CRSL Newsletter
December 10, 2021
|
|
|
The Transition to Winter:
Exploring the Gifts of the Darkness
|
|
Dear friends,
The other night, my family and I were having an unusually civil dinner table conversation. My sons were waxing philosophical, and began to talk about the origins of our universe - how there is one thing that science cannot explain, which is how something came from nothing. The Big Bang Theory is our best guess. At one point in the conversation, my fourteen-year-old put his head in his hands and made a gesture of consternation; the idea of something being born out of nothing simply confounds the mind and all of our rational faculties.
“In the beginning was the word”—is a poetic expression from the author of the Gospel of John, an example of how something—in fact everything, comes from nothing. No light can come except from dark, something can only come from nothing. In these days of greed and corruption and a resurgence of fascism and white supremacy, days not unlike those into which Jesus was born; we are invited into our own still corners, and quiet mangers, what psychologist Carl Jung might call our shadows, and invited to linger there.
The holiday of Christmas, derived from a pagan celebration of the return of the light at the solstice, as well as many other fall and winter holidays; Diwali and Chanukah, etc., all have in their origins the human impulse to light lights in the darkness. But in fact, as Kelle Brown says in the Luminous Darkness reflection, darkness is also something to be celebrated—darkness is nothingness, the only thing where anything can show up for who or what it is. Advent marks the days that we learn to live in this darkness, learn to make something special from these few short hours of daylight, to turn inward to what we might think of as the “inn” of our lives—is there room there, when it feels that everything—our cell phones our meetings, our material desires—crowd it out.
Before the 13th century, Christmas was a time of penitence and solemnity. It was St. Francis of Assisi who insisted that celebrating the birth of Jesus instead should be celebratory, that all things incarnate were good, symbolized by the birth of a baby to a poor unwed woman who whose son in resistance to the greed and imperialism of the Roman Empire proclaimed the sovereignty of generosity, love, and courage in the face of death, revealing that suffering and death do not have the last word. So according to the theology of St Francis, whenever we say yes to the flesh of the body, we are celebrating Christmas.
We say yes to incarcerated bodies, yes to reparations and abolition, we say yes to the bodies of young people crying out for help so that they are not driven to kill their classmates; we say yes to disabled bodies; in fact, we celebrate them for the miracle of difference and adaptation that exists among us. We say yes to trans and black and brown and trans and multiracial bodies, to the bodies of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. We say yes to Covid- stricken bodies; we say yes to a world where we can no longer afford to live our individualistic lives. What if this pandemic itself is a vaccination against isolation individualism and alienation; what if this is the time we begin to relearn that we are, in the words of Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr., inescapably interconnected.
The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (“sun”) and sistere (“to stand still”), because at the solstices, the Sun’s declination appears to “stand still”; that is, the seasonal movement of the Sun’s daily path (as seen from Earth) pauses at a northern or southern limit before reversing direction. So perhaps we are at a solstice in our lives, preparing to change direction.
We welcome the stillness of all the quiet, bewildering, often very dark moments that prepare us for a profound shift in a new direction, or, like the subversive Maji in the Christmas narrative, going home by a new road. But we cannot welcome it if we are always checking our social media, always reviewing our google calendars, or, if you’re like me, always ordering items from Amazon because somewhere we have convinced ourselves that it is actually still a socially redeemable second-hand bookstore!
Perhaps our task these next three weeks—Jewish or Christian or agnostic or atheist or believer or doubter — is to let our lives reflect the shortness of the days, to stand still, being present with our griefs, our fears, yet saying yes to what might seem, as the angel’s proclamation seemed to Mary, most terrifying.
Many Blessings,
Matilda and the CRSL Staff: Anna, Kim, Maureen and Noam
|
|
As The Days Grow Shorter
by Rabbi Noam Lerman
We are at a time of year that is thick with darkness. Our days feel like they have more moon time than sun time, less sunlight coming into our homes, schools, and workplaces. For some of us, we get sun therapy lamps and hot water bottles, and try to find ways to experience joy and warmth during this time. And that's where Chanukah comes in!
