Diversity, difference and sexuality

An event in the Multi-Faith Centre at the University of Derby this evening co-hosted by Derbyshire Friend and Forum of Faiths for Derby. It's entitled "Diversity, Difference & Sexuality". We're welcomed by Stephen Greasley (Chair of Forum of Faiths for Derby and minister of Peartree Baptist Church) and Melvin Harris (Trustee, Derbyshire Friend). There are a dozen of us here this evening. We split into two groups (the one I'm in is chaired by Stephen, the other by Melvin) and consider these questions:

"Over issues of sexuality there are often very marked differences of opinion within faith communities and the the LGBT communities. There are also differences between the faith communities and the LGBT communities over issues of sexuality. How can we hold differing viewpoints and uphold mutual respect for those differing views at the same time?"

"How do we dispel myths and stereotypes, and spread understanding and education within and between faith communities and the LGBT community?"

"What core values might we all be able to agree upon, that come from our different communities? What would a just and fair society look like?"

I told Stephen about the current year's Faith to Faith programme of public meetings at the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art in Glasgow, much of which focuses on faith communities and LGBT issues. He asks me to come forward and say a bit about this to help inform our discussion.

The Multi-Faith Centre has, for the past five years, been working on a Europe-wide project in training and education on faith issues in relation to other topics. Currently they're developing material on "Religion, Gender and Sexuality" - and would like to pilot this with the kind of people who are here tonight.

This is the first event I've attended at the Multi-Faith Centre, although I've been here once before just for a look-around. We're in a lovely tall, airy room and the door is open onto a grassy slope; we can hear kids playing football outside ("Jumpers for goalposts" and all that!)

My iPhone ran out of charge hours ago. I've become over-reliant on it and I haven't bothered to check the train timetables since I couldn't do it on my National Rails app. I ask for a lift to the railway station, without having any idea what times the trains will run. I arrive too late to catch a direct train to Leicester - a trip that can take only 22 minutes on a good day. but tonight I have to travel via Nottingham, with an hour-long wait there, so I don't get home till the stroke of midnight.

I found this a very interesting meeting, not only from the perspective of Leicester Council of Faiths, but also from that of the Regional Equality and Divesity Partnership (REDP). Something like this, which crosses the streams (if you don't mind the Ghostbusters allusion) is right up REDP's street.

one planet, one people

In 2001, the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art presented an exhibition focusing on the Bahá'ís. The exhibition ("One Planet, One People: The Bahá'ís - a Worldwide Community") ran from 2 June to 21 October. As well as a series of panels outlining the teachings and history of the Bahá'í Faith and a profile of its followers, it included a multimedia display, a series of works of art by Bahá'í artists and a "Tranquillity Zone" (a space for private prayer and meditation developed by Bahá’ís in Swindon which have been set up in hospitals, police stations and offices around the country). The exhibition was expected to attract over 40,000 visitors during its five month run. It was arguably the biggest public exposure of the Bahá'í Faith to take place in Scotland since the visit of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to Edinburgh in 1913 (a subject covered in depth by Anjam Khursheed in his 1991 book, The Seven Candles of Unity).

At the time, the exhibition was described as marks-ing the fruition of a long-term relationship which the Bahá'ís have had with the museum since it opened in 1994. Although at the time, it was disappointing that the Faith was not included in the museums "Gallery of World Faiths", a positive contact was maintained and developed. Interestingly, the event which finally prompted the museum to host the exhibition was a letter from a Bahá'í couple who visited the museum and who asked why there was so little about the Faith displayed there - which proves that some good can come out of complaining after all. The exhibition was partly sponsored by the Bahá'í Council for Scotland.

Noteworthy items on display were an original letter from 'Abdu'l-Bahá to Andrew Carnegie (on loan from the Internaional Bahá'í Archives in the Holy Land), a "One World Tree" and a model of the New Delhi Temple (commonly known as the "Lotus Temple"), borrowed from the Peace Museum in Verdun, France. The tree consisted of branches constructed by Scottish Bahá'ís around the country and was used to collect thoughts, reflections, hopes and aspirations for humanity which visitors to the exhibition could hang on it. I visited the exhibition three times: at its opening, around halfway through its run and on the closing day. During the exhibition's lifetime, we had the unforgettable events of September 11th of course. There was a clearly noticeable change in the nature of the thoughts, reflections, hopes and aspirations - and the emergence of new fears - that visitors wrote to leave on the "One World Tree".

