BRINGING LIGHT TO THE WORLD: A BRIDGE OF PEACE CEREMONY HELD IN ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA
On a cool, but sunny September day, forty-six women from diverse racial and religious backgrounds came together to participate in a Women of Faith event featuring the Bridge of Peace Ceremony. The organizing committee consisted of Bishop Aya Carroll from The African American Catholic Congregation, Rev. Carolyn Arnett, pastor of Mercies of God Baptist Church, and WFWP leaders, Mrs. Gudrun Gavin and Mrs. Mary Jane Anderson.
The program was held on the campus of Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, which accommodated the event with a lovely buffet of assorted finger foods and beverages. The Law Graduate Conference Room supplied high-tech equipment to facilitate the program with video and PowerPoint presentations.
Three speakers from left to right: Mrs. Karen Morehead, Mrs. Reiko Jenkins, Bishop Aya Carroll
After registration, the guests were seated and became acquainted with one another by making their own place-cards. Each table had colored paper, markers and stickers to decorate the cards. Guests were invited to introduce themselves to one another, by showing their self-decorated name cards. There were little bottles of bubble soap available, and some adventurous guests opened them up and blew some bubbles into the room.
After the opening prayer by Rev. Arnett and welcoming remarks from Bishop Aya, Mrs. Gavin and Mrs. Anderson, the tone of the program was set by a PowerPoint presentation of stirring photos set to the song, "One World", sung by a professional singing group, Celtic Women. The chorus of the song was: "We're all a part of one world, we all can share the same dream. And if you just reach out to me, then you'll find deep inside, I'm just like you."
Three speakers followed the musical presentation. Mrs. Karen Morehead spoke first on the theme that true peace must come from forgiveness. She told about a recent play she had attended, about an eleven-year-old girl, Maria Goretti of Italy, who had resisted her twenty-year-old neighbor instead of losing her purity to him and, consequently, was stabbed 14 times by him. During her twenty hours of suffering before she died, she prayed and forgave him. He had visions of her while in prison and, through her spirit of forgiveness, was forever changed. He was present at her canonization in 1950, fifty years after her death.
The second speaker was Mrs. Reiko Jenkins, member of the Board of Directors of WFWP, USA, who spoke about WFWP and how peace can be attained through reconciliation and compassion. She gave a humorous and enlightening account of the challenges and triumphs of being a part of an interracial marriage. She pointed out the need for women to be involved in the public sphere and spoke of ways for women to juggle family and public lives at the same time.
To close this part of the program, Bishop Carroll passionately brought the problem of racism to front and center. She stressed, "This problem will destroy humanity as we know it in the next two to three generations, if it is not solved now!" She helped the participants become aware of their serious responsibility in peacemaking by solving divisions among the races and cultures worldwide. Her wisdom and strength of conviction were inspiring. Her words seemed to symbolize a rock for all to stand and build upon, beginning right there.
The Bridge of Peace Ceremony followed the speakers. With background music, "Let There Be Peace on Earth," twenty-one pairs of women, each representing different cultures, became "sisters" by walking across a small wooden bridge accented by colored balloons. Each woman picked up a white, pink, red or yellow rose before she approached the bridge. The roses were exchanged when the pairs met in the middle of the bridge, along with a hug. In the background was a photograph projected onto a large screen illustrating a bridge in a beautiful, peaceful garden. Each pair of "sisters" exchanged signed certificates with one another, which read: "Peace and Harmony Through Sisterhood. Through this Sisterhood Ceremony, I join in friendship with my sister to build a bridge of peace and reconciliation between our diverse races and cultures in America. As a woman concerned with peace at all levels of human endeavor, I will strive to be a peacemaker and creator of harmony in my family, community and society across our nation and around the world."
Concluding the day, each sister pair exchanged small gifts. Every table was decorated with a lighthouse centerpiece surrounded by long tapered candles. Led by Bishop Aya, each participant picked up a candle from the table and, with subdued light, the candles were lit from one woman to another. This ceremony symbolized that, in a world that has lost its light, its way and true meaning, women must re-ignite the light. "We must restore the love, the harmony, and the justice. We must be the righteous and teach again what we have always known, that we need each other. We need to see the God in one another. We are the beacons of light. We are the lighthouses of this world, just like the lighthouses on each table, which symbolize the call we have to shed light, to bring hope, and to guide others to safety."
Bishop Aya spoke more deeply about the symbolism of the lighthouse. "The lighthouse of Alexandria was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We women, as sisters, are truly one of the wonders of the world. It is on our shoulders to bring order out of chaos, to bring love out of hate, to bring joy out of sadness, and to bring family out of broken homes and homelessness." The candles were extinguished and all sang, "This Little Light of Mine", led by Rev. Arnett.
Before leaving, the women were asked to look under their seats. Whoever found a sticker was the winner of the lighthouse centerpiece. Candles were also exchanged and each was charged with helping the other to keep the light going, to fortify one another and to go out into the world two by two to bring peace to their community. A closing prayer was offered as all joined hands.
