Blogs

On 21 August, I had the pleasure of appearing on the Doug Noll show, an internet radio talk show. Mr. Noll asked me all sorts of questions in regards to Intersections work, the controversy surrounding Park51, and the Middle East conflict. You can listen to the show here.

In the midst of news and narrative about what appears to be amazing chaos in our world, I am reminded that as an artist, each day I call upon my inner file of creative openness to guide me to author some essence of art that will hopefully inspire the heart and mind of the listener(s) to awaken the energy of joy and peace within them. Some days this call is easier heard than others, but I heed the call because I believe in the transformative power of sharing hope, beauty, joy and creative enthusiasm.

The controversy surrounding the proposed Muslim community center to be built in Lower Manhattan has taken on national proportions. As concerned individuals, Intersections encourages everyone to hear the facts about the center and its planners, and to have their opinions heard.

There are over 380 million eggs being recalled by Wright County Egg, headquartered in Galt, Iowa. These are eggs that have been shipped since May of this year and made many people very ill.  As of now, there are no reports of deaths.

One of the frustrating things for me in this unrelenting media controversy about the proposed Muslim Community Center in lower Manhattan is the way even many mainstream  journalists continue to characterize Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf as someone with a subversive agenda who is not to be trusted.

Intersections is preparing for a nomadic run of the original play No Place Called Home, written and performed by Actress Kim Schultz, directed by Sarah Cameron Sunde, with music by Amikaeyla Gaston. No Place Called Home tells the story of an American woman who travels to the Middle East to interview Iraqi refugees and accidentally falls in love with one of them. This is the story of one American woman and one Iraqi man (one refugee out of 4 million)--a story that isn’t supposed to be a love story.

"If you believe all the hysteria about how the mosque near Ground Zero is going to be financed, you'd think that Osama Bin Laden was writing the check." So stated CNN's Randi Kaye in her feature last night on the controversy that has exploded around the proposed Muslim Center to be built near the footprint of Ground Zero. Intersection's Director Robert Chase has known center planners Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and Daisy Khan for nearly a decade and told CNN they stand against terrorism. Questions are being asked if money raised for the center will come from terrorist organizations. As Rev. Chase mentioned to CNN, there is nothing to worry about.

Before taking off for some much needed vacation, I visited Israel. The purpose of my recent trip to Israel/Palestine was to better understand the Jewish narrative of the situation there. I had been to the region twice before, but had spent most of my time in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, and so I was more familiar with the Palestinian perspective. This time, I was hosted by my good friend Rabbi Naamah Kelman, Dean of the Jerusalem campus of Hebrew Union College. She was magnificent in running me ragged, meeting with dedicated individuals who hold a variety of perspectives on the intractable conflict in this sacred place, individuals who work tirelessly on addressing the multi-faceted problems that lie behind the current tension. I learned a lot.

"The longest journey traveled is the distance on the path between the Head and the Heart". This is a quote I heard at a conference of thought leaders I attended two weeks ago. Boy, is that a commentary on where we are as a nation and as a global community at present.

In a recent article in the New York Times it was reported that legislation was passed to eliminate the huge hurdle that veterans face regarding thier claims for recieving assistance with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.