 WINTER
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Happy
Birthday, Winter! Note:
Views expressed are the author's and do not represent the Here comes Winter: a damp, moody spirit that will haunt us for the next few months with rain that sometimes freezes, surprise frost that kills our perennials, wind that occasionally cuts through even the hardiest refugee from “up north.” So what are you doing to celebrate? Our winters in Atlanta are just severe enough to let us know we have seasons. And in any place that has seasons, each in its turn brings one more reminder to be thankful. This is Winter's blessing: a slowing, a turning inward, a time for rest and reflection. Traditionally it begins on the long night of the Winter Solstice, zenith of the night's winterlong dominion over daylight, beginning of the light's return. In many cultures it's a time for lighting candles, exchanging gifts, feasting and celebrating. Here in Atlanta, the Dekalb Inter-Faith Coalition for Prevention and the Atlanta Dances of Universal Peace are co-sponsoring an Inter-Faith Prayer Circle on Wednesday, December 20, 7:30 pm, at the Atlanta Friends Meeting House, 701 W. Howard, Decatur. Traditional peoples the world over still tell stories handed down for millennia of the gods and goddesses and why they make the seasons turn. We need accept none of them as history to appreciate them as stories, eloquent metaphors for the interplay of cosmic forces which science does not fully understand today. In this new millennium, in real danger of ruining the Earth for our children and grandchildren, we stand for a second time where our distant ancestors stood when they looked around at the fresh, primeval Garden of Creation, knelt down and called it sacred. Our civilization is built on the basic assumption that through technology- fruit of the tree of knowledge- humans can “upgrade” the original Creation. The story of Adam and Eve grows in significance as we repeat it again and again on an ever-expanding scale, until the entire planet is threatened by the efforts of humans to become “as gods.” But where will we go once finally exiled from Earth itself? In my tradition of origin, Adam and Eve were the first of many who refused to heed prophecies of doom. We now live in such a time. All of us are called to prophecy who see the continuing degradation of the Earth as a sign of catastrophe to come. Who can look around and not ponder what lies ahead? Certainly not a responsible parent; voter; investor; person of faith. Some faiths have long abandoned gods and goddesses for angels and saints, or the “unified field” theology, monotheism. But leaving behind the deities and myths of Earth-centered religion, we must be careful not to forget the Earth itself. If this planet is not in fact our literal Mother, the fact remains that without it, we are helpless infants floating in a vaccuum. What was that phrase about “the ground of our being”? We are indebted to the Earth even for this metaphor to describe the transcendent God of the Christians! On second thought, the Earth itself might be something to celebrate, with or without a gender, cosmologies or creation stories. Even atheists can look around and see the wonder and mystery of what-is, no matter where-it-came-from. Monotheistic religions believe that God made Creation. Older indigenous faiths hold that God is Creation. The Buddhists, in a class by themselves, say Creation is an illusory projection of the mind. All of these religions have one main thing in common: diversity. Within each, even the monotheisms, hundreds of sects, denominations, schools, lineages, monastic orders, etc., have evolved and multiplied. What remains unchanged over the centuries, across all cultural boundaries, is our dependence on Creation to survive. The basic function of religion therefore remains, both for individuals and communities, gratitude: reciprocation for the sacred gifts of Creation. Whether the God we worship is many or one, male or female, immanent or transcendent, nameless or known, to honor the Creation is to honor that force which makes Creation possible. We can bridge our conceptual crevasses simply by holding hands here on the green Earth, honoring it for what it gives without trying to settle the ultimate source of its gifts. We can honor this divine miracle of life anywhere, since every inch of the Earth is sacred. The Winter Solstice Prayer Circle will be open to all, free of charge (though donations will be accepted to cover expenses). We'll celebrate in turn the faith traditions of the Americas, Australia, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Representatives of these traditions are invited to speak, sing, read from scripture, lead a dance or chant, or otherwise share their culture's appreciation for the Earth. We'll dance the inter-cultural Dances of Universal Peace. We'll pass a talking stick around the circle and each give an individual blessing in honor of the Solstice. But that's only my vision. Yours is part of this too. If you'd like to help plan or publicize the Winter Solstice Prayer Circle, please get in touch. Thank you, Creator Spirit! Thank you, Mother Earth! Thank you, all my relations Stephen
Wing is an Atlanta poet and member of the Inter-Faith Coalition.
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