Reflections on the Images of the PeaceWalk
12 June 2006
Napa, CA
The first word that came to mind when I scanned the images of this year’s PeaceWalk was diverse. When photographing PeaceWalks past, I found that I had to work a bit back then to capture images of people from different faith traditions, different races, and what have you walking together. They were there to be sure, but they were not present the way they were this year. It took no effort on my part to capture such images because for the most part that is just how the walk was. From my vantage point it seemed that there was a lovely effortlessness to the intermingled conversations that flowed through the day. This speaks to me of the power of action over time (here too), and our human need for repetition and ritual in order to feel secure enough to move about freely in what was once strange terrain.
I also became aware of how many young people there were. Maybe that has always been the case with the other walks as well. It was hard to tell when I looked back through some of the archival images. Perhaps it is more a matter of my own perspective as I grow older. Mindful of what Bertrand Russell once said – “One must care about a world one will never see.” - I am keenly aware that whatever the ultimate impact of such events as the PeaceWalk may have on our world (and “impact” may be the wrong word here) it probably will not occur during my lifetime. I am also reminded here what Bertrand Russell was reported to have said when he was asked what he would do if he learned that tomorrow was the last day that the earth would exist. He said that he would go out and plant a tree.
And once again my mind circles back to that word, diversity. It is important here to note the word’s origin. It comes from a Latin word, diversus, which means “different, unlike, opposed, and hostile”. So I imagine that what was really present on that overcast Sunday afternoon was a remarkable lack of diversity. Unlike became an opportunity for curiosity, rather than suspicion and hostility. And different became an invitation to explore new territory and strange, yet beautiful, architecture, rather than to stand rigid and opposed to that which on the surface appears so alien and at times dangerous.
The daunting task now may well be to strive for even more diversity in PeaceWalks to come. Martin Luther King, I believe it was, once said that the way to defeat an enemy is to make him your friend. The questions now may be: Who was not present at the PeaceWalk? What barriers – perceived or real – kept them away? What must I do to take that first step toward defeating that “enemy” with an open hand? And in a slightly different vein, is it now possible to create an atmosphere in which even some of the most conservative faith communities can feel welcomed and included? The answer might be not yet, or it also might be that, regardless of the atmosphere created, some faith communities will feel the risk is too great, or the chasm still too wide. It is humbling to recall how little control we often have over how we are perceived in the world.
The PeaceWalk is a moment when the possible becomes visible. It is a moment when the unthinkable becomes commonplace, and when insurmountable chasms become nothing more than cracks in the street unnoticed as the walkers step over them on their journey together. The walk this year reminded me once again that we are all pilgrims, and if we choose to journey alone we will most certainly lose our way.
Of all the images I was able to capture, three of them have stayed with me. One is of Imam Mohammad Shehatah, from Al Aqsa and Father Kevin Moley, from Saint Peter the Apostle's Church. In a way it is an ordinary picture of two men sitting together. On the deeper level it is a picture of two leaders within their faith traditions making a powerful statement about hospitality and generosity. Another picture - my favorite one actually* - is a touching scene of the imam sitting alone in the sanctuary of the church beneath a statue (of St. Peter perhaps), with an angel on the side, and a crucifix at the edge of the image. Seeing how comfortable and peaceful the imam is in the midst of so many icons - unlike anything in his Muslim tradition - is a testament to his quietly courageous leadership, his commitment to building community, and to his life as a teacher. The final image also involves the imam. In this last one he and Rabbi Avi Winokur, from the Society Hill Synagogue, embrace in the sanctuary of this beautiful house of worship. We need more experiences like these that repeated often enough would truly become miraculously ordinary.
Even in earshot of the lamentations about war and suffering that were at the center of the day, the PeaceWalk, like Bertrand’s sapling, speaks to me of hope. And hope always cohabitates with its two siblings, faith and love. I cannot have hope unless I have faith that something already exists even though I have no evidence to point to and thereby give it certainty. And there is no hope without love because it is in the binding force of love that I am capable of apprehending faith and hope in the present moment.
Finally, a word of gratitude. I am grateful to all who were so patient and forgiving as I intruded into spaces that are usually left more quiet and contemplative. Thank you for every smile that came my way. I realize that there are all too few of them in my life at times, and I found them in abundance during the walk. Thank you for bringing your beautiful children who made it impossible for me to take a bad picture when they were in them (like here, and here and here...)
And thank you all for rekindling hope for me, and gently waking its sleeping brother and sister. It is good to have them awake as I continue on in this pilgrimage we call living.
May we all know peace as we walk together.
Edd
* As a little bonus for reading this meditation, I added an unpublished site with a black & white image of the imam at Saint Peter's. For me the simplicity of the moment is best captured in black and white. (Besides I am still partial to black and white photographs even in this age of digital.) Here is the link.