Love III
Contributed by Stephen Wickman, St. Thomas Episcopal, McLean
We had finished rehearsing the anthem for Palm Sunday, “Love Bade Me Welcome,” when the diminutive and pleasant soprano sitting next to me turned and whispered: “I really hate this piece.” I said: “Not the music, right? It’s great. You must not like George Herbert.” She nodded.
George does not fit everyone’s taste. As the Poetry Foundation tells it (George Herbert | The Poetry Foundation) the Anglican clergyman is “nestled” squarely (or maybe roundly) in the age of Shakespeare and Milton, though his poetry would have later influence on the likes of Coleridge, Emerson, Dickinson, Hopkins, Eliot, Auden, Bishop, Anthony Hecht, and, “perhaps Robert Frost—although these later poets are more abstract in their devotion to Herbert than were his 17th-century followers.” They attribute much of Herbert’s early popularity—there were at least 11 editions of his major work, published ironically, after he died—to the carefully crafted persona of “holy Mr. Herbert” put forth by his custodians.
The most famous musical setting of this poem — the last in the compilation known as The Temple — is by Ralph Vaugh Williams (https://youtu.be/JcmkXuZyRz8). We sang an even more modern setting last Sunday, and I don’t know about you, but in this Passover/Easter/Ramadan season, the last line packs a wallop, especially for Episcopalians like me. It is so difficult for modern folks to understand, that the Poetry Foundation has even included a guide! Love (III) | The Poetry Foundation. Here is the poem.
LOVE bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack’d anything.
‘A guest,’ I answer’d, ‘worthy to be here:’
Love said, ‘You shall be he.’
‘I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
I cannot look on Thee.’
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
‘Who made the eyes but I?’
‘Truth, Lord; but I have marr’d them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.’
‘And know you not,’ says Love, ‘Who bore the blame?’
‘My dear, then I will serve.’
‘You must sit down,’ says Love, ‘and taste my meat.’
So I did sit and eat.
Here’s some of what the “guide” says about it, ending with one of my favorite words, “ambivalence.”
The poem’s last line, “So I did sit and eat,” seems unequivocal: Herbert has found his place at God’s table. Herbert’s almost interchangeable use of “Love” for “Lord” in this poem is worth noticing: “Love (III)” is the ultimate poem in a triptych on the subject. The earlier poems attempt to reclaim the term “love,” which has been sullied by secular usage. “Love (I)” opens by praising “Immortal Love, author of this great frame,” and mourning that “mortal love doth all the title gain”; “Love (II)” also addresses itself to “Love,” distinguishing between God’s “Immortal Heat” and the “usurping lust” we mortal humans mistakenly call love. As the culminating poem in the series, “Love (III)” seems to firmly settle which kind of “Love” Herbert intends to celebrate. But the poem also purports to show how God is Love—through its emphasis on God’s role as host.
Herbert’s portrait of God-as-Love has long been admired as the crowning achievement of The Temple. The philosopher Simone Weil famously had a religious experience as she recited “Love (III): “Often, at the culminating point of a violent headache,” she wrote in her Spiritual Autobiography. “I make myself say it over, concentrating all my attention upon it and clinging with all my soul to the tenderness it enshrines… It was during one of these recitations that, as I told you, Christ himself came down and took possession of me.” Yet despite the “tenderness” Weil noted, much of the poem remains equivocal, even stubbornly so. A reader looking for a tidy—or happy—ending to Herbert’s project might end up troubled by the poem’s surprising and insistent ambivalences.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
Contributed by Stephen Wickman, St. Thomas Episcopal, McLean
Just in time for Passover and Holy Week, after Ramadan, and just as we face earth-shattering tariff and other wars, the 2025 World Happiness Report reminds us what we already know from our various faith traditions: money isn’t everything WHR Dashboard.
While there is a strong correlation between GDP and happiness, Finland, number 15 in the GDP per capita parade, is once again the world’s happiest country for seven years in a row.
The United States (number 4 in income per capita) has fallen out of the top twenty, behind Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Norway, Israel, Luxembourg, Mexico (ole!), Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, Lithuania (!), Austria, Canada (maybe we should become the eleventh province or even a territory), Slovenia, Czechia, United Arab Emirates, Germany, and even our ex-colonial master, the UK.
