Sharing the peace
A group of peacemakers gathered at Stony Point Center, about an hour north of New York City, where modest living quarters nestle in a circle, capped by a cafeteria and meeting space. A chapel, a labyrinth, and vegetable gardens grace the outlying areas.
I always breathe a little deeper at Stony Point. The conference center’s welcome includes what’s on my dinner plate. The chef uses the freshest local ingredients to create amazing dishes and breads. I know that the food did not travel thousands of miles to reach my plate. It did not waste petroleum nor did it have to be genetically altered to endure the journey.
I’m drawn to Stony Point by the ideas and work shared there, and by the culture of the place. On a theological level, this pastoral nook has gathered interfaith peacemaking thinkers and activists—people working on issues of civil rights, gun violence, and the sanctuary movement. The land vibrates with the legacies of men and women who risked much for their ideals. As someone who wasn’t alive in the 1960s, I’m often in awe of what happened during the civil rights movement and am relieved when current peacemaking efforts move beyond acts of nostalgia.
