"A sense of Beauty evokes in us consciousness of the eternal temporal. it calls us beyond both the present and the past to that everlasting NOW where Beauty dwells in perpetuity". (J. Chittister)
For many, many years now, my desire in being with others, is to seek their beauty. I believe deeply that the Giver of Life, creates us all with inherent Beauty. We are Imago DEI, the image of the Holy One who forms us, and the Giver of Life is Beauty. This is humanity's truest identity. We are beauty becoming! Our lives are lived amidst great treachery of this truth. Our identity as beauty becoming gets overshadowed by pain and suffering, but never never removed, never crushed out of us. Going to Nepal for me is about being with beautiful women and children through artistic endeavors, so that what is beautiful in each one of us may come fourth more fully than ever. It has been my experience that when the beauty of the other is my focus, we all become more beautiful together.
Although women and children and some men, suffer being trafficked. Women, children and men to me are never victims, or simply survivors or perpetrators of harm. Human beings are human beings. Expressive Arts Therapy and Community Art practice is all about doing the work that is necessary to burn away that which overshadows, fractures, bloodies and muddies our unique and collective Human beauty. It is a practice of burning away the chaff and dross that impedes us from standing well in our identity as beautiful becoming!
Joan Chittister (Benedictine Sister) writes: "We must seek beauty, study beauty, surround ourselves with beauty. To revivify the soul of the world, we ourselves must become beauty. Where we are must be more beautiful because we have been there."
Harambee Arts as an organization holds at the core of all its efforts, fostering Beautiful Human Community.
In the Nepal effort description, Gloria Simoneaux the founder of Harambee Arts writes of the women who will train us: "This project is based upon intuition, strength and solidarity among women. We are all learning, growing and finding our voice. We hope that you will see this as an honor to share space with such marvelous women – who are the definition of compassion and courage itself."
This work is a call to step out of hierarchically determined, prescriptive relationships, and into the work of healing human suffering, that human Beauty may flourish.
So, I unabashedly ask you to join this effort with me through providing funding support. Through the generosity of many, over $2,300 has been raised.
And there is still almost $3,000 needed.
I thankfully receive your donations
Electronically at: http://www.gofundme.com/Hope-Rising-Amidst
And through tax deductible donations sent to:
Sunset Covenant Church, 18555 NW Rock Creek Blvd. Portland, Oregon 97229
Please write Nepal in the memo of your check.
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