The snarky “Economist” magazine admits that gender equality, trust in national institutions and fellow citizens, and low corruption are all important factors in Finland’s happiness rating, and it is fitting that in Finland became the first country in the world to give women both the full right to vote and to run in parliamentary elections. And when Reader’s Digest “lost” 12 wallets containing cash and contact details to test the honesty of citizens in 16 cities around the world, Helsinki was tops.
Oh, and Finland has excellent free education, universal health care and family-friendly policies. Health services are not totally free, but they are affordable.
The authors find that caring and sharing, especially socializing with others, maintaining connections, sharing meals, living with others, stressing family bonds, supporting others through prosocial behavior, trusting others, and giving to others, all lead to greater happiness. Unhappiness and social distrust, however, lead to a destructive form of “populism.”
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
Contributed by Rev. Dr. Trish Hall, Center for Spiritual Living
There are two people at the top of my list of heroes, Mohandus Gandhi, the Mahatma, and Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. I instantly became a “Gandhian” as a child, the first time I read about him and how he looked at the world differently from almost everyone and yet his way aligned with the depth of my being. What Gandhi stood for made sense to me at a soul level. When I discovered that Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, embraced Gandhi’s approach – that he recognized nonviolence as the right way (the only truly sustainable way) to confront the atrocities being perpetrated against blacks, I knew – again at the soul level – that I needed to take a stand and do whatever I could to support and further Dr. King’s work.
Recently, I was researching the relationship between King and Gandhi. I discovered that Dr King, eager to learn all he could about nonviolent resistance, had sought out Gandhi and his teachings. Dr King deeply connected with Gandhi’s approach and put it to work. Dr. King was the embodiment of nonviolent action.
My research revealed an article that was new to me in form, yet familiar to me in content. Dr King wrote the article, “My Trip to the Land of Gandhi,” four weeks after his return from a tour of India. It was published in Ebony in July 1959. Although Dr King’s trip to India took place 3 years after the great day of bus integration, December 21, 1956, he spoke often of how “India’s Gandhi” had been the guiding light of our technique of nonviolent social change while the Montgomery boycott was going on.
Dr King began his article … “… Even as a child the entire Orient held a strange fascination for me—the elephants, the tigers, the temples, the snake charmers and all the other storybook characters.” Dr King was a man of insatiable curiosity and wonder.
He shared that the trip had a great impact upon him personally. It had been humbling to be in Gandhi’s land, to talk with his son, his grandsons, his cousin and other relatives; to share the reminiscences of his close comrades; to visit his ashrama, to see the countless memorials for him and finally to lay a wreath on his entombed ashes at Rajghat. Dr King left India more convinced than ever before that nonviolent resistance was the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom. It was a marvelous thing for him to see the amazing results of a nonviolent campaign.
He was astounded that the usual aftermath of hatred and bitterness following a violent campaign were nowhere to be found. Instead, he discovered mutual friendship based on complete equality between the Indian and British people within the commonwealth.
Kingian Wisdom: The way of acquiescence leads to moral and spiritual suicide. The way of violence leads to bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers. But the way of nonviolence leads to redemption and the creation of the beloved community.
Some assert that nonviolent resistance can only work in a situation where the resisters have a potential ally in the conscience of the opponent. Dr King disagreed and asserted that that perspective was completely wrong and arose from confusing passive resistance with nonresistance.
Kingian Wisdom: True nonviolent resistance is not unrealistic submission to evil power. It is rather a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love, in the faith that it is better to be the recipient of violence than the inflictor of it, since the latter only multiplies the existence of violence and bitterness in the universe, while the former may develop a sense of shame in the opponent, and thereby bring about a transformation and change of heart.
Nonviolent resistance does call for love, but it is not a sentimental love. It is a very stern love that would organize itself into collective action to right a wrong by taking on itself suffering.
Gandhi modeled how to live one’s beliefs by taking “untouchables” – those he renamed “Harijans” (“children of God”) – by the hand and leading them into the temples from which they had been excluded.
Seeing India through Dr King’s eyes expanded my sense of how deeply he embraced Gandhian teaching. I sensed his frustration that amid the poverty and overcrowding of India they had made more progress in dealing with the caste system than the US had with racial injustice. The difference he identified was that the foundation of their approach rested on moral ground – something lacking from the US approach.
