Summary. The 1896 painting “Peace” by William Strutt shown here depicts the lion and lamb described in the Bible scriptures Isaiah 11:6-7 and Isaiah 65:25.

The present-day distributor for the colorized reprints of this painting is Allastar Publishing (Allastar.com). Their website’s landing page offers some background information about William Strutt. Once inside their site, one finds a welcome message, contact page, and product order page where the painting reprints can be ordered for $20.

The painting is featured on the ResourcesForLife.com Calendar page.

Below is the full text of the scriptures that were the inspiration behind the painting.

The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox. [Isaiah 11:6-7]

The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
says the LORD. [Isaiah 65:25]

Alternate Print Version. Below is a previously popularized color version of the painting.

About William Strutt. The following is provided by Wikipedia.

“Strutt was born in Teignmouth, Devon, England, and came from a family of artists, his grandfather, Joseph Strutt, was a well-known author and artist, his father, William Thomas Strutt, was a good miniature painter. William Strutt enjoyed a student life in Paris, France, and England, studying figurative and history painting. In response to a near-breakdown and problems with his eyes, Strutt decided to visit Australia, arriving 5 July 1850 on the Culloden, where he then married.
In Melbourne, Strutt found employment as an illustrator on the short-lived Illustrated Australian Magazine, published by Thomas Ham, as there was little demand for the figurative and history paintings for which he was trained.” [Source]

Summary. This might just work! It’s a Quantum Physics approach to healing the planet. Learn more at NationalYagya.org

About Pran Therapy. Pran therapy is an ancient yogic science of preventing and curing physical or psychological ailments by healing subtle bodies. It was discovered several thousand years ago in India, during Vedic culture.

About the Workshop. In this workshop, you will learn the basic principles of Pran Therapy and also have an opportunity to apply what you learn. This is a practical workshop for those working with energy healing arts and sciences. Seats are limited (20 only), and applicants need to submit an application for review to be accepted to the workshop. The workshop will be taught via Skype from India exclusively for workshop participants in Iowa City. Goals and objectives for the workshop include:

• learn to sense the aura
• learn to detect and assess blockages
• learn to understand blockages
• learn to replenish pran
• how to develop as a disciplined healer
• the Indian way and approach to the above

Workshop Instructor. Pavan Jain, Director of Satya Bodh Ashram in India, will be the instructor for this intensive training workshop on Pran (Energy) Healing.

Pavan has been teaching “Ha” “Tha” Yoga (Yoga asana, mudra, bandha, pranayama), Raj Yoga (meditation), Yogic healing sciences (aura healing/pran therapy/ pranic healing/ reiki healing/energy medicine), and giving treatment since 1986.

Location. The workshop will take place at The Harvest Preserve. Located at 3106 Rochester Avenue, Harvest Preserve Foundation is situated in the north-east corner of Iowa City and includes 100 acres of lovely, rolling Iowa landscape. Harvest Preserve Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring and maintaining native Iowa prairie and woodlands and cultivating public awareness, appreciation and participation. It is the mission of Harvest Preserve Foundation, Inc. to restore, protect and preserve its land holdings as a spiritual sanctuary. The land holdings shall be known as The Harvest Preserve.” Learn more online by visiting HarvestPreserve.org

Dates & Times. The workshop includes four initial sessions (of four hours each) and two follow-up sessions (of two hours each). The sessions are as follows:

• Saturday, January 7, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
• Sunday, January 8, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
• Saturday, January 14, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
• Sunday, January 15, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
• Saturday, February 4, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
• Saturday, March 3, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Workshop Cost: $480

Payment: A minimum deposit of $240 must be received by December 31 with the balance of $240 (or remainder) due by January 7. Make Checks payable to Maggie Freel and mail to:

Lisa Bormann
647 Hodge St.,
North Liberty, IA 52317

Recommended Reading: Prior to class, attendees should read the first four chapters: “Pran and Pranayama by Swami Niranjananad Saraswati; Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar, India ISBN 978-81-86336-79-3”.

Certificate of Completion: A certificate of completion will be awarded for full attendance only.

Questions. Any questions about the workshop can be directed to Maggie Freel at 319-351-3000.

