Passionate about World Religions
An Inter-Soul Journey through India
by Christa Reynolds,
creator of Enlighten Games
Alchemy
- a medieval form of chemistry, aiming chiefly at transmuting
baser metals into gold and finding a universal solvent
or perhaps an elixir of life. As I search to find
peace in this conflicted, yet beautiful world, Global PeaceWorks
gave
me an opportunity
to discover an alchemy for peace - not only in theory
but in practice.
The
magical ingredients were people. Entered
into the bowl: a pinch of Korea, a shake of Kenya, a cup full
of India, and teaspoon of Japan,
1/3
cup of
Nepal and a half stick of Americas and they were tossed
together, encouraged to share, asked to work together, required
to rely
on each other and then asked if our lives could be complete
without this mixture.
Christa with the famous kids of Janta
Colony |
Somehow
the mix of countries and cultures together made it work.
We are all destined to move in circles that shape us, enrich us
and
make us grow. How could we be limited to
just our own country when the communications systems
of the 20th century
demands we reach out and really touch someone?
Be it by choice, international business, leisure travel, and
interfaith work
or maybe because of a tsunami, a hurricane, or a devastating
terrorist attack. Globalization and interconnectedness is the merging
harmonic path.
The
Global PeaceWorks project in Delhi, India heralded a “real” movement
towards peace. An opportunity not to just talk about
what we can do, but actually participate in
the magic of interfaith work and exploration.
We
woke each morning to delicious Indian chai tea as we prepared
for our daily teachings of yoga, meditation,
Sikhism, Islam.
Judaism, Christianity, Bahi'a , Buddhism and many
other faith traditions. We scurried off each day to Amar
Jyoti, a school for disabled
children,
moving bricks, helping to transform a new
library and then playing with the beautiful
children who light up in your presence.
We finished
our days feasting on vegetarian cuisine,
reflecting about our experience, playing games
and laughing at each other’s
idiosyncrasies.
As
part of my own quest and my
own desire to share what I have learned over the years, I had
the amazing pleasure and privilege to work on the development
of a board game called Enlighten. Enlighten takes players on
a journey around the world to explore the many faith traditions
that make up this globe.
As
I studied and researched the many traditions, I found their
imminent differences and their vast
similarities. My world began to get smaller as I felt
the distance between us all shrinking. What we read in books, play
in games and gather through our imaginations may transcend
us, but it can’t compare to the opportunity of really
working and playing with amazing people from different faiths
and countries - and that is what Global PeaceWorks offered.
Christa
enjoying the music at the I.S.K.O.N. Temple in Vrindaban,
India |
India
all by itself is a challenge to the western world of
spaciousness and convenience. India’s spiritual reverence
is palpable, the extreme exhaust of the auto rickshaws
irritating, her
hospitality most generous and the overcrowded streets
suffocating and yet it's true love…… beauty,
pitfalls and all. I wouldn’t have missed this
opportunity with Global PeaceWorks for anything.
With Love,
Christa Reynolds
Sausalito, California
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Join our next Global PeaceWorks
project
December 30, 2005 to January 7, 2006
in New Delhi, India
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