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TurkeytoTransylvania:ReflectionsforaNewYearRev.DianeRollert

UnitarianChurchofMontreal,20September2009ImaginethespicebazaarinIstanbul,thevibrantcoloursofspicespiledhighontableaftertableandstallafterstall.Imaginetherichsmellsofcinnamon,curry,sageandsaffron.MyfellowtravellersandIareinvitedupstairstoanofficeaboveoneofthestalls.Theownerisasuccessfulbusinessman,proudofhisaccomplishments.Hisofficeisdecoratedliketheinsideofamosque,withanarchedceilingandwindowsoutlinedwithfloraldesigns.

Fiveofusandourguidesitaroundasmallcoffeetable.Weareanunlikelygroupoftravellers:clergy,academicsandaformerjournalist.WearetheCanadiancontingent,thoughnotoneofuswasborninCanada.WecarryBritish,Polish,AmericanandItalianpassports,thoughIamtheonlyonenotyetaCanadiancitizen.

OurguideisinchargeoftheDialogFoundationsMontrealoffice.HehasledusalloverTurkey,fromIstanbultoIzmir,Antalya,Konya,Cappadocia,Kayseriandback.Alongthewaywehavemetwithnumerousindividualsandorganizationsallconnectedwithandinspiredbyoneman,FethullahGlen.WehavemetwiththeJournalistsandWritersfoundation.WehavemetwithanNGO(nongovernmentorganization).Wehavetouredafactorythatproducessesameoilandhalvah.WehavetouredaTVstationandanewspaperthatclaimstobethethirdlargestinTurkey.Wehavebeendinnerguestsinprivatehomes.

Alongtheway,wehaveseenallthehighlights:HagiaSophia,theBlueMosque,TopkapiPalace,theruinsofEpheses,Pergamon,andAspendos,thehousereputedtobethatoftheVirginMary,andthefairychimneysandancientundergroundcitiesofCappadocia.Everyguide,everyfamilyandgroupwehavemet,whereverwehavegone,hasbeenconnectedtotheGlenmovement.

NowwearebackinIstanbulattheendofourtrip,sittinginanofficeabovethespicemarket.Thetableinfrontofusisbeingcoveredwithbowlsofdriedfruit,nuts,baklava,Turkishdelightandothersweetdelicacies.Justwhenwethinktherecantpossiblybemore,morearrives,untilthereisnomorespaceonthetable.Youcantleaveuntilyouvefinishedeverything,ourhostjokes.

Ithastakenmehalfthetriptofigureouttherightquestionstoask.We,theguests,arestilltryingtofigureoutthescopeofthismovement.Howlargeisitanyway?Howpowerful?Eachplacewevisitedseemedtobeexperiencinggreatabundance.Therewerenewofficebuildingsandlarge,elegantconferencerooms.Therewasanewspaperpositionedtoexpand.Turkishhospitalitywaslavisheduponusandweateandate,justasweareeatingtoday.

Theownerofthespicecompanyisoneofthemanybusinessmenwhohavesponsoredofourtrip.Heisalsoproudlysponsoringtheconstructionofanewwingtotheschoolhehelpedbuild.

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Yousee,educationandschoolsarethekeytotheGlenmovement.GlenpreachesanIslamofdialogueandtolerance.Hehasconvincedhisfollowersthattheyshoulddomorethangivemoneytothemosques.Zakat,charity,givingalms,isoneofthefivepillarsofIslam.Whygivetomosques?Thereareplentyofmosques.Whynotbuildschools?Thesewouldbesecularschools,withreligiouseducationasanoptionalafternoonactivity.Theywouldbeopentoanyonewhocouldpayorqualifyforascholarship.Theonlywaytochangetheworldisthrougheducation,Glenwouldsay.Thisiswhathisfollowerswouldtellusagainandagain.Itisignoranceandpovertythatdestroyshumanity.Onlyeducationcanbringdialogueandpeace.

Whatinspiredyoutobecomepartofthismovement?Iaskourhost.Thishasbeenthequestionthatdisarmsthepeoplewehavemetthroughoutourtrip.Askforspecificdetailsandyouwillgetnothing.Askaboutinspirationandtheinformationflows.

Ourhosttellsusthathehadworkedwithdifferentgroupshelpingoutintheaftermathoffloodsandearthquakes.Eachtime,theGlenmovementwasthere.Impressedbythepeoplehemet,hegotinvolved.Youwork,youlivealifeofluxury,youdontneedanythingelse,sothenyouwanttodosomethingmore.Youlearnthathappinessisgivingtoothers.