Workshop Application Form. In addition to paying a deposit and registration fee, those wishing to attend the workshop, should complete the application form and send it by email to Pavan Jain via email to mail@satyabodhashram.com

• Workshop Application Form in Microsoft Word format.
• Workshop Application Form in Adobe Reader PDF format.

Workshop Flyer. A three-fold flyer for the workshop is also available and contains the information on this web page. The flyer can be viewed as a PDF, printed, and shared by email.

• Workshop Flyer in Adobe Reader PDF format.

I felt it was worth sharing more broadly by posting it here for those who aren’t active in the discussion forum, and also for those involved in any kind of activism or social reform/transform efforts.

As we head into 2012, it’s a good reminder to stay united and focused on solutions, rather than being divided and arguing about problems.

~ Greg

* * *

‘Tis the season…

Friends,

As we finish out the year of 2011, I think we have much to be thankful for. Since 2002, our online discussion group has had 9,881 messages posted. Most of those have offered practical solutions to small home design and construction. There have been excellent discussion threads about electrical systems, water sources, alternative energy, waste disposal, and many other topics.

It doesn’t come up often in this group, but occasionally the discussion gets off topic, stays off topic, and then people may begin to bicker about their own differing opinions about the economy, religion, or politics. I recognize that such conversations will likely always be present in society, but would like us all to make an effort to keep them off this discussion forum.

I know we’re all susceptible to feeling frustrated about the down economy and as we look for people to blame, it’s easy to point the finger at corporate fat-cats or political leaders present and past who are of a different political camp than our own. Heading into an election year, those inclinations will only increase.

As you know, the small house movement brings together people from differing economic, political, social, and cultural backgrounds. This presents challenges and opportunities. The challenge will be for us to stay united and focused on solutions, instead of divided as we complain about problems. The opportunity is that we can learn to respect each other’s differences and grow along the way.

A friend of mine who is well off financially (among the 1%) lives in a 4000 square foot home. He’s done some really innovative things to renovate the home and make it more sustainable. Yet, he still wants to live in something smaller and simpler. He’s also a big supporter of the small house movement. For others, smaller and simpler living isn’t a choice, but an economic necessity for survival. Some may choose small living not for financial reasons, or a desire to live simply, instead they choose small living because they believe a sustainable life is the only environmentally ethical way to live on this earth.

I’ve been involved in social activism for decades, and one thing I’ve learned is that problems are divisive, but solutions bring people together.

Here are some simple examples (among thousands)…

• Starbucks is currently promoting their CreateJobsForUSA.org initiative. This program to create jobs brings people together. Rather than starting a movement complaining about unemployment, and blaming one political party or another, instead they are creating a movement that focuses on solutions.
• NuruInternational.com is an organization dedicated to ending poverty. It was started by an ex-Marine with 7 years of military service and multiple tours of duty. He became disillusioned about war as an effective pathway to peace. Rather than starting up an “anti-war” organization he established a “create peace on earth” organization — and it’s working.

I’d like to think the Small House Society is similar to the above organizations. We’re not here to fight amongst ourselves as we complain about the problems and what caused (or causes) them, but instead we’re here to offer innovative, hopeful, and practical solutions to people seeking smaller, simpler, affordable, and sustainable living. We’re working toward creating sustainable communities where people can live simply with dignity, in harmony with each other and the earth.

Let’s try to keep our time and energy focused on solutions that help people, rather than problems that divide them.

We have a lot to be thankful for. I’m particularly grateful for the many contributions that all of you make to this discussion, and also in your own communities and social circles. We (the Small House Movement) need all of you. We need advocates for our movement from every walk of life — every economic, political, and religious persuasion. You are all ambassadors and representatives of this movement.

Thanks for all you do.

Greg

Summary. Eugenia Rico was invited by the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa to offer a reading as part of the Friday Night Reading Series at Shambaugh House.

About. Eugenia Rico “studied Law, International Relations, Dramatic Art and Cinema but she abandoned everything to search for literature and poetry. She traveled through the whole world, including India, South America, China and Africa until a ‘saddhu’ told her to come home and write.” Rico was featured In a recent article. Below is an excerpt from that article.