To coincide with the exhibition, the Bahá'í Publishing Trust produced a 32-page full colour glossy booklet complementing the display panels, which could also be used as a general introduction to the Bahá'í Community in Scotland. This was entitled, A World-Embracing Vision. I was manager of the Bahá'í Publishing Trust at the time (based in Oakham). It was a difficult time for the Trust (wasn't it always?) but I was determined to get this booklet out. The goal was to have it ready for the launch of the exhibition, but that didn't happen. In the end, it was launched at the close of the exhibition and was adopted as a sort of legacy of the St Mungo display. I'm now sorry that I didn't put my name on the book. Admittedly some of it was adapted from existing sources (there are only so many ways you can describe a Bahá'í House of Worship after all) but I consider it the best (and most original) thing I worked on during my sixteen years at the BPT. Here's a review of the booklet, published on amazon.co.uk (not written by me, I hasten to add!):

Does exactly what it says on the cover (16 Jun 2009)

This booklet's aims are set out in its subtitling: "the Baha'is... who they are, what they believe, and what they do" and it covers the ground well. The text is comprehensive it is well illustrated with many photographs in colour, and the whole is well laid out and presented. It has a number of strengths that make it particularly useful in sharing information about the Baha'i Faith. It is tailored to the British (primarily the Scottish, but with more general application) community in its presentation of Baha'i history and activity. The photographs are well chosen and wide-ranging. The content includes a lot about what Baha'is have been involved with, what they actually do to try to help make the world a better place. In summary it is an excellent introductory work to be shared with enquirers and therefore a valuable resource. Not only that but many Baha'is will find it worth reading for their own information and will want to keep back a copy for their own bookshelves.

The themes of the eight panels were: "Being a Bahá'í"; "The Importance of Family"; "The Bahá'í Community in Glasgow"; "The Bahá'ís in Scotland"; "Bahá'ís in the United Kingdom"; "European Bahá'ís"; "Bahá'ís Around the World"; "Bahá'u'lláh". Although this kind of display is commonplace today, it was a real step forward for the Scottish Bahá'í community - and possibly the first time I'd seen this sort of display used for educational purposes. The banners are still in use at various events and locations around Scotland.

In addition a series of events was planned to run in parallel with the exhibition including seminars, arts presentations and discussion groups.

See the eight-panel display created for the Bahá'í exhibition here:
http://www.bci.org/scotland/intro/home.htm

Find out more about St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art:
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/glasgow/stmungomuseum/index.html

FAITH TO FAITH AT ST MUNGO'S MUSEUM OF RELIGIOUS LIFE & ART

In Glasgow, I picked up a leaflet for this monthly series of public events, held on Sunday afternoons at St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art and really thought it worthwhile recording here. This series is part of St Mungo's Museum's remit to promote mutual understanding and respect between people of different faiths and none. Many of the topics are clearly of interest to me in my post as Equality and Diversity Officer with Leicester Council of Faiths, but they also make me feel pretty proud as a Glaswegian for the progress my home city is making in recognising, celebrating and promoting the diversity of its people.

I'm noting not just the events still to come (in case any readers within reasonable distance of the museum want to attend something coming up) but the ones that have gone by. They're all interesting. If any are of particular significance, faithful reader, you've got the chance to look up details online. I wonder where else in the UK some of these discussions could take place today? I'll pass this leaflet on to my mate Ian Robson, Director of Leicester's LGBT Centre and fellow Core Partner at the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP) - just to show it can be done!

Affirmation Scotland (6 Sep 2009)
Affirmation Scotland members speak about LGBT issues in the Church, and consider how Christian communities can be inclusive. A Roman Catholic mother will also share insights about having a lesbian daughter.

Sarbat.net (4 Oct 2009)
Sarbat.net is a webiste for LGBT Sikhs. Jay Singh, the group's moderator, will speak about what Sarbat offers to help LGBT Sikhs reconcile their faith and sexual orientation.

Transgender and Faith (1 Nov 2009)
Rev. Maxwell Reay will facilitate a sharing up to three transgender people, who will talk about their personal and faith experiences, followed by an open discussion.

Imaan - the support group for Muslim LGBT people (6 Dec 2009)
Pav Akhtar, the Chair of Imaan, will speak about the realities and challenges of being an LGBT practising Muslim, what Imaan does to support its members and the opportunities presented by the Single Equality Bill for LGBT communities.