Dr King walked with people in pursuit of freedom and equality. He called us out for having not made more progress and admonished us to heed the Indian example and resolve our blatant racial discrimination.
The article was written in 1959 – 65 years ago. How have we progressed? What grades would Dr. King put on our report card?
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
By Yerusalem Work
You stood castle-high, singing on the midnight-moonlit balcony
Your voice reached across the vast, star-scattered skies
Tears poured from my eyes
You left a palace to address the issue of contentment
You gave us light—a messenger of the messengers
My thoughts took flight
The height of a hummingbird, the rhythm complete with hope inside me
You elevate me
I face you and my soul smiles,
the kiss of peace greeting you with solemnity
In a labyrinth of faith-filled promises,
I push against the walls of fear and regret.
I travel with poetry as my guide.
You illuminate the day and night
with your heart’s meditation
The fire you put in me makes me rise to my feet–
I see shadows repeat in a cave of my doing,
but nothing can compare to your presence
Only now can I breathe
with depth and freedom,
only now do I discover the unveiling of life, the mystery of being
Through love,
I become human
Through prayer,
I experience divine union and
the absence of time.
You, the cliff’s edge, are sublime.
You, a decorated hero, are the friend I find by the riverside.
Dipping in our consciousness…never the same feeling twice.
Happiness. Lovingkindness.
Splashing in knowledge, refreshing, an awakening,
I ask you to dream with me and carry me with you through our journey.
I am a butterfly alight on your shoulder.
Graceful movement. Grateful conclusions.
Reading into you. I believe in forgotten truths.
I pray the Lord heals me and you.
After terrible loss,
having a hand to hold is proof of God’s mercy.
I am on my knees and only He can hear me.
Who truly knows me?
To hear the author read this poem, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/100004823402356/posts
Yerusalem Work, a creative writer and the membership director of the Congregational Library Association, has a heart for interfaith dialogue and is a passionate community builder. A holder of a master’s degree in library science and prolific author, she regularly blogs and self-publishes her writing. Her short stories and poetry have been published in Muslim Matters and Tysons Interfaith. She considers it an honor and a pleasure to write on Islamic themes.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
Contributed by Stephen Wickman, St. Thomas Episcopal, McLean
More than anything else, spirituality is a quest to find one’s authentic self, to review and interpret life events and develop a sense of personal integrity; and it should not be confused with religion, which remains nevertheless an important path for many.
That was the consensus of a February 4 webinar presented by the Rev. Dr. Al Fuertes of George Mason University’s School of Integrative Studies, which joined Tysons Interfaith to explore the connection between spirituality and well-being. Most heartening was Dr. Fuertes’s report that his students and nearly two-thirds of college students polled nationwide long to discuss things that matter to them on the personal level, things that are meaningful and purposeful and in which they can find beauty and meaning.
People who successfully perform this kind of soul-searching and synthesis develop the best potential to perceive and enjoy a good quality of life. Such meaning-making involves being mindful about our emotions, thoughts, and surroundings, a kind of mindfulness that many researchers and practitioners also recommend for achieving good health outcomes, like stress reduction.
Although well-being is not just the absence of disease or illness but a complex combination of a physical, mental, emotional, and social factors, once we are able to find our authentic vocation, our true self, or what some call our “sacred face,” we can achieve a sense of purpose that has been linked to a lower risk of mortality. Other studies have found out that prayer or healing ceremonies can have positive outcomes on alleviating symptoms and improving quality of life. And, arguably, achieving this kind of personal well-being can help bring peace to the broader community.
We hope to explore more of these applied approaches to spirituality in future Oneness of Humanity programs. Please join us.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
Contributed by Lois Herr, First Church of Christ, Scientist, McLean
On February 4, 2024, Tysons Interfaith will partner with George Mason University for an Webinar entitled Spirituality and Well-Being: Exploring the Connection. As we prepare for this engaging and interactive event, I wanted to share a recent article from the Christian Science Monitor, that is completely relevant to our upcoming discussion. It is entitled: “The glue of seeing good.”