“Rico is the perfect example of her own thesis; a short glance at her autobiography shows her life has been anything but normal. She won her first literature prize at the age of five in a Coca-Cola competition, whilst her first text was published when she was eleven. ‘Reading and writing always came so naturally to me,’ she adds. ‘I come from this magical tradition of oral storytelling. When I was small my grandmother would always be telling me stories and fairytales.’ Rico continued to stack up the literature prizes as she completed studies in law, international relations and theatre studies. German bestselling author Daniel Kehlmann is also a prominent fan of her latest novel. ‘It’s my best work so far,’ says Eugenia, who has injected twenty years of writing experience into it, hoping that it would be a pleasure to read as well as a work to stir up reflection. ‘The novel is only the tip of the iceberg for me. The reader has to find out what lies beyond it themself.’” [source]

Video. Below is a video of Eugenia Rico reading in Iowa City on 14 October 2011 at the University of Iowa.

SPONSORED BY GLOBAL PEACE INITIATIVE
WWW.VEDICPANDITS.ORG • WWW.GLOBALPEACEINITIATIVE.ORG

Save the Date

Celebrate the launch of the Global Peace Initiative.

Gala Benefit Concert

November 6, 2011 for the Maharishi Vedic Pandits

Featuring 2011 Grammy Award-Nominated World Music Artist

Chandrika Tandon and friends “Soul Chants”

A golden opportunity to express our deep appreciation for our beloved Maharishi Vedic Pandits and all they do to nourish our community and the world on so many levels.

Sunday November 6
7:45 PM
Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts
Fairfield, Iowa
Enjoy a fabulous concert and help launch the
Global Peace Initiative

VIP Donor Seating Now Available

Donors Invited to Post-concert Gala Reception

Call or email
Sandy Crowe, 641-919-8710
scrowe@globalpeaceinitiative.org
Or
Eloise Raymond, 641-470-7027
eraymond@globalpeaceinitiative.org

Click here to learn more about Chandrika and her music.

Please make your reservations early for the best seats

Summary

“Musalaha is a non-profit organization that seeks to promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians… [through] programs geared specifically for young adults, youth, and women, and also attempt to reach out to our communities with the message of reconciliation through social service projects in both Israeli and Palestinian areas.”

* * *

Beyond Bells and Smells:
The Gap between Eastern and Western Christianity
By Salim J. Munayer

This past week, as America commemorated the tragedy of 9/11, much was said about the gap between the Western world and the Muslim world.  One important aspect that was overlooked in this discussion is the gap between the Western and Eastern church.  I would like to share some of my experiences and observations in this area.

I regularly teach American Christian students on short-term study trips in the Holy Land. I often notice a weakness in their curriculum, as much time is spent studying biblical history, particularly the first and second temple periods, and the apostolic period. But when we begin to discuss the ecumenical councils and their resulting doctrinal schisms, I find that my students have spent little time studying the historical and political contexts in which church history took some of its most significant turns. Instead, their curriculum fast forwards hundreds of years to the sixteenth century, into the time of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation, and the subsequent politics and history of this period.

Such a selective reading of church history tends to focus on the contribution of the Western Church which is understood as the normative framework of Christian theology and church tradition. Consequently, the development of the Eastern Church, in which the Arabic speaking community plays and has played a large role, is often completely ignored. Furthermore, a new branch of study in post-holocaust theology has created willingness and attached importance to understanding contemporary Jewish faith and practice. This is rarely matched with inquiry into the Eastern Church. This has led me to believe that there are far too many passionate evangelical Christians in the West who are unaware of the history, theology, and contemporary situation of the Eastern Church.

This is problematic for several reasons. Firstly, this means that the role of the Eastern Church in developing and shaping both Western and Eastern Church doctrine is not properly understood or appreciated. Secondly, a wealth of theological tradition has been ignored by many in the evangelical and wider Protestant community to the detriment of their theological appreciation and understanding. Thirdly, the precarious positions of the Arabic speaking church around the world, and particularly in the Middle East, means that we are in great need of acknowledgement, encouragement and support from our western evangelical brothers and sisters. This short article will therefore attempt to explore some of the reasons why the western evangelical church is unfamiliar with Arabic speaking Christianity as a preliminary attempt to remove some of these barriers and encourage mutual understanding between the traditions, as well as to further us along the path of reconciliation in the Holy Land.

