A
Prayer Vigil For The Earth
An
Invitation For A Deeper Spiritual Context
Background
The following is a description of the organizers' deeper spiritual intent
and context for the annual Prayer Vigil for the Earth. During previous
years, these deeper purposes have been held privately. We thank David
Miller of the Nathan Cummings Foundation for encouraging us to speak openly
of our spiritual goals and to the Lifebridge Foundation who simultaneously
requested a description of the heart or essence of our work. These two
invitations provided the impetus for us to share the deeper spiritual
context of what we are doing, why we are doing it, and how we evaluate
our success.
A Calling
In 1993 a spiritual calling to create an event in Washington, DC emerged
in the minds and hearts of several individuals. By 1997, the original
group of three collaborators had expanded to over thirty people on the
Organizing Committee, hundreds of volunteers had offered their services,
and many organizations were providing in-kind donations. At the urging
of Lakota elder Harry F. Bryd the Prayer Vigil went from a primarily Indigenous
Wisdom Keepers event in 1993-1996 to a multi-cultural and multi-faith
event offered to the public for free in 1997-the present. In addition
simultaneous events have been held in different sites within the USA and
in twelve different countries. In keeping with the organizers' spiritual
belief in the power of people gathered in sacred ceremony across the centuries
and the capacity for such ceremonies to make enduring impacts on consciousness,
the Prayer Vigil for the Earth is held annually to plant seeds for present
and future generations. Important background for understanding the spiritual
nature of the event is provided by these three considerations: (A) the
setting for the original annual event, (B) the sacred structure for housing
people and activities, and (C) the social-spiritual architecture provided
to nurture the seeds.
The Setting
Through 2002, the Mall in Washington, DC, in particular the center of
the Mall near the Washington Monument, is an appropriate setting because
(1) the location symbolizes a successful people's democracy, (2) Washington,
DC is a powerful city on the Earth at this time, (3) the Mall provides
a model for all the world's people to participate in their own freedom
and democracy, (4) the deeper values of the site reflect the core values
of the Constitution as well as other democratic systems indigenous to
this land, e.g. the Iroquois Great Law of Peace, (5) the site calls out
for healing a city and a nation whose political functions are in need
of renewal and transformation, and (6) mystical and Masonic literature
indicate that an obelisk, which symbolizes masculine power, such as the
Washington Monument broadcasts information and energy. For these reasons,
the setting for the early Prayer Vigils for the Earth was in the center
of the Washington, DC Mall next to the Washington Monument. From 2003
- 2005, the Vigil site moved to West Potomac Park, a beautiful setting
near the Potomac River. The increased security in Washington DC made the
Washington Monument site unavailable. The West Potomac Park site offered a setting very
conducive to meditation and intense prayer. It enhanced the ability to
take the core values of the Vigil and incoporate them into our hearts. In 2006 we return to the Washington Monument to bring prayful focus back to the heart of Washington DC.
The
Sacred Structure
Recognizing that the Prayer Vigil would be a living, virtual structure
whose enduring physical presence would rest in its ability to make the
soil upon which it is held sacred, the organizers selected the structure
valued by Indigenous people throughout the Earth and many other cultures-the
sacred circle or hoop. The circle, symbolic of the Earth's shape, is ideal
because it provides a container for all life and because everyone enters
as equals. The circle is created by the erection of an Earth Peace Village
which is demarcated by portable structures. During the beginning years,
the circle was composed of tipis. As a reflection of the multi-faith,
multi-ethnic, multi-cultural nature of the Prayer Vigil since 1997, in
addition to tipis the Prayer Vigil circle now includes a Jewish Sukkah,
an African ancestral altar, an international labyrinth, and a Tibetan
Stupa. Buddhist and Japanese Prayer Flags and the John Denver Memorial
Peace Cloth encircle the site.
Every year a continuous fire, which is symbolic of power, cleansing, transformation of matter into energy, and the molten fire in the center of the Earth, burns within the circle for the duration of the forty-eight hour event. This sacred circle, this Earth Peace Village, provides the structure where people can celebrate the richness of their diverse heritages and traditions together.
In addition to these reasons, the sacred circle, a feminine power symbol, provides balance for the masculine obelisk and energetically invites feminine values such as home, family, relationships, and community to be active and present. It is the organizing committee's deepest prayer that this annual joining of masculine and feminine energy within the context of many spiritual metaphors and teachings will (1) produce a healthy seed for generations to come and (2) consecrate the land, the Earth, upon which this event is held as sacred once more.
The Social-Spiritual Architecture
With the setting and sacred structure established, attention was focused
on the social-spiritual architecture required to grow today's participants
and to provide maximum nourishment for tomorrow's seed.
In addition the Prayer Vigil for the Earth, which strives to make peace among religious traditions, was held the same weekend as the 1995 and 1996 Middle East Peace Accord, a fact which was made abundantly clear by the siren sounds of official cars whizzing back and forth from the White House by our Mall site. Following that synchronicity, in 1997 a Shayk from the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem made a surprise visit to the Vigil and while there prayed with members of the Jewish faith and exchanged teachings with Indigenous Wisdom Keepers.
In 1999, another synchronicity: The organizers learned that the ground breaking ceremony of the National Museum of the American Indian was one day after the Indigenous Wisdom Keepers usually return home from the Vigil. This made it possible for them to attend the event. And in 2001 the Vigil was held just a week and a half after the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. None of these latter events could be planned for, but their proximity in time to the Prayer Vigil for the Earth invites the influence of the sacred circle, the Earth Peace Village, to be present in other communities. In 2004, the Vigil was held the weekend before the grand opening of the National Museum of the American Indian and many of our Native Elders were able to stay and participate in that extraordinary event.
Summary
The organizers continue to strive to honor the setting, the sacred structure,
and the social-spiritual architecture necessary to create a powerful Prayer
Vigil for the Earth experience for all participants. Goals for the event
include: inviting more people to join us in DC, inviting more people to
join us in prayer wherever they are, inviting more cultures and faiths
to come together and create their own Prayer Vigil for the Earth wherever
they are, and getting internet coverage so that the Prayer Vigil can be
broadcast throughout the Earth. We believe that now is the time. Now is
the time for the collective power of prayer and diverse, ancient spiritual
ceremonies to join forces in bringing about positive changes for all life.
Many, many people who have participated in the Prayer Vigil report that
the opportunity to practice spiritual oneness, to pray with others of
all faiths, and to join in each other's ceremonies leads them to new or
deeper spiritual insights which make positive contributions to all aspects
of their lives.
This page is where people can share their Prayer Vigil experience. For those of you who cannot join us in person, this page will give you a first hand account and feel for the Vigil. If you have had an experience at the Prayer Vigil that you would like to share with others, just email oneprayer4@aol.com.
Last Updated 6/11/06