I hope many people will be interested in joining our February 4 webinar, and/or may be encouraged by the findings of this article:
“The glue of seeing good”
Surveys show a breadth of spirituality binding Americans to each other in connections of empathy and affection.
The Christian Science Monitor: December 21, 2023
Worried that Americans are marching into an election year more divided than ever? Take another look.
In October, a first-ever Connection Index offered a striking counternarrative. Conducted by The Harris Poll, it found that 76% of Americans see the good in those they disagree with and 71% have friends who hold views they don’t share.
Those attitudes may reflect something more than mere personal affection. A new survey of American spirituality reveals a deeper basis of thought binding society together. Published by the Pew Research Center this month, the study asked more than 11,000 Americans how they thought about spirituality. It found a recurring theme of connectedness.
For example, 74% described “being connected with something bigger than myself” as an essential quality of spirituality. Seventy percent said the same about “being connected with God,” while 64% said “being connected with my ‘true self’” and 54% said “being open-minded” were essential to spirituality. Nearly 4 in 10 said spirituality involved “being connected with other people.”
Overall, the survey found, 9 in 10 Americans believe in God or a power higher than themselves, 70% describe themselves as spiritual, and 53% expressed a “deep sense of connection with humanity.” These views were drawn from across multiple demographic and denominational boundaries.
For years, medical practitioners have been gathering evidence that spirituality is a vital factor in health. Some 90% of medical schools in the United States, 59% in Britain, and 52% in German-speaking countries now include spiritual studies in their curricula. As the Pew study notes, society is drawing new distinctions between being spiritual and being religious. Doctors and nurses incorporating spirituality in health care often start with the simple act of listening.
“When I think of spirituality in health care, it’s the connection we make with other people,” Diana Vereni, an associate professor of physical therapy at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, told a public forum in July. Such empathy and compassion promote healing by alleviating fear and affirming a sense of individual worth, medical studies have shown.
They have a similar effect on society as a whole. “Social connectedness influences our minds, bodies, and behaviors – all of which influence our health and life expectancy,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded in a March study. “Inclusive connections in our neighborhoods, schools, places of worship, workplaces, and other settings are associated with … and support the overall well-being, health, safety, and resilience of communities.”
For one respondent in the Pew study, spirituality meant being able to “see the beauty in everything, feel the love of Mother Nature, to know that there is something out there that is greater than me, that loves me, that looks out for me.” That kind of seeing good may be the reason behind the Connection Index finding that Americans don’t need to agree in order to get along.”
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
Over the last few weeks, these words have become my daily prayer: “Let there be peace on earth.” With the war in Ukraine entering its twenty-first month and the war in Israel and Gaza expected to continue into the new year, the loss of lives and the displacement of people have been overwhelming. In places like Myanmar and Sudan there is constant civil unrest that affects the innocent. Conflict has become the norm rather than the exception even in our own country. And yet it is in our current context that Christians enter the Advent season (December 3 through December 24) to prepare ourselves not only for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ but for his Second Coming.
Advent comes with four major themes to meditate upon – peace, hope, joy, and love. This is a reflection on peace.
For those of us who are older (smile), the title of this article should sound familiar. It comes from a well-known Christmas song that was written in 1955 by Jill Jackson-Miller. She wrote the lyrics and her husband, Sy Miller, wrote the melody.
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.
With God, our creator, family are we. Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.
The song was introduced at a retreat center in California for a group of young people who were from a wide variety of religious, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. They were there for a week-long experience to develop friendships with people who held different views from their own. They attended educational seminars that enabled them to learn the skills they needed to have open and healthy discussions on difficult topics. By the end of the week, it was the hope that they would be able to work together. It is in this setting that this song was introduced. It turned out to be a perfect ending to an amazing week. Once the young people learned the lyrics, they got up, locked arms, formed a circle, and faced each other as they sang this song of peace. It is a simple song with a powerful message that has been recorded and translated and sung all over the world.
In the Old Testament, the word for peace is shalom which is derived from a root word that means wholeness or completeness. In the Bible, it has less to do with the absence of war and conflict and has more to do with our overall well-being. When someone says they are at peace, they are letting us know that they are content even when in the middle of a hardship or struggle. They know (truly know) that God is with them. It has the same connotation in the New Testament. Jesus expresses the idea that peace comes from peacemakers and true peacemakers are characterized by their poverty of spirit, their ability to mourn for their broken world, and for their hunger for healing and reconciliation.
