say I believe. I know!I have had the experience of beinggripped by something that is strongerthan myself, something that peoplecall God.”I believe that one path to experiencingGod is through the receptive silencefound in contemplation. This practiceenables us to move beyond our words,beyond our small thoughts, and experience God as Mystery. Contemplativeprayer, remaining silent and open inGod’s presence, “rewires” our brainsover time and enables us to thinknon-dually with compassion, kind-ness, and a lack of attachment to theego’s preferences. Thus, we are more ableto let go of our need to judge, defend, andevaluate and can be more available toexperience the presence of God that is allaround us already! This practice helps usto develop “eyes that see and ears thathear” the ever-present messages of Godin our world.About seven years ago, Iattended a conference onArchetypal Constructs given by Dr. John Beebe inLouisville, KY. During hisdiscussion of the child archetype, Dr. Beebe shareda Jewish story originallycited by James Hillman,PhDinhisessay,“Betrayal.” It was about aman who invited his young son to jumpto him from successively higher stairsteps. At each step, the man said,“Jump, and I’ll catch you” and each timehe caught him. Finally, his son reachedthe highest step and when the little boyjumped one last time, the father steppedaside and allowed him to fall. As theyoung boy got up crying, the father saidto him, “That will teach you. Never trustanyone, not even your father.” Hillmanused this story to demonstrate the role ofbetrayal in psychological development.This story was told on the last day at the

Page 12Pax Christi Little RockPeace Offeringsend of the conference. I became prettyobsessed with this message and Ithought and wrote about it constantlyduring the eight-hour car ride home. Iwas at a loss to understand why weshould have to come to terms with being betrayed by those closest to us.When my caravan of friends drove up tomy house to drop me off, I was in a veryintroverted space given my focus onthis upsetting story.So, the minute we pulled up into mydriveway, my then four-year-old grandson, Noah, ran out of the backyardwhen he heard the car door slam. Hewas all wet from swimming in our pool.He hugged me and exclaimed, “Mimi, Ican jump from the top step!” (Noah hadbeen practicing jumping from the stepsinto the waiting arms of adults in thepool all summer). This “top step” synchronicity really got my attention so Iasked him purposefully, “Who is catching you when you jump?” Noah replied,“No one, Mimi. Just the water!” And inthat statement from my sweet grandson, I heard the clear answer to all ofmy troubled thoughts on human betrayal. I heard that the water (God) always catches us even when we are hurtand betrayed by others in our life. Evenwhen there is no one else there to protect us. But I know that I would nothave heard that message if I had notbeen “out of my normal mind” that gen-erally distracts me with anxious and oftenautomatic thoughts. In this instance, Ithink I experienced God out of the contemplative mind and was able to receive thismessage that has helped me through several painful losses over the past few years.When all else fails, there is God. I knowthis to be true.Another path to “losing our mind” isthrough music and art. Music has thepower to cut through our rational mindand go straight to our heart. Music transforms us, affecting us physically, cognitively, emotionally and spiritually. Whenwe are in music, particularly when we aresharing this experience with others, wehave the potential to move beyond ourselves and into a much larger, more inclusive space. Our blood pressure rises, thepupils in our eyes dilate, the hairs on ourarms stand on end and chills run downour spine. Music is a language that meldsus together in a way few things can, allowing us to flow in a spirit of love with otherswho are experiencing the same sense ofharmonic bonding.As an example, one of the most importantmessages I ever received from God was inHonduras during one of our nightly singalongs. Several missionaries would get together each night after a very hot, difficultday in our various clinics and classroomsand we would sing, sometimes until aftermidnight. The joining together of thesevoices that belonged to people who had

Page 13Pax Christi Little RockPeace Offeringsworkeds o this is true. And certainly it is onlyhard together through God’s good grace that we shareall day long these numinous moments with the Holywas something Spirit. But I also believe that God lovesbeyond under- for us to search for this connection. I amstanding.I convinced that we come into this worldgrew to love the sounds of our voices fully connected, but that over time, withblending and I experienced a connectiv- the messages we receive from our civiity with people like I had never known lized world, we build a boundary aroundbefore. One night, after we all went to ourselves with our mind that serves sadbed when we had finished singing, I ly to separate us from God.woke up after being asleep for about an In the practice of contemplation and muhour with this experience of besic, we can experience thating connected to everything.there is more to us than ourMy heart was pounding and Iminds. Our thought processfelt like electricity was runninges goes round and round inthrough my body as I satour heads, certainly solvingstraight up in my bed, pulledproblems of everyday life,my journal over to me, used mywhich is necessary, but oftenphone flashlight for light so Ileading to senseless self-focuswouldn't wake up my roomand worry. Generally, ourmate, and wrote for about anThe Heart of God mind does not tend to exist inhour about this experience. Ithe present moment. It is eiwill never forget that time because from ther floating around in the past or worthese experiences of the Holy Spirit in ried about some future event that willHonduras flow much of who I am to- likely never occur. (Watch your thoughtsday. And it was music that opened the sometimes to see if this is true for you).channel to those times, leading me to But meditative prayer and music keep usbe more open to the experience of our firmly anchored in the present moment,Creator God. This understanding of that space where perhaps, if we havehow we can all be connected continues eyes to see and ears to hear, we mightto fuel and direct me in all aspects of encounter God by the grace of the Holymy life.Spirit. Sherry SimonIt has been said that many people haveexperienced contact with God either Music is a higher revelation than all wisdomthrough great pain or great joy. I know and philosophy. Ludwig von Beethoven

Hunger Action Breakfast 2019/ Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance 7:45 am-9 am @ 1400 W. Markham St., Ste. 304, Little Rock-Arkansas Hunger Re-lief Alliance Raise awareness of food insecurity and challenge those in our communities to take action and alleviate hunger