The Early Church Schisms

Contrary to popular belief, the early church schisms in the fourth and fifth centuries were not exclusively, or even primarily, a result of doctrinal differences, but occurred to some extent as a consequence of political struggles for territory, governance and authority.  These political struggles were then couched in theological language at a time when the early church was attempting to combat heresy and articulate a basic statement of core beliefs for the faithful. Imperial and ecclesiastical agendas became somewhat intertwined.

In the early fourth century, Christianity had five main centres throughout the Roman Empire: Rome, Alexandria, Carthage, Constantinople and Antioch. Each territory was presided over by a Bishop with authority over the churches in his district and into its hinterland. The Roman Emperor Constantine wanted to unify these disparate territories as a way of asserting political control. Consequently, he invited Bishops from all over the Empire to attend a council in Nicaea near Constantinople in 325 AD in order to obtain this theological and political unification. The ecclesial framework of these churches’ relationship and interaction was established at early councils such as this one. Subsequent church conflicts were not only theological, but political. [1]

Linguistic, Cultural and Ethnic Separation

Much later, the Pope in Rome excommunicated the Patriarch in Constantinople and the latter responded in kind. It is important for us to view the doctrinal controversies in this wider political context and not as exclusively theological issues. Doing so will hopefully remove some of the religious and theological objections that western evangelical Christians may have toward the Eastern Church. The primary consequences of these splits for us today are the ethnic and cultural barriers that were erected as the churches spread to different parts of the world – the Western Church into Europe, the Orthodox Church into the Arabic speaking world, and the non-Chalcedonian churches into Asia and Africa. Bringing us into the present, it is the cultural and ethnic barriers resulting from these ancient political decisions which I believe are currently the main source of estrangement between western evangelicals and Catholic or Greek Orthodox Arab Christians, not the theological differences between the churches. As such, these can be overcome through increased contact between the cultures which will increase understanding and address mutual alienation and misunderstanding.

There have of course been far-reaching theological consequences as a result of the linguistic and cultural barriers which now exist. Arabic and Syriac are not widely read in the evangelical church in the way that Greek and Latin are. This has meant that the theology and church teachings of the Eastern Church have not been available to most Western Christians. This wealth of theological tradition has therefore played little role in developing and shaping the theology of the West, to the detriment of the Western Church.

Perceived Theological Differences and Difference in Church Practice

Although there are clearly many differences between Eastern and Western Christianity, these differences do not need to be viewed, as they often are, as a source of conflict or disagreement, but should instead be understood as an attempt to contextualize the Christian faith within the social context of each church community. In the West, more emphasis is placed on individual autonomy in theology and church practice. For example, the doctrine of justification is one which deals with individuals and one’s particular relationship with God.[2] While worshipping as a collective body, we often simply sing side by side. In the Eastern Church, the emphasis on liturgy and sacraments is driven by communal identification. It is understood that these traditions tie Christians to the global church body, and to the saints in heaven. All too often the evangelical church criticizes these historical practices as indicating a stagnant church, in contrast to the lively worship style of the Western Church, and in so doing, misunderstands the deep theology and religious commitment behind these rituals.

Similarly, the Western Evangelical Church places a strong emphasis on the immediacy of revelation and understanding through personal experiences with the Holy Spirit in the charismatic church, and through Scripture in more conservative evangelical traditions. In contrast, the Eastern Church places a strong emphasis on the historical nature of revelation. Revelation is viewed as a more collective endeavour over centuries of church teaching, study and theology by numerous clergy and laity, and this revelation is intrinsically tied to church tradition as implemented in church practice. The Eastern Church emphasizes that  Scripture is never immediately applicable but that the text today has a history which is intimately related to the history of the church as the church has sought to relate the revelation of Jesus to contemporary discourse over the centuries. [3] While one attains to truth therefore through rigorous engagement with scripture – and our biblical criticism must always concede to the need for such an acceptance of the canon – we must nevertheless recognize that the text we receive is already interpreted for us by church tradition, and that this interpretation has a measure of authority.

While it would be naive to disregard these important theological and ecclesial differences, they do not need to be a source of estrangement. However there is a tendency in the Western Church to understand itself as normative, having developed within a majority culture, meaning that anything which deviates from this normative theological or ecclesial framework is in some sense heretical. Through embracing our ecclesial diversity however, we enter a richer faith community.

