According to an ancient Jewish teaching, our world stands on a tripod of learning, worship / work, and caring actions. Yet caring actions are the only "leg" that can truly support us over the long term.
This is demonstrated by a related teaching about a man who asked the sage Hillel to teach him the entire Torah while standing on one foot. Hillel's response was decisive: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your counterpart. That is the entire Torah. The rest is commentary — go and learn!"
The 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks reminds us of how caring actions can move just as decisively to the forefront of our concern. For days and weeks and months afterward, we reached out and supported each other "on one foot" of the global tripod. LEARN MORE
But the trauma of that time also increased hatred and violence within the U.S. as well as beyond our borders. Now we need to bear witness more deeply, to learn from our mistakes so that we can take steps toward real healing and justice.
Wally Gobetz - Battery Labyrinth (2007)
Walker, your footprints are the path, and nothing else. / Walker, there is no path: we make the path by walking. — Antonio Machado
A labyrinth is one of the oldest contemplative tools in human history, a winding circular path that provides a continuous route to the center and then returns to where the walker began. It offers balance and perspective, reminding us that how we take each step — and navigate each turning point — is how we respond to life.
Today WAYS OF PEACE led an interfaith peace walk at the 9/11 Commemorative Labyrinth south of Ground Zero — moving through the 20th anniversary of tragedies that shook our communities, our cities, and our world. We shared our memories, our pain, our unanswered questions, our shared quest for healing. Walking the path together, we supported each other in bearing witness to shattering and brokenness. One step at a time, we recommitted ourselves to the still, small voices of peace and healing.
* This 20th anniversary peace walk was offered through How to Mourn AND Organize, an integrative project of WAYS OF PEACE. We are continuing these interfaith peace walks at the 9/11 Commemorative Labyrinth every 4-6 weeks. Please contact us for information about how to participate.