I was super excited when Pastor Randy proposed the idea that I collaborate with Kathryn Ophardt, our intern from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, on a bilingual meditation group. I thought to myself, what a great way to bridge cultural and linguistic gaps, through shared silence and space. I grew even more excited after talking with Kathryn and hearing her own history and passion for this in Mexico. So, I asked her three simple questions that I hope will excite you as well.
- Tell us about the history and vision for the Refuge of the Heart group.
Refuge of the Heart started as a chaplaincy program for a refugee resettlement organization where I served this past summer in Mexico City. I developed weekly meditations for those seeking asylum along with the organization’s volunteers and employees. With their blessing, I adapted those meditations to our context to help our Spanish-speaking and English-speaking communities connect around a shared experience of meditation and prayer. - Why do you believe meditation to be a bilingual and cross-cultural tool?
Though it may sound ironic, silence transcends language barriers. It is true that there are challenges when trying to communicate with someone who speaks a different language than you, but bilingual meditations allow people to come together and share a moment of silence and spiritual reflection with one another. Since everything will be translated, we will be able to bridge the barriers that otherwise separate us from our neighbors. - What are your hopes for this group at ELPC?
I hope that Refuge of the Heart will be an opportunity to bridge the Spanish-speaking and English-speaking population, opening not just the virtual doors of our church, but also open up our hearts to one another. This also is a wonderful opportunity to have exposure to another language and remember that God speaks all languages and is beyond all languages, so it is a beautiful reminder that what we may not understand could be God speaking to someone else.
—Rev. BJ Woodworth