The non-profit I work for Global Kids has three basic rules that form the basis for all of our youth programs: One Mic: We give the floor to the person who is speaking. Safe Space: We respect other people’s opinions even if we don’t agree with them. Participate: We all take responsibility for contributing. The…
Category: The Spirit
OMG Quaker Advertising! Brooklyn Quakers boldly put up a big sign
I saw this sign in front of the Brooklyn Quaker Meetinghouse when I was coming back from the gym today. Apparently Brooklyn Quakers have finally gotten around to putting up a more visible sign on the Adams Street side of the meetinghouse. I love how plain and unadorned the sign is, with no logo or…
Gold (a poem)
For Bettina, who loved this piece. I still miss you. GOLD The winter light is gold, Like a million bucks, pouring Through the dust and grime On my bedroom window, brilliant, blinding. I can never get enough light in winter: I need bay windows and track lighting And 150 watt bulbs everywhere. Maybe we are…
“Faces of Faith” bringing religious leaders into Second Life July 29
On July 29 the UC Berkeley School of Journalism presents a program on "Faces of Faith in Second Life" from 1-2pm PST. Taking place on Nowhereville Island (teleport SLURL), the event will feature Don Lattin and a panel of religious/spiritual leaders for a conversation about faith and spirituality in virtual worlds. Questions will be taken…
Dance circles and letting myself shine
I got a small revelation at Quaker meeting this morning, thinking about the Dance Parade yesterday. I was replaying in my mind the spontaneous dance circles that formed all over Washington Square Park as more and more dancers and spectators started pouring into the square after the end of the parade. Walking around the park…
“Plain Dress” and simplicity in virtual living
Quakers have as one of our core values the testimony of "Simplicity." This applies to everything from the way we spend our money to the kind of cars we drive. In particular though, this simplicity has been most manifested by the traditional form of dress associated with Quakers, i.e. "The Quaker Oats Man." Historically, Quakers…
Second Life and the limits of religious tolerance
Doing my duty as event guy at New World Notes, I’ve been noticing that there are lots and lots of events being sponsored by a new Hare Krishna group in SL. Which has made me wonder, what are the limits of religious tolerance in Second Life?
The portable Quaker meeting
We had a beautiful Quaker meeting for worship in Second Life this morning with about 16 or attenders filling the benches . I had recently discovered that if you put your computer to sleep without logging out of SL, the program sort of freezes the last scene in place. When you re-open your computer, it appears…
James Turrell: Quaker artist who paints with light
I had the distinct pleasure of being at an inspiring lecture this evening by the artist James Turrell, speaking at a peace event put on by the Friends Seminary on 15th Street. Turrell is a Quaker who has spent his whole artistic career depicting light as physical entity with shape and texture and thickness. He…
Second Life Unitarians ask “What does it mean to be a church?” (video)
My friend Otenth tells me that the religious group the Unitarian Universalists have been building an enormously successful presence in Second Life, their regular gatherings now pushing the limits of the Modesta sim they are in (teleport SLURL). The UUs, as they are affectionately called, have a number of similarities to Quakers, both coming out…