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Introduction
The Trustees have seen
that sacred buildings or space some kind of sanctuary
is invariably the focus of faith. Jerusalem might be an example
it is also the focus of war. As a Bridge Building organisation
the Trustees have for six year wrestled with the contribution
they might be able to make. They have hosted a number of seminars
and conferences on the subject and played with the idea of
a National Peace Centre'. They have been encouraged to think
regionally' and are now proposing a location of some ten acres,
in each Region Shared Sacred Space.
Purpose
A piece of land owned
by 100 congregations drawn from the nine main faiths - in
the centre of each Region that could be:
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A sign and symbol, for all to see, of the Faith Groups of
the Region working creatively together.
•
A project giving the Faith Groups the opportunity to work
together.
•
An expression of the Faith Groups' understanding of the sacredness
of the entire creation. An environmental experience.
•
A project which shows the utmost respect for current ecological
working working with the environment.
•
A place which is secure and which one has to go on a journey
to get to and to enter.
•
A place of great beauty where man and God work together
to achieve synergy and beauty.
•
The experience will thus be largely an outdoor, environmental
experience. However there will need to be buildings which
should grow out of the environment and belong to it in no
way intrude. These buildings will be some sort of a Gatehouse
with administrative facilities, lavatories and space for art
exhibitions and an orientation to the place; a conference
room for the college, where up to one hundred people can be
accommodated for one day seminars and conference teachers,
police, civil servants, faith leaders and others; and one
or two prayer lodges in which a contemplative monk or nun
could live in great simplicity.
•
This will be a place of surprises surprise views and vistas.
There will be no Religious iconology, Temples , Cathedrals,
Mosques or Synagogues but the discerning visitor will be aware
that this is a Holy Place .
•
It may be possible to incorporate washing, or the use of water
as part of the experience. It might be recommended that visitors
remove their shoes as they enter the area. Fire or lighting
a candle might be appropriate.
•
There could be space in which different religions occasionally
held a major outdoor (or tented?) celebration/festival.
•
It is our desire that those who visit find peace and hope,
a belief that working together with those of other faiths
and indeed with God, they can learn something about themselves,
about others, about God.
•
It should be stressed that we anticipate our visitors will
be rooted in their own tradition and probably have their own
place of worship when they enter this place they will, for
a short period, leave that behind, outside, and enter as human
beings with a hunger for peace, truth, enlightenment and hope
to enrich their home based faith group.
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