The Amazing Faiths Dialogue

The other night I went out to dinner with Forrest,
an amazing dinner party if I call it what it was billed.
Ten of us plus a moderator
sat in a living room,
then dined together
and spoke of our faith.
There was a woman from the Holy Land
who had grown up Muslim
but has now added some other things,
a woman who grew up Jewish
but has found peace in Yoga
and certain Buddhist teachings,
a Roman Catholic couple
who do not believe in an interventionist God;
a younger (or younger than me) Episcopalian woman
fresh from a silent retreat at the Villa d'Matel;
another woman whose faith is in every tradition
(I think)
The Episcopalians who hosted us
(liturgically Episcopalian but Unitarian in thought)
and Forrest and me.
Whew!

Around servings of "poor man's stew"
and Greek salad
we drew cards,
then responded to the questions on the cards.
Mine was on forgiveness.
I spoke of forgiving my stepfather
at an herb restaurant in Cleveland, Texas
and how I often ask my board of elders to forgive me
and I them.

Forrest spoke of how he had been led by God
all of his life.
When probed,
he talked about his entrance to law school.

We meandered around a while
then had "free discussion" in the living room
which seemed the most relaxed of all.

What I took away from the evening,
besides the recipe for poor man's stew,
was an image given to me by the Jewish woman.
She said it is like a boat in the water.
We are the boat.
We are not of the water but in the water.
We don't want to fill the boat with water
or we will go under.
Our task is to remain the boat
in whatever body of water we find ourselves.
I like that.
That nugget and the recipe made the evening worthwhile.

Help me, O God, to stay afloat,
in this, the dawning of the busiest season of the year.