From the mountaintop to the valley of the shadow

A month or two ago, I shared my experience on the “mountain top,” metaphorically speaking, at the Getty “Sing!” conference in September. In early November I attended four days of a seven day conference in Toronto called the Parliament of World Religions. Noticeably absent from the festivities as far as I could tell were evangelical and Reformed Christians.

Just about every other “religious” body was represented in some way. I went not to take part but to observe. And there was a lot to see.

Summing it all up is difficult, just because there was so much going on, from plenary sessions each morning with one speaker after another, to hundreds of work-shops, from displays and booths, services of worship, to free meals from the Sikh community, to sacred places for Indigenous people to “safe places” for women to gather, as well as for the LGBTQ contingent. Various video releases were screened with a particular issue or ideology to promote, and educational displays described in written form the distinctives and history of some of the more significant and obscure religions represented.

Proselytizing of any kind was frowned upon.

 And then there were the people. A child might look at the array of clothing and think that Halloween had moved indoors to the Toronto Metro Convention Centre, where the Parliament was held just after October 31.

Anyone in a position of authority in their religious tradition was dressed in their unique garb.

A guy walking around in a sports jacket (me) was the the exception in this gathering of over 8,500 people. Buddhist monks were definitely noticeable in their saffron colored robes and shaved heads, along with Indigenous tribal chiefs decked out in a vibrant kaleidoscope of colors.

There was a small contingent of Muslims. There were Sikhs aplenty; shamans; unique head coverings and white vestments worn by African tribal representatives – it was a carnival of color and a festival of fashion. The wiccan clan (witches) in their somber brown and black robes with emblems on both front and back also attended.

And then there were the humanists – yes, even the anti-religionists were welcome.

In the sessions and plenaries I attended, Jesus Christ was not part of the discussion, other than a casual mention here and there in terms of a listing of spiritual leaders, just another name in the multitudinous mix.

People who attend conferences invest both time and money to a cause or causes they consider to be of utmost importance. So there is a commitment and a camaraderie along with an excitement and intensity that one won’t find walking the streets of Toronto.

Yet for me the gathering was more like a walk through the valley of the shadow. Still, these folks are our neighbors and if we do share something, it is that we are human; and that we see the mess both in us and around us, and we want to do something about it.

The Good News is that something has been done. And that’s what Christmas is ultimately about. It is definitely news worth sharing.

For those walking in darkness, shine the Light in 2019.

John Van Dyke, Editor
Christian Renewal Magazine