During my undergrad years at UCLA in late 80s, I was extremely active in an evangelical Christian worship group called the University Christian Fellowship, or UCF for short. It was a tightknit bunch of 30 or so folks from various denominations and backgrounds who gathered a couple of times a week for worship-sharing (singing), bible…
Category: The Spirit
Turrell’s “The Meeting” at PS1 – putting a frame around the sky
After meeting Quaker artist James Turrell last year, I have been waiting for the right time to catch his permanent art installation at the PS1 art center in Queens. Turrell’s installation is only open at particular times of the day during specific times of the year, and Queens is kind of a pain to get…
Going on a virtual hajj on IslamOnline island
I read on my Google News feed that IslamOnline.net recently established a two-sim estate in Second Life to educate people about Islam (Click here to teleport.) I found that the estate consists of four areas: An education center An amphitheater A Palestinian Holocaust Memorial Museum and a Virtual Hajj The virtual hajj was particularly interesting…
Straightening the gravestones at the Quaker Cemetery
Just had a wonderful day at the Quaker Cemetery in Prospect Park, a lovely acre of largely untouched land that we have possessed for 150 years to house our dead. Quakers traditionally have very simple graveyards, with modest, largely unadorned gravestones indicating where the cremated remains lie, and that’s about it. There are no mausoleums,…
Global Kids & Quaker Practice
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…
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…