The Chassidic Rebbe B’nei Yissachar, born in 1783 in Poland, writes that the Hebrew month of Kislev contains the secret of the or haganuz, the primordial light. According to legend, this or haganuz was hidden after the first day of Creation, and illuminates our entire planet from one end of the world to the other. This light sustained the everlasting flame of the ner tamid, the continually burning lamp that was in the temple. According to legend, it was this same hidden primordial light that supplied the tiny vessel of pure oil with enough energy to burn for eight days, creating one of the many miracles that we celebrate on Chanukah.
I’d like to suggest that we consider our menorah as a Jewish spiritual technology that predates electric sun therapy lamps and hot water bottles. That our ancestors were stoked to find a way to materialize this or haganuz, the hidden primordial light, during the darkest month of the year to bring support and encouragement and sunlight to people whose days felt like they had more moonlight and starlight than sunlight.
As someone who loves the moon and finds comfort in the increased darkness, I appreciate that this time of year brings us this extra challenge of searching for the things that bring us joy and comfort. I feel that Chanukah comes to teach us that this hidden primordial light ALWAYS exists within us and around us, and we just need to look for it in the cracks and crevices of our lives. We need to take an extra nap, take some vitamin D, and be kind and loving to ourselves during this time of hibernation.
Once we complete the process of adding an additional candle each night to our menorahs for eight nights, Chanukah is over, and we are back to being surrounded by darkness. After Chanukah, I think a spiritual challenge for us could be to continue the momentum of noticing this or haganuz, hidden light. What else can nourish us during this time of cold and increased moonlight? How can we continue noticing what brings us joy, and reach to it for sustenance?
I hope you had a glorious Chanukah, and blessings for a healthy, safe, cozy winter!
Rabbi Noam is CRSL's Jewish Student Advisor.
|
|
Invocation for Generating Justice & Joy
November 30, 2021
by Kim Alston
We are grateful that our earth has the capacity to take care of all living creatures. We affirm the importance of the humanity of all people. We are gathered to reconfirm our commitment to the seeking of this great concept of justice that we are all still trying to understand. And despite adversities that present themselves, and obstacles that get in our line of vision and obstructions that are placed in our pathway in pursuit of this universal principle, we will not be deterred from working towards a world where justice is uplifted and becomes the standard.
With the help of the Divine Spirit which binds us together as humans in this living experience on earth, we must continue to hold one another in this process, to seek the help of a Force greater than ourselves, and stay focused on Truth.
Today as part of this community ceremony, we say the names of those who lost their lives or became wounded in pursuit of what they believed to be the right to peaceful protest. They wanted to hold a peaceful community gathering to demand accountability of the greater society, in Kenosha Wisconsin, for the life of Jacob Blake who was shot seven times by Kenosha police.
Today, as the Smith community we recognize the sacrifice and sacred lives of:
Joseph Rosenbaum, age 36
Anthony Huber, age 26
Gaige Grosskreutz, now age 27, who was wounded
At this time we offer a moment of silence for these three brave individuals.
I end this portion of the vigil with the Muslim prayer “As Salaam Alaikum,” which means peace be unto you.
This invocation was shared when the Smith community gathered for a community wide Generating Justice and Joy vigil on Tuesday, November 30 at 12:15pm. The vigil was held on the steps of the Helen Hills Chapel to mourn those who lost their lives to violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and to be together around the verdict on Kenosha. Kim Alston is CRSL's Muslim Student Adviser.
|
|
Excerpts from “Luminous Darkness,” by Kelle Brown, from Starry Black Night: A Womanist Advent Devotional
It is dark and getting darker. Times are as challenging as they have ever been. As we wait and walk through Advent together, let us wrestle with the myths and metaphors that work to keep us locked in whiteness, and away from the gifts buried in the luminous darkness. Keep awake.
