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"An Evening with The Faith Club Authors"
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
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Over sixty people attended “An Evening with The Faith Club Authors” Tuesday night at St. James, La Jolla. Bishop Mathes thanked everyone for coming against all odds and introduced the authors with gratitude for their presence. |
Ranya Idliby, the Palestinian-born Muslim, spoke about her experience as an American Muslim and educated the crowd with facts about Islam, including the fact that Muslim prayers end with a peace salutation to Christians and Jews. After about five minutes, she handed the microphone to Suzanne Oliver, the Catholic-turned-Episcopalian, who spoke about her desire to promote peace among three religions and jumped at the chance to join Ranya’s project. She admitted her private belief that her faith was the best religion of the three.
When Priscilla Warner, a Reform Jew, took the microphone, the crowd was already warmed to these three intelligent, articulate women and Priscilla’s easy, conversational tone only furthered the growing intimacy. Priscilla revealed the fact that she had never met a Palestinian woman and marveled at Ranya’s modern, stylish appearance and home. She recounted her discomfort over Suzanne’s crucifixion story and the ensuing conversation that led to a deeper understanding of Jesus and Christianity.
Each woman took turns telling the story of The Faith Club by speaking in five- or ten-minute increments. Their anecdotes were full of colorful images of sharing holidays, having passionate arguments and meeting each others’ families; the laughter of the audience resonated throughout the sanctuary often. The intimate group shared somber moments as audience members spoke about their recent experiences being evacuated from their homes and feeling displaced, much as Ranya felt displaced in America after 9/11. When asked if they could give advice on getting through disasters, since they all experienced 9/11, they each gave a sensitive, thoughtful answer:
“I’m reluctant to give advice to someone who has lost a home,” Suzanne said. “We’ve all lost something in life. What is really moving are all the people who are showing support and bringing supplies to help the fire victims. It’s amazing what goodness you can see come out of really awful circumstances. There is a bond that’s formed. You can break through barriers that you can’t under normal circumstances.”
Ranya shared her point of view, saying, “Disasters remove you from your mundane, routine existence. During great tragedies such as this, you realize that we’re all human. You care about your neighbor and your neighbor’s neighbor. Crises make you color-blind. You help people because they’re people. You don’t help them because of their particular color, race or tribe. You just help.”
“Pain is part of life,” said Priscilla humbly. “You can’t measure it or compare it to anybody else’s suffering. The lesson of the book for me was the notion that you’re not in control. The only thing you can do when confronted with pain is to search deep within yourself to find your own faith.”
The authors spent the better part of an hour autographing books and talking with audience members in the parish hall. The St. James Gift Shop sold copies of the book for $14 while people mingled over an assortment of bite-sized tarts and cookies provided by ECS. Priscilla even made time to shop in the gift shop and bought a large angel as a token, “to remember all the people I met while I was in San Diego,” she said.
To order your copy of the book, please call Karen Fast at The Saint James Gift Shop: 858-456-1105 or email: kfast@aol.com.
To see the authors at the National Cathedral, which was similar to their presentation at St. James, click here.