God's October Surprise

by Rabbi Arthur Waskow SojoMail 6-22-2005

        At just the moment of history when religious conflict, violence, terrorism, and war have re-emerged, bearing lethal dangers for our different communities and our shared planet, God has given our spiritual and religious traditions a gift of time.

 During October 2005, a confluence of sacred moments in many different traditions invites us to pray with or alongside each other and to work together for peace, justice, human rights, and the healing of our wounded earth.

 To begin with, two strands of time that are celebrated in two communities now often at odds with one another are this fall woven together in a way not seen for decades.  The sacred Muslim lunar month of Ramadan and the sacred Jewish lunar month of Tishrei, which includes the High Holy Days and Sukkot, both begin October 3-4.

 But there is more. October 4 is the Saint's Day of St. Francis of Assisi; October 2 is Gandhi's birthday and also Worldwide (Protestant) Communion Sunday.  And in mid-October, parallel to Sukkot, there are major Buddhist and Hindu festivals.

 There is much we could do to heal the world during this sacred season of sacred times.  From sunrise to sunset on the day that for Muslims is one of the fast days of Ramadan and for Jews is the fast day of Yom Kippur - October 13 - Christians could also observe a fast for reflection, repentance, and renewal.

 All of us could learn from the passage of Isaiah that in Jewish tradition is read on Yom Kippur morning. God, speaking through Isaiah, says, "Do you think the fast that I demand this day is to bow down your head like a bulrush?  No!  The fast I demand is that you feed the poor, house the homeless, clothe the naked, and break off the handcuffs on your prisoners."

 So in our own generation, we could encourage those who join in this fast to take visible steps in the world to "seek peace, feed the poor, heal the earth."

 Rabbi Waskow is director of The Shalom Center. The October project was initiated by The Shalom Center, with The Tent of Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah. It has been endorsed by the National Council of Churches, the Islamic Society of North America, Pax Christi, ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, Ohalah, and the Jewish Committee for Isaiah’s Vision, an ad hoc committee with more than 100 rabbis from all religious branches and with other Jewish leaders. For more information, see www.shalomctr.org and www.tentofabraham.org. To share information on October plans and events, e-mail Office@shalomctr.org.