When God made the heavens and the earth, the light was not born as a correction to the darkness. The light was spoken into existence out of blackness, and there is no inherent evil attributed to the dark. The vast and nurturing embrace of blackness birthed the light. I contend that the dark is where God begins God’s work with and in us. It is but the inside of the chalice where the sacrament of communion with God occurs.
In 1965, Howard Thurman wrote a book entitled The Luminous Darkness. A prolific writer, mystic, theologian, and pastor, Dr. Thurman reframed the definition of “darkness”. In addition to his assertion that segregation, as a result of the maintenance of white supremacy, was sinful, he came to terms with the darkness of his own skin in the light of a society who vilified and dismissed him for his skin’s hue. Thurman found beauty where many could not, as he did under the canopy of his favorite tree in the darkness of the night. His Black skin was no trap, no burden—but a conduit to the welcome wisdom that God is also God in the dark. Black lives have always mattered.
As we stand in the darkness of Advent, stand in the liminal space that is the longing and waiting for the new thing God in covenant has promised, we are called to welcome the darkness. This includes creating new myths of healing and wholeness that can admit blackness is beautiful.
I write today as one born in the dark, who enjoys the sound of Blackness. I speak as one who watched the beautiful, dark fingers of her grandmother weave magic in her love, in a pot of collard greens, making something out of nothing. She was called “Black Beauty” as a youth because her skin was so dark, it reflected all the light around her. Luminous darkness, indeed. Because of her, I see well in the shadows, in dim circumstances, and I am not afraid of the dark. I am utterly convinced that God is up to something in the pitch black nights of our lives, in the womb of our own souls and being. There is something gossamer and brilliant about the night in God, and in the promises that only come in the dark. We are being born!
This excerpt was read by Denise Materre, Vice President for Alumnae Relations at Smith College, at Smith Vespers 2021.
|
|
Only in silence the word,
only in dark the light,
only in dying life:
bright the hawk's flight
on the empty sky
-The Creation of Éa
Ursula K. Le Guin, The Earthsea Cycle
|
|
Student Reflections on Fall Programming |
|
What is Sandwiches and Soul?
By Rachel Gorman-Cooper
Sandwiches and soul is exactly what it sounds like- food and community- no more, no less. This simplicity allows plenty of room for interpretation. A conversation that can take many shapes and forms, the program is just a traveling conversation. Whether we’re discussing our ideas of “home” or ways that we express anger, we’re fostering a sort of support group. The space is transient: we come here to end the week and begin something entirely new. And all who come come and go, new and old. In other words, Sandwiches and Soul has no limits, and you, the students, are the ones who set the limits.
Sandwiches and Soul is a student-led program that meets Fridays,
12-1 pm in the Chapel Sanctuary. Rachel Gorman-Cooper was the facilitator for Sandwiches and Soul this Fall of 2021.
|
|
Fall 2021 Semester with Al Iman
By Uzma Malik
Creating an Al Iman presence and experience has had to drastically change and navigating that has been a community-building exercise. We are fortunate to have such strong leadership on our board this year that has prioritized reinvigorating the strength of the community through sharing personal experiences and creating space to exist and be Muslim.
Transitioning to in-person events, Al Iman has experimented with a variety of programming. Focusing on building our immediate Muslim community has been the priority and achieved through multiple general board events such as game nights and “Big sib, Little sib” get-togethers. In companion, our religious chairs have held bi-monthly conversations to deepen our knowledge and navigate worldly and religious topics. We expanded our bonding events toward the end of the semester by connecting with Mount Holyoke’s Muslim Student Association. We’ve also had the pleasure to host them on campus with an event that both colleges have loved in the past: a Sister Hangout, where we engage in friendly competition to get to know each other. We also joined them for a speaker event on Islamic Mindfulness with the esteemed educator, Dunia Shuaib. Building our community started with looking inward on campus and outward to Mount Holyoke but also the larger Hampshire Mosque community.
