Last Night I attended a Lecture at Fort Lewis with Dr. John Paul Lederach from Notre Dame. He just released a new book called "When Blood and Bones Cry Out" and his special area of resarch as a sociologist is concerning Peace and Conflict Resolution.
I was a bit skeptical, since I live in a town filled with throwback people of the 60's, but quickly engaged in the ideas of what it takes to negotiate peace in conflict zones, communities, and even personal healing from violent trauma.
Dr. Lederach used a Tibetan Singing Bowl as his prop, and as the vibrations from the bowl filled the room, he explained the effect of continued abrasion as a source of communal healing. It was extremely interesting, and I found myself wondering what would it take to create a community interested in the personal healing we all are looking for, in the context of faith.
He mentioned an event in Tacoma Washington as a reference. This bridge was built with the latest technological architecture practices, but without taking into account a crital frequency, the bridge ended up collapsing under a 40 MPH sustained wind storm. He related this critical frequency to the necessary components someone needs to begin a healing process. Of course there are various types of healing, physical abuse, emotional abuse, or even our own personal self understanding as it relates to how God sees us.
I wonder what experiences would lead us to a place where we could reach a "critical frequency" in our own heart and soul? What kinds of things can we be doing to be healing in our own communities? What would it take....?