Thesearethestorieswehear.Severaloftheyoungmenwemeettellustheygrewupwithlittleeducationalopportunity,buttheytestedwellandwereacceptedonscholarshipstoGlenprivateschools.Tutoredandmentoredbymembersofthemovement,theycametolearnmoreaboutGlen.Theyconsiderthemselvesintellectualswhoweregiventheopportunitytodomorewiththeirlivesthaniftheyhadstayedhomeintheirvillages.IfithadntbeenforGlen,onejournalisttoldme,Idbeashepherdaverysmartshepherd.Butashepherd.

Iammovedbythesestories.YetmyfellowtravellersandIarenotwhollytrusting.Weseethepowerandthewealthofthismovementanditunnervesus.Areweseeingrealityorarewebeingfedaparticularversionofreality?Wearenotusedtomovementsthataresoinspiredbyasingleindividual.WestrugglewithourWesternbiasandourcynicism.Thesearepeoplewhospeakthewordsofloveandtolerancethatwespeak.Whyisitthatwedonotfeelatease?

Atnightinmyhotelroom,ItrytodoresearchontheInternetbutallIcanfindaretwosourcesofopposinginformation:TheGlenmovementitself,andrightwingthinktanksintheUnitedStates(sorrynoCanadiansources)thatIknowtobecertifiablyparanoid.TheGlenmovementpaintsabeautifulpictureofitself,whiletheAmericanswarnofextremedanger.Oneday,ayoungimaminthemovementtellsusthattherearethosethatsaythatGlenworksfortheCIAandtherearethosewhosayhepromotespeaceandtolerance.TherearethosethatsayheisthenextOsamabinLadin.

Yousee,saystheimam,itislikethestoryoftheTurkishfolkhero,wisemanandfool,NasreddinHoja.ThepeoplecometotheHojaandaskhimifaseriesof

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opposingfactsaretrue.Onebyone,theHojasays,yeseachfactistrue.Howcanthatbe?thepeopleask.Becauseeachisyourtruth,theHojaresponds.

Intheend,Iknowthattruthisoftensomewherebetweenthepolarextremes.Iknowthatreligiousmovementscanbeusedforpoliticalgain,evenasitsfollowershavethepurestintentionstolivemeaningfullives.Onthistrip,IknowIhavemetpeoplewithgoodhearts,andIamsureIhavemetotherswhoareopportunists.IknowthatIhaveonlyscratchedthesurfaceofthecomplexityofTurkey.

WehavemetmanypeoplewhoareconvincedthatTurkeyholdsauniquepositionintheworld;thatitliterallystandsasabridgebetweenEastandWest.TheylookbacktothedaysoftheOttomanEmpireandtheyseeamodelforreligioustolerance.TheyseeanOttomanEmpirethatwelcomedJewswhofledfromtheSpanishInquisitionandallowedforeachreligiouscommunitytopracticewithinlimits.TheyhavenokindwordsforAtaturk,who,theytellus,forcedtheclosingoftheSufischoolsandpushedforsecularmodernization.Thepeoplewemetwanttheworldtoknowthattheycanbebothreligiousandmodern.Theyhavefaiththatwhentheyopentheirdoorstostrangers,theirfollowerswilldowhattheircultureknowshowtodobest:tobeopen,welcomingandhospitable.

OnedaywetakeanimpromptutripalongtheWhiteRivertotheAntalyacoast.Thedayisoppressivelyhot,withthetemperaturewellover45degreesCelsius.ThenewsevenstarMardanPalaceHotel,hugeandgleamingingoldandwhite,risesimposinglyontherightbankoftheriver.Itmustbeseveralcityblockslong,shameful,really,initsopulence.Ontheleftbankweseeamakeshiftshantytownwithroughlyconstructedsheltersmadeofpolesandcoveredwithcardboard.Thecontrastissurreal.

Welandclosetothebeachandwalkthroughthetemporarysettlement.Tooursurprise,awomaninoneofthesheltersgraciouslyinvitesustotea.Wesituphigh,enjoyingtherefreshingseabreeze,inaspacethatservesasanallinonelivingroom,bedroom,balconyandporch.Thewomanandherhusband(aretiredgovernmentemployee),serveusglassesofdelicioushomemadesageteaandtellusthestoryofthesettlement,whiletheirinfantgrandsonplaysuponthefloor.

Thesamefamilieshavebeencomingtothisspotalongtheseaforthirtyyearstoescapethesummerheatintheirvillage.Yes,theyaresquatters,butthelandbelongstoeveryone.Thisisthefirstyearthattheauthoritieshavebeenlessaccommodating,mostlikelybecauseoftheirluxuriousnewneighbour.Whoknowsifthecommunitywillsurvive?Onthisdayweexperiencegenuine,unplannedTurkishhospitalitythatknowsnobarriers.Ithelpsmetoappreciatethehospitalityofallthosewemeetinanewlight.