Working with Kim Alston, the Muslim student advisor, and the CRSL has provided a supportive environment. In addition, services provided by the CRSL such as the Jummah Prayer have been transformative in building connections. Those who are able to go are grateful for the transportation that is provided but even more importantly, the chance to connect with a community larger than themselves. The services, such as listening to khutbahs (sermons) and being led in prayer by an Imam, would not be not something Al Iman could provide on campus. The students who have been traveling together have also mentioned gratitude for being able to foster new bonds amongst themselves. The weekly, consistent opportunity to go to the mosque has been grounding for money as we have grappled with returning to campus and navigating our academic, social, and mental health capacities.
Uzma Malik is the 2021 Student Co-chair for Al Iman, Smith's Muslim Student Association.
|
|
Al Iman Yearbook Photo Fall 2021 |
|
Fall 2021 Semester with the Smith College Jewish Community (SCJC)
By Sam Grossman
We began the semester gathering outdoors in golden late afternoon hours, the setting sun streaming through the leafy trees and fading as we walked to the Kosher Kitchen together for dinner. Before each Shabbat dinner, we sat in a circle on the small patch of lawn outside the kitchen, our pie dish of candles at its center, singing the songs and blessings for ourselves and the trees and the passersby, welcoming in Shabbat together as the flames came to life one by one. We continued to hold services and dinners outdoors until the end of October, and the last two Shabbat evenings were chilly and filled with a longing to be indoors. But there was still something comforting in the collective effort to embrace the cold. I felt the warmth of the candles as I bent over them to add another to their ranks, and the warm meals with fresh challah made those chilly evenings sweeter.
What are the gifts of darkness? It is so often something we complain of this time of year - the darkness coming so soon, extinguishing the day before our classes are even over. But the darkness lets our candles shine even more brightly. During this past week of Chanukah, our little corner of the chapel glowed brilliantly with the lights of our hanukiot, inviting us to gather closer, and stay awhile.
Sam Grossman is the SCJC Student Co-chair for the 2021 year.
|
|
SCJC Yearbook Photo Fall 2021 |
|
Upcoming and Weekly Programs |
|
Reading Week Hospitality
Monday, Dec. 13 - Friday, Dec. 17
|
CRSL will have reading week hospitality in Bodman Lounge from Monday, Dec. 13 - Friday, Dec. 17, offering snacks, coffee/tea and treats to students to support them while they study. |
|
|
Jummah Prayer
Friday, December 10 & 17
12:30 p.m.
Chapel Sanctuary
Jummah is held at the Hampshire Mosque in Hadley. The Hampshire Mosque has set aside up to six seats for Smith students who want to attend. Spots are limited due to COVID. Meet in front of the Helen Hills Hills Chapel at 12:25 p.m. The CRSL will provide transportation to students who want to attend services. The van will leave by 12:30 p.m. and return to campus about 2:15 p.m. To attend, send an email to Kim Alston, Muslim Student Adviser at kalston@smith.edu or simply drop by.
Unless otherwise specified, events on the Smith College campus for fall 2021 are limited to Smith One Card holders in the testing program and Five College students.
|
|
Catholic Mass
Sunday, December 12
4:15 p.m.
Chapel Sanctuary
The Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and the Newman Catholic Club at Smith invite you to celebrate Mass on Sunday afternoon in the Helen Hills Hills Chapel Sanctuary. Smith OneCard holders in the testing program and Five College students are welcome!
|
|
Weekly Meditation
Monday, Dec. 13
5:00 p.m.
Chapel Sanctuary
Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend weekly mindful meditation in the tradition initiated by Ruth Ozeki. The meditation is led by Mary Beth Brooker during Ruth's sabbatical. A simple, relaxed, silent practice of sitting and walking meditation, using chairs or floor cushions. Initial meditation instruction will be offered. All levels are welcome.
|
|
Shabbat Services
"Shabbat services are organized by the Smith College Jewish Community and are held weekly every Friday evening. Exact time and location vary. Please email scjc@smith.edu for more information."
|
|
Smith Christian Fellowship
Prayer Small Group
Meet new friends. Learn more about God's word! All welcome,
regardless of spiritual background or faith! Hope to see you soon!