Too often we restrict our thoughts about peace as simply the end of conflicts. Certainly, an end to violence is something that we should pray for in Ukraine, the Middle East, in our community, and even in our homes. But it seems like the peace that is talked about in Scripture is more than the absence of something negative. It has its own presence and energy. It is a gift from God that occurs when we turn over to God a certain amount of control of all the things that we worry about. We do not surrender responsibility, but we recognize limits as to what we can affect or achieve on our own. And once we acknowledge our limits, we place ourselves and others in the hands of God. And God’s response is to give us peace, a peace that allows us to look up and see the gifts around us and not just the troubles that consume us.
People of good will long for peace. But our human experience tells us that peace on earth is elusive. In contrast, the peace of God comes to us as pure gift through God’s grace alone. We release our grip on all the things that we are trying to hold together on our own, and in return God gives us a sense of well-being that can only come from God.
During this Advent season, I will continue to pray, “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” Peace among the people of the earth and peace in our hearts as we entrust the burdens of this world to our creator.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
On Thursday, December 7th at sundown, Jews all over the world will begin the celebration of the eight-day festival of Chanukah with the lighting of the first candle on the menorah. The celebration this year will not be the same, as war rages in Israel and Gaza and its repercussions are felt around the world, including of course in our communities.
What is very important to remember in a time of watching the rise of antisemitism all over the world, with a 388% increase in incidents in the United States since October 7th over the same time period last year, is that this holiday celebrates the victory of religious freedom – a cause, unfortunately, still being fought for by millions of people the world over. We must note that Jews are not alone, there has also been a significant increase in anti-Muslim hate incidents.
We are living in very dark times. Wars and hatred spread across the face of the earth, and many in the name of religion. As we begin this holiday season, with many religions celebrating, let us not forget the world is large; there is room for everyone to worship as they choose and not live in fear.
Perhaps we can use the light of this holiday to ask for the wellbeing and safety of all people, regardless to whom they address their prayers.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate September 21st as its annual commemoration – a 24-hour period of non-violence and cease-fire for groups in active combat.
Through the years it has been realized that “active combat” is not limited to war zones. Active combat is experienced in cities and country sides aroused by fear, avarice, racism and other prejudices, politics, and contrasting ideologies.
The origin of the World Day of Peace can be traced back to 1967 when Pope Paul VI established it as a feast day of the Catholic Church. It was designated as a day of universal peace devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples. It has come to be a time to actualize those ideals – to promote and maintain peace.
The United Nations also celebrates the International Day of Living Together in Peace, annually on May 16th, to stir individuals to mobilize efforts within the international community to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity.
Imagine people of all nations, cultures, religions, and backgrounds working side by side in harmony. The power of imagination has been the root of social change throughout the ages, however, if left solely in the imaginal realm, nothing happens. Change happens when our imagination inspires us to action – action that is uniquely our own – action that uproots us from our complacency and calls us each to use our Divinely imbued skills and abilities to support our world in rising out of violence into peace.
Some people who describe themselves as peace advocates have difficulty wrapping around the notion that they can be both a powerful presence for peace and be an activist. Jesus was a Love activist: He came to teach love, and He was an unwavering stand for what he believed.
An activist is merely someone who is willing to stand by and for his/her values and beliefs. It is a willingness to engage on behalf of something that matters – equity, environment, health, welfare, education, to name just a few. Often that stand is taken vigorously, perhaps emphatically, and is the out-picturing of a passionate desire to do good. It can be extremely empowering.
Spiritual activism engages the power of spiritual consciousness and groundedness to guide individual actions. Spiritual activism takes myriad forms ranging from contemplative prayer to marching and picketing. How we each display our activism is as varied as humanity. Our shared common goal is to effect change based on spiritual principles and values. The outward expression of our activism emerges from our inner work. Peace activists, generally, lean toward pacifism, choosing nonviolent methods to prevent or end violent conflicts, to end non-democratic rule, and to dissolve prejudices such as racism, homophobia, and gender biases. Spiritual activists, many of whom are Peace activists, use peaceful means to achieve change. I am both. We express our views clearly, but succinctly and at a volume that doesn’t have others reaching for ear plugs. We avoid winding ourselves into a frenzy over things we can’t control. Instead, we draw on inner strength and guidance using attributes such as our belief in the Oneness of all creation, Love as a universal principle, compassion and reciprocity, simplicity and optimism, harmony and humility, responsibility, and accountability. We set the intention to be kind and considerate and refrain from criticizing others. We join together to make the world a better place. We are drawn to like-minded people wherever we are and connect spontaneously.