Towardstheendofourtrip,ImeetayoungTurkishmaninthewaitingroomoftheKayseriairport.HehasstudiedinNewEngland,andhisEnglishisflawless.IveneverseensomanytouristsinKayseri.WhycometoKayseri?heasksme.I

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explainthatwewerereturningfromanexcursiontoKonyaandCappadocia,andthatourtriphasbeenorganizedbyfollowersofGlen.Hiseyesgrowwide.

HetellsmethatheisimpressedbyGlensabilitytobuildsomanyschoolsallovertheworld.TheyevenhaveschoolsinAfrica,hesays.WetalkforawhileandIaskhim,SowhatdoyouthinkaboutGlen?Peopleareafraidofhim,heanswers.Whyishespendingallthismoney?Nooneisthatgood.NoonehasbeenthatgoodsinceJesus.Wewalkouttothetarmactoboardtheplane,butweareseparated.Wearentabletofinishourconversation.

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Amonthlater,mypartnerandItraveltoTransylvaniafortheconferenceoftheInternationalCouncilofUnitariansandUniversalists.(Transylvania,oncepartoftheOttomanEmpire,theHapsburgEmpire,andtheHungarianstate,isnowpartofRomania)Wemeetpeoplefromthefourcornersoftheearth,allwithawiderangeofperspectivesonwhatitmeanstobeUnitariansandUniversalists.SomestandclearlyintheHumanisttraditionwhileothersstandfirmlyintheChristiantradition,andthereiseverythingelseinbetween.Yetwechoosetocometogetherasone,tofindunityinvastdifferencesoftheology,cultureandwealth.Itisnoeasyunion,yetitisinspiring.Wecelebratethehumanspiritandweshareapassionforreligiousfreedom.

Oh,IhavemuchtotellyouaboutmytravelsinTransylvania.Ihavesomuchtotellyouaboutourhistory.ThatsPart2inthissermonseries.Still,ImustanswerthequestionsomanyofyouhaveaskedmesinceIvebeenback:Yes,theTransylvanianUnitariansconsiderthemselvesChristians.Buttherearenocrucifixes,nocrosses,noiconsintheirchurches,onlythewords:EgyAzIsten.GodisOne.ThisiswhatgavebirthtothenameUnitarian500yearsago.TheSermonontheMountisthecornerstoneoftheirtheology,buttheyseeJesusasaman,notGod.Thisisourmeetingpoint.Thisisoursharedhistory.

DuringmydaysinTransylvania,IcouldnthelpbutreflectuponthecontrastbetweenourmovementandtheGlenmovementinTurkey.Theyhavepower,money,schools,aTVstationandanationallycirculatednewspaper.Couldwelearnanythingfromthem?Ordowefearhavingpowerandinfluenceinthisworld?Andisourfearhealthy?Partofmesaysyes,andpartofmewonders:whatif?

IseeashifthappeningbetweentheUnitarianandUniversalistmovementsoftheindustrializedworldandthoseofthedevelopingworld.InafewyearstherecouldbemoreUnitariansinAfricaandAsiathaninNorthAmerica.Thesearegroupsseekinggreaterreligioustolerance.Theyreadourearlyhistory,theyfindourwebsitesontheInternet,andtheyareinspiredtojoinus.So,perhaps,wearenotaspowerlessaswethink.TobeaUnitarianisabigresponsibility,oneoftheTransylvanianministersremindsme.

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Sourceofpeace,blessuswithpeace,onthisdayastheJewishNewYearhasbegun,asthedaysofRamadanhaveended,andastheInternationalDayofPeaceapproaches.Therearedreamswehavetokeepdreaming.Thereareuphillstruggleswecannotgiveup,asmuchaseverycynicalboneinourbodiestellsusthatitsuseless.

Ihavetravelledtheworld,fromTurkeytoTransylvaniatoMontreal,andIcomebacktothis:Myfaithhastobeadedicationtopeace,togreaterlove,tojusticethathealsallheartsandundoestheimbalancesinthisworld.Yetfaithissooftencoopted,itsbestintentionstwistedbypoliticsandpower.Itishardtogetbacktotheessence,butthatiswhatIbelieveallofourUnitarianandUniversalistbrothersandsistersarestrivingtodo,nomatterwheretheyliveandnomatterhowtheyidentifythemselvesonthetheologicalspectrum.

Gettingbacktotheessence.ThatiswhereIchoosetocastmylotinthisNewYear.