Fridays 12:30 - 1:15 in the CC 204
|
|
Interfaith, Prayer and Reflection Spaces on Campus
For this academic year the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosts spaces for student activities such as prayer, religious services, group meetings, teas, meditation, mindfulness, discussion groups, studying or simply hanging out.
The Helen Hills Hills Chapel sanctuary, simple in its beauty, has outstanding acoustics and is now being used as a flexible interfaith space to accommodate diverse cultural programming.
On the chapel lower level The Blue Room serves as space for contemplative practice, prayer, and meditation; and the CRSL also offers a space for prayer in The Prayer Room, located in the lower level of Wright Hall. Contact kalston@smith.edu or mraucher@smith.edu to obtain the door code. If you have not already, check out the new Neilson Library Reflection Room. This room provides a third space on campus, dedicated to praying, meditation and quiet contemplation.
|
|
Black Campus Ministry
Bible Study
Sundays 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
CC 204
Contact Dorithy Barnieth
|
|
 |
Tajweed Qur'an
Friday, December 10
4:00 p.m.
Chapel Sanctuary
Listen. Recite. Repeat.
The word “tajweed” means to improve, make better. Learn proper Qur'an recitation with Tajweed in Riwayat Hafs An Asem through listening, reciting and repeating the verses. The reference book is called "Tajweed Quran with Meaning Translation in English with Index on Quran Topics."
You don't have to already speak Arabic. Come with the intention to learn. Email kalston@smith.edu to participate.
|
|
|
|
International Student Ministry
Bible Study
Wednesdays 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
CC 102
Contact Kathia Masimbi Natete
|
|
Upcoming Workshops, Spring 2021 |
|
Abilities and Muslim Worship Spaces
Thursday, February 10
4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Helen Hills Hills Chapel
Islam does not sanction discrimination in any form. Doing no harm is a universal principle of the religion. However, circumstances and conditions may present themselves in our personal lives that make practicing Islam seem harder than it has to be. What are basic Islamic fundamentals that we should be aware of and grounded in so we will be able to overcome obstacles when they arise? Shaikh Mirza Yawar Baig of the Islamic Society of Western Mass will present a workshop for students that will discuss not allowing “what we cannot control to prevent us from doing what we can control.” Students will be encouraged to explore such themes as ableism in places of worship, injustice in the world, feeling guilty about one’s own practice, and secularism.
How to Talk about Differences
From an Islamic Perspective
Tuesday, February 22
4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Mehammed Mack, associate Professor of French Studies and Mehlaqa Samdani,
executive director of Critical Connections will hold an informal discussion about how
people can talk about differences. Mack’s research interests include contemporary
immigration to France, gender and sexuality, culture, politics and French Islam. Samdani has focused on women’s empowerment issues, peacebuilding initiatives, and projects to address sectarian violence in Pakistan. Their discussion is sponsored by the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and is designed to give students a framework to hold difficult real-world conversations around Muslim identity. This is a five-college event that Al Iman, Smith’s Muslim Student Association hopes will spark conversations on campuses in the valley around differences.
A Discussion on Sectarian Differences
with Prof Sulieman Mourad
Tuesday, March 8
5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
CRSL’s third workshop will be conducted by Suleiman Mourad, Professor of Religion, focusing on sectarian differences in the Islamic world. How does Sunni Islam differ from Shi’ism and Sufism? Mourad’s research focuses on Islamic history and religious thought including jihad ideology, sacredness of Jerusalem, Quranic studies, and the challenges of modernity in changing Muslim attitudes towards their own history. His talk will help students gain a social/historical contextual understanding around sectarian differences along with valuable religious literacy.
|
|
Center for Religious and Spiritual Life
Helen Hills Hills Chapel
123-125 Elm Street
Northampton, Massachusetts 01063
|
|
|
Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)
Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