A Journey through the year - Pagan rites and rituals (24 Jan 2010)
Pauline Kennedy Allan will talk about festivals celebrated by the Pagan community, beginning with Imbolc. She will explain the importance of the natural world within Paganism and touch on the importance of spirits and deity.

Stella Reekie and Interfaith in Glasgow (28 Feb 2010)
Hear and share memories of Stella Reekie, who brought together people of different faiths and who started interfaith work in Glasgow.

Quakers - Glasgow, the friendly city (28 March 2010)
Paul Burton will talk about the Quakers, members of the Religious Society of Friends. He will discuss what Quakers believe, and discuss Quaker history in Scotland and Glasgow, from the beginning of Quakerism in the 1600s to the present day.

Religion and Art - Victorian depictions of death (25 Apr 2010)
Glasgow University's Dr Joanna Meacock will discuss the relationship between art and religion. she will explore Victorian artists' interpretations of spirituality, death and the afterlife.

Traditional Spirituality of the Gaedl (23 May 2010)
Fionntulach, from the Order of Celi De, will talk about both Pagan and Christian Gaelic spirituality. She will discuss what myths they have in common, and what archetypal motifs they share with other traditions across the world.

Spirituality and Poetry (27 June 2010)
Join the Seeds of Thought Urban Poetry Group for an afternoon of poetry and music. This event will include a workshop, so put your creative hat on!

Godless Morality (25 July 2010)
Tim Maguire from the Humanist Society of Scotland will discuss humanist morality.

Mind you, after making a fuss about the "equality and diversity" aspects of these meetings, if I could have chosen to attend just one of them, it would have been that on 28 February this year: "Stella Reekie and Interfaith in Glasgow". I came into inter faith work in 1979 at the age of 19, when the "Sharing of Faiths" was based at the International Flat, Glasgow Street, in Hillhead, near Glasgow University. The flat was Stella's home, but you'd hardly have known it. I only knew her and worked by her for the last few years of her life, but she's someone whom I think of frequently and of whose influence I am conscious to this day.

Read a pen-portrait of Stella Reekie by Sister Isabel Smyth, who was a mainstay of the Sharing of Faiths in those days. Sister Isabel led "Time for Reflection" at the Scottish Parliament (10 Mar 2010), celebrating International women's Day, an appropriate occasion on which to pay tribute to Stella. An article by Ron Fergusion, recalling Stella's life and work, was published in The Herald, 15 October 2007.

ST MUNGO MUSEUM OF RELIGIOUS LIFE & ART

To St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art this grey and rainy morning, at the third attempt on this trip. We tried yesterday, but the museum now closes on Mondays, a new policy that only started yesterday!

This unique museum explores the importance of religion in people's lives across the world and across time. The building, which stands on the site of the medieval Bishop's Castle, was opened in April 1993. The museum promotes the understanding and respect between people of different faiths and none. Displays occupy three floors and are divided into four exhibition areas:

• The Gallery of Religious Art
• The Gallery of Religious Life
• The Scottish Gallery
• and a temporary exhibition space.

In the Gallery of Religious Art you can reflect on the awesome figure of the Hindu god Shiva, Lord of the Dance. The gallery is illuminated with a wealth of colours by beautiful stained glass windows depicting Christian saints and prophets.

The Gallery of Religious Life explores issues of birth, death and everything in between from the perspective of six religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. In this gallery you can listen to people of all religions talk about their faith. You can also meet the Mexican Day of the Dead skeleton, which celebrates the victory of life over death.

The Scottish Gallery presents the story of how religion has shaped the culture and beliefs of people in the west of Scotland from earliest times to the present.

Although St Mungo's Museum was opened after I moved away from Glasgow, it has personal significance for me on a number of levels. There's very little evidence of the Bahá'ís of Glasgow (or anywhere else for that matter) in the museum. I can think of only five minor instances. One of them is the signature of the late Andy McCafferty, then Chair of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Glasgow on the museum's charter (Andy is the one who taught me the Bahá'í Faith and has, on occasion, been referred to as my spiritual father). Another is a small photo (hardly bigger than a passport picture) of Sean O'Rourke, with a few words' testimony about how, for him, the Bahá'í Faith was the perfect union of church and state. Did he actually say that? I wouldn't know - and nearby there's a similar photo of my mum, quoting her as saying something I don't believe she'd have said in a million years. Added to that, the lettering is fading, making it all difficult to read anyway. Maybe that's for the best, given the rather ambivalent message.