The question arises, why should I be an activist? Activism seeks to influence social and political outcomes by mobilizing citizens to take actions that generate widespread or well-targeted public attention around specific issues.
The United Nations International Day of Peace and their International Day of Living Together in Peace are occasions in which Peace activists around the globe present public dialogues, peace meditations and vigils, and an array of educational offerings to heighten awareness and support of Peace. Each of these is a form of “Peace Demonstration.” We draw attention to the need to heal our planet and grow strong peaceful communities.
The actions we take are demonstrations of Spirit’s call within us to do our part to manifest a world that works for everyone. Each of us has an inborn desire to experience peace. We sense the call to remove all obstacles to the free flow of peace and love. We respond affirmatively to opportunities to become radiantly contagious purveyors of peace, connecting with individuals, bringing them together in small groups that grow into larger and larger groups of individuals dedicated to peace – the essential foundation of a world that works for all.
Our efforts cannot be haphazard – we need to abide in and as peace moment by moment.
This year marks the 42nd anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly declaration “International Day of Peace.” Its purpose remains strong and essential to the wellbeing of our planet and all its inhabitants. Life is better in a world at peace.
Regardless of where we come from or what languages we speak, we are more alike than we are different. Honoring our commonalities makes peace possible. We draw on the wisdom and experience of the peacemakers and peacekeepers to learn how we can individually and collectively be catalysts for peace – how we can manifest a world that works for everyone, everywhere.
Violence is common in nations and communities that struggle with poverty, disease, and limited access to education and healthcare. Until we are willing to soften our own perspectives so we can catch a glimpse of someone else’s experience, peace will remain beyond our reach.
Peace is possible. We have the opportunity to transform the world so that our loved ones can live in sustainable peace. We are called to step outside our comfort zones – to become Peace Advocates. The impact of each small act is immense.
Join me again in the imaginal realm: Envision and feel how different life would be if we all were simply kind and respectful of one another. We can all contribute to the worldwide culture of peace through generosity of spirit, prayer, advocacy, education and ensuring access to clean water and health resources. Every small effort makes a difference.
Today, more than any other time in history, peace relies on the commitment to not only achieve equality, but to secure equity for all persons – to fulfill our vision of a world that works for everyone, everywhere.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
On Saturday, June 17, Historic Pleasant Grove Church, an historic site and museum, held their annual Spring Fair and Open House. Pleasant Grove is located at 8641 Lewinsville Road, McLean, Virginia 22102, just on the outskirts of Tysons.
As described on their website: “Historic Pleasant Grove is a community landmark in McLean, Virginia built by and for African and Native Americans in the late 19th century. No longer an active church, the simple-yet-striking Carpenter Gothic structure is an historic site managed by the Friends of Pleasant Grove, who foster diversity through free cultural events throughout the year, operate the on-site museum, and rent the space.”
Some of Pleasant Grove’s founding families’ members are buried on the property, including members of the Sharper family. On the day of the open house, I took time to really appreciate the Carpenter Gothic Architecture and craftmanship of Lewis Henry Sharper, the master carpenter who led much of the work on the building. I also learned that among Pleasant Grove’s founding families were members of the Pamunkey Native American Tribe, including John Mills who also helped build the structure.
My husband, Tyler, and I (and our dog Scrappy) were also pleased to speak with Michelle Arcari, Board President of the Friends of Pleasant Grove. We learned about the history of the organization, their on-going work to preserve the structure and the history of the community, as well as their efforts to promote cultural diversity through events held throughout the year.
Pictured: Tyler Posey, Michelle Arcari and Scrappy Posey
To learn more about this historic gem in our midst and upcoming events public events planned at the site, I encourage you to visit Historic Pleasant Grove’s website at historicpleasantgrove.org/.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.