While researching information about Chinese calligraphy and characters for a personal event yesterday, I came across a website which features a Anglican minister, Rev. Elyn MacInnis, in Shanghai, China who uses Chinese characters as part of her Lenten ministry with a webpage titled Brushstroke Mediations. East meets west in the clearest sense and she has been awarded the Harvard Divinity School, Katzenstein Award. The calligraphy lessons are wonderful-for example this past week's lesson was on the character for "compassion." I was tickled at the synchronicity of this discovery as I was bestowing a blessing on a friend's new grandchild at a blessing ceremony and my wish/blessing for the beautiful baby was that she grow with the compassion of Kuan Yin, the Chinese bodhisattva of compassion.
The whole concept of Christian ministry/missionaries, however, in countries where Christianity is not normally practiced is one that I wrestle with, because some part of me thinks that it hearkens back to the colonialization, imperialist imposition of western cultures and belief systems that European and Americans have been guilty of for centuries.
I do think however it is not one-sided as I am also reminded of communist China's "missionary" zeal in imposing their religion of "no religion" on Tibet.
In any case, this reverend's website gives a nice description and "etymology" of the Chinese characters. Her sensitivity in integrating the concept into her "sermon" are insightful and each meditation ends with a number of quotations about the concept from leaders and thinkers and philosophers from around the globe.
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79706_22210_ENG_HTM.htm?menupage=73980
http://tinyurl.com/27yh36
Additionally, the New York Times this morning has a lead article on how a new method for the the collecting and purchasing of palm leaves for Palm Sunday has gone "green" and takes into account the principles of ecological soundness and fair trade practices.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/world/americas/01palm.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
http://tinyurl.com/2k2tzt
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1 comment:
Finally able to spend time on your site. Your musings/ insights/ comments make for interesting reading. I visited Rev. Elyn MacInnis' site "Brushstrokes Meditation" and will recommend to others. Particularly liked learning the meaning behind the Chinese character. Food for much thought.
ADeb/CL
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