In the Scottish Gallery there's another picture of my mum (unidentified) as part of a multi-faith group of women who created a quilt or banner for the Sharing of Faiths. she's also there in another, altogether more spooky form ...

A couple of years after my mum died, in the mid 1990s, her older sister - my Aunt Marion - phoned my dad's house and spoke to my brother Peter there. She told Peter that she'd heard our mum's voice earlier that day. At first Peter wondered what on earth she was talking about - and if she'd taken a funny turn. But she explained that she'd been visiting the St Mungo Museum and had listened to a recording of our mum, speaking about how she adopted the Bahá'í Faith, a few years after Peter and I had done so. Her voice is preserved on a series of recordings that visitors can listen to through a set of telephone handsets in the Scottish Gallery on the top floor of the museum. So now, whenever I visit St Mungo's, I go up there and have a listen to her. Thanks to that recording, Harry and Grace have been able to hear a little of the granny they never met.

So, apart from the (very) occasional and irregular appearance of someone or something Bahá'í, my old mum is flying the flag there, virtually single-handedly - and still, a decade and a half after she died. She's got staying power, God bless her!

Find out more about St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art (and see a variety of images inside and outside the building) on the Undiscovered Scotland website.

CHRIST OF ST JOHN OF THE CROSS

Here's another post from and about Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow.

Salvador Dali's "Christ of Saint John of the Cross" (1951) depicts Jesus on the cross, suspended in a dark sky over a body of water, over fishermen and their boar. It is a depiction of the crucifixion without nails, blood or crown of thorns. Dalí believed that these typical elements would detract from the vision of Christ he shows here. The painting is based on a drawing by the 16th century Spanish friar Saint John of the Cross (hence its name). The composition of Christ is also based on a triangle and circle (the triangle is formed by Christ's arms; the circle is formed by Christ's head). The triangle, since it has three sides, can be seen as a reference to the Trinity, and the circle may allude the Platonic concept of perfect abstract forms. Dalí explained the inspiration behind the painting thus:

"In the first place, in 1950, I had a 'cosmic dream' in which I saw this image in colour and which in my dream represented the 'nucleus of the atom.' This nucleus later took on a metaphysical sense; I considered it 'the very unity of the universe,' the Christ!"

Dali's words show how, in a typically distinctive way, the painting enters into the never-ending debate between science and religion. The importance of depicting Christ in the extreme angle evident in the painting was also said to have been revealed to Dali in a dream. The painting and intellectual property rights were acquired by Glasgow Corporation in the early 1950s for £8,200 - a price considered high at the time. The painting was put on public display in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. In 1961, the canvas was damaged by a member of the public (wielding a brick) because of his belief that the painting diminishes the status of Jesus (since the viewpoint of the artist looks down on Christ, rather than up to him). Thankfully, the painting was eventually restored.

When I was a child, my dad would take me to Kelvingrove occasionally on Sunday afternoons (there was nothing else open in Glasgow on Sundays back then, of course). Among other attractions (the glass beehive, the mannequin couple in Japanese costume whom I thought were actual people and really good at standing still, the ship models), this painting grew to become my favourite thing there. I developed a personal ritual for viewing it. The painting hung at the end of a long balcony. Starting at the furthest point from it, I worked out how many paces it took to reach the painting. so I could start at the other end of the balcony, with eyes closed, walk towards it, then open my eyes to be inside the picture, nearest the little fishermen, gazing up at the huge figure on the cross, floating above my head. Though too young to know or use the word, I undoubtedly got an experience of awe from this.

In 1993, "Christ of St John of the Cross" was moved to the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art. Indeed, I've heard it said that the main purpose of the museum was to provide a fitting home for this one extraordinary picture. At St Mungo's, the painting was displayed in such a way that it could be viewed from three different levels. However, it was to returned to Kelvingrove for the reopening of the Art Gallery, after it underwent renovation, in July 2006. In 2005 Christ of St John of the Cross was voted Scotland’s favourite painting in a poll conducted by The Herald newspaper, with 29% of the vote.

The Spanish government is said to have offered £80 million for the painting, but the offer was turned down.