A Note from a Young Friend

Mon Aug 7 08:57:29 PDT 2006

Jon -- thanks for the note. I presume you also meant this for OSLIST, so I will send onwards.

ho

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD  20854
USA
301-365-2093
207-763-3261 (summer)
website www.openspaceworld.com
Personal Website www.ho-image.com

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jon Harvey 
  To: Harrison Owen 
  Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 10:57 AM
  Subject: RE: A Note from a Young Friend

  Thank you for sharing that with us, Harrison.

  It has never been more important than now to create the spaces for people to
  come together, and through dialogue, be reminded that we are all human and
  what joins us is so much much more than what divides us. Like Dania I
  sometimes despair and hear with disbelief the vacuuous statements by our so
  called leaders. But then I get back in my saddle - believing that if I can
  help just two people to really hear and listen to each other - and
  rediscover their common humanity - then it is still worth carrying on.

  So - here's to large circles and deep listening, wide openness and huge
  respect! Defragging the world may take time - but we can get there!

  "Only connect! That was the whole of her sermon. Only connect the prose and
  the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its
  highest. Live in fragments no longer" (E M Forster)

  Jon Harvey
  Oxford, UK

  -----Original Message-----
  From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Harrison
  Owen
  Sent: 07 August 2006 15:28
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
  Subject: A Note from a Young Friend

  Some of you may remember that during the Congress of Rabbis and Imans I met
  a wounderful young lady from Indonesia. I heard from her again today and
  thought our exchange might have some relevance for OSLIST.

  Dania wrote:

  Dear Mr. Owen,
  How are you? I'm Dania from Indonesia. I was a participant of the world
  congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace in Seville, Spain, as a student of
  Children of Abraham. I met you there. I hope you're still remember me
  Mr. Owen, I'm very concerned about the war between Hezbollah and Israel in
  Lebanon.. I read the news about it everywhere. Yesterday,  I found a
  newspaper on my boss' desk. I stole it (hihihihi) while she was having lunch
  and read the news about Hezbollah and Israel. People died in Lebanon, most
  of them are children and old people. They bombed houses, buildings.. oh my
  God, I couldn't stand read it. I saw the news on the TV, too. They showed
  the picture of the victims in lebanon, the children, the amunitions, people
  suffered...
  On my way back home from the office, I turned my radio on and heard the news
  about Hezbollah and Israel (again and again and again!).after the news, they
  played one of my favourite songs, Imagine, sang by 2 singers, an arabic man
  and a french woman. they sang the song in 3 languages: arabic, french, and
  english. it was beautiful. i've heard this song many times, but when I heard
  it yesterday, I cried.. I was very upset about this war and all. whjat is
  wrong with this world?? why do they do that? what for? Can't they stop the
  war, make peace, and live happily together? what's wrong with peace? why do
  they reject peace? what do they want now? when is it going to be over?
  Can we do something to stop the war, Mr. Owen? Me, you, and the Imams and
  Rabbis who attended the congress in Seville? Can we take action? What can we
  do to stop the war? what can we do to make them realize that war won't do
  any good?
  I can't find any answer for these questions.. I feel hopeless.
   Dania

  I replied:
  Of course I remember you! And with great affection!! As for Hezbollah and
  Isreal. . . I am afraid that this may be one of those times in Human history
  when all the things we should done and did not, along with all the things we
  should not have done and did -- now come due. It is rather like the
  situation when we do not take care of our health and suddenly we find that
  we have a bad infection and a fever. That fever will now run it's course.
  Sooner or later it will break but whether that break occurs before major
  damage has been done, or after, remains to be seen. Being a Human Being is a
  constant learning process, and sometimes that learning can be very painful.
  But the greatest tragedy would be not to learn. So for my self, I feel
  neither helpless nor hopeless. To be sure I do not have the power to
  separate Israel and Hezbollah, nor do I think that those who may think they
  have the power (Presidents, Kings, Imams, Rabbis, etc) could do any better.
  And even if they were to be successful in Lebanon -- the underlying causes
  would remain, and the fever would break out again. So what to do? Speaking
  only for my self, I intend to keep opening space so that wonderful people
  such as you can experience that "playground" (as you called it) in which
  real people with real differences can meet each other with respect. And if
  you are looking for something to do right now -- you could try the same
  thing.

  God Luck! And thank you for remembering me!!

  Harrison

  Harrison Owen
  7808 River Falls Dr.
  Potomac, MD  20854
  USA
  301-365-2093
  207-763-3261 (summer)
  website www.openspaceworld.com
  Personal Website www.ho-image.com

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