Political Barriers

The Arab conquests in the seventh century coupled with the spread of Islam and the subsequent wars between Christians and Muslim political powers such as the Arab invasions, the Crusades, the Ottoman invasions of Europe, World War I, the creation of the State of Israel and now two Gulf Wars have also disrupted the relationship between the Eastern and Western Church.

By the early nineteenth century, western travellers in the Muslim world became more common and painted a vivid Orientalist picture of this ill-understood other. This was perhaps an improvement to the very limited contact between East and West that preceded it, however this began a rather skewed relationship between those with the power to narrate and those whose lives were ostensibly narrated in such discourses. Even our contemporary understanding of Arabic speaking Christians, and Eastern Christianity more generally, comes largely through western media which is influenced by geo-political interests which often ignore the situation of the church. We know little about the recent history of the Assyrian church in Iraq, or the Armenian Church in Ottoman Turkey for example, because reporting on these situations of persecution and genocide would harm international relationships and alliances.

Conclusion

It is clear from the brief overview given above that there are many things which have historically contributed to the current state of estrangement between the western evangelical church and the wider Protestant community and the Eastern Churches. Cultural and linguistic barriers pose the most significant challenges which are often couched in unnecessary theological language. While there are clearly theological differences between the two communities, these are often a result of their interaction with secularism in the West, and Islam in the East as opposed to significant doctrinal variations. The possibility for increased mutual understanding and interaction is, therefore, significant.

It is incredibly important that these current barriers are explored and overcome, not only as engagement with the other would enhance the richness of each side’s respective theological resources, but in a climate of political instability (particularly in the Middle East), Arabic speaking Christians are in desperate need of recognition and support from their western brothers and sisters. Additionally, understanding the differences between the two ecclesial traditions will allow us to bridge some of the gaps between the Messianic Jewish community and the Palestinian Christian community, as the Messianic community is influenced more by Western theology than Eastern theology, and the opposite is true of the Palestinian community. Furthermore, engagement could help lessen the existing prejudices between the Eastern and Western Church.  A global church seeking increased unity and understanding would surely be a testimony to Jesus’ reconciling activity in the world today, as well as a source of strength to the universal church itself.

Further Reading

• Bailey, Kenneth. Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels (Illinois, Intervarsity Press, 2008).
• Cragg, Kenneth. The Arab Christian: A History in the Middle East (Kentucky, Westminster/John Knox Press, 1991).
• Pacini, Andrea, eds. Christian Communities in the Arab Middle East: The Challenge of the Future (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1998).
• Parry, Ken, eds. The Blackwell Companion to Eastern Christianity (West Sussex, Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2010).
• Strengholt, Jos. Gospel in the Air (Boekencentrum, Zoetermeer, 2008).
• Tarazi, Paul. ‘An Orthodox Christian Response to the Inclusive Language Lectionary’. Word Magazine (Publication of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, 1984).

Summary. Below is a video of Steve Jobs of Apple talking about life, love, loss, success, dreams, and following your heart. This video was recorded in 2005 as he delivered the Commencement Address at Stanford.

Summary. When a non-profit organization engages in social action, we think of it as activism. When a business engages with society through advertising, we simply call it marketing. Yet, activists exist in all areas of society including companies and they are leveraging their positions to impact the world in positive ways.

Among the leadership of Liberty Mutual there apparently are some people who had the brilliant idea of using advertising as a carrier signal for delivering a positive social message. For example, in radio broadcasting, it’s possible to send an HD FM radio signal with music that also includes embedded data that can provide information about the current song such as artist and song title. In the same way, advertising can tell the public about a product or service, while at the same time conveying a message that is designed to have a positive impact on society.

The Responsibility Project. Liberty Mutual has launched an initiative called The Responsibility Project. Below are videos from their advertising campaign about living responsibly. The general theme is that people who see acts of kindness, generosity, caring, giving, and responsibility, will feel compelled to do the same. What’s really powerful about this advertising campaign is that it offers an almost documentary presentation of the world from a God’s-eye-viewproint in showing how kindness can spread quickly. It’s alarming to realize that stress and unpleasantness can spread just as quickly. The multiplayer effect depicted in these videos demonstrates the impact that each person has in the world.