The Knitting Pilgrim Talks

In Episode 113 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, we look at the central image of the Judaic tapestry which features The Tetragrammaton (the four-letter Hebrew name for God) which has been superimposed over a representation of the Talmud. Rabbi Daniel Mikelberg of Temple Israel in Ottawa takes me through the background of the Ineffable Name, and introduces me to the Talmud, a text created by ancient Rabbis to provide a path of how to live Jewishly in a non-Jewish world.

In episode 112 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, I talk with Samira Kanji about women and Islam. At the top of the Islamic tapestry is section featuring a feminine eye, partially obscured by mesh, evoking the Western impression that Islam is inherently patriarchal. But is that really the case? Samira takes me through the Qu’ran’s metaphysical equality of male and female, and the impact colonization has had on the patriarchy of Muslim societies.
Samira Kanji is longtime President & CEO of Noor Cultural Centre, an Islamic religious, educational and cultural institution in Toronto dedicated to learning about Islam and Muslims.

“Isn’t the problem, either way, when you dictate to women how they should be dressed, you are oppressing them?” – Samira Kanji

Within the top left section of the Christian window, a Star of David can be seen behind coils of barbed wire. This is a reference to the poor performance of the organized Christian Church in response to the Holocaust during the Second World War. Kirk talks to the Rev. Dr. Stuart McDonald about the Antisemitism behind the Church’s silence during this period in history, and its continued presence in our society today. 
“It’s not going to take a couple of days. We’re talking about centuries in which Antisemitism has just grown within Christianity. And so, we need to begin the process -- or continue the process -- of moving away from that. But it is going to take time and listening.” – Rev. Dr. Stuart McDonald

In researching Stitched Glass, Kirk heard from a number of Muslims that they felt they had “a great religion, with the worst press.” In this section of the Islamic Tapestry, a television set can be seen with an image on its screen. The image has three aspects – it is in the shape of a spherical bomb (a lit fuse can be seen at the upper left), the crescent and star of Islam are incorporated into this shape, as is the globe. Kirk talks to Dr. Katherine Bullock about the poor treatment Islam often receives in Western Media. 

“You know that famous saying, ‘if it bleeds, it leads.’ There’s a need nowadays for clicks on the website, so there needs to be the thing that attracts the most attention, which unfortunately in human nature tends to be the negative things... So human nature likes and is attracted to the sensational, to the extreme, to the exotic. And these sound bites of Muslims doing those things fit perfectly into that need.” – Dr. Katherine Bullock

The 9th episode of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks looks at the section of the Christian tapestry evoking the resurrection -- the Christian belief that has risen from the dead, reassuring us that life in God cannot be killed by death. I speak with my father, The Rev. Dr. Zander Dunn, about the importance of this doctrine, the story of the empty tomb, and what that story means.

Within the Judaic window's top centre point of the Star of David, we can see a globe, cradled in a pair of hands. This image is a reference to the Judaic tradition of Tikkun Olam, repairing (or caring for) the world. Avrum Rosensweig, founder of the charity Ve’ahafta (Hebrew for “you shall love”) shares with Kirk that while Tikkun Olam may not be mentioned specifically in the five books of Moses, it is fundamental to the Torah.

In episode 107 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, Imam Jamal Rahman explains to me that the word “Islam” literally means to surrender in peace. In the upper left section of the Islamic tapestry, inside the outline of the crescent moon, we can see five hands making the peace symbol, meeting at their extended fingertips. The five hands represent the five continents, and their five different skin tones represent all peoples. While Islam has its roots in 7th century Arabia, for Muslims it is a modern faith through which racial differences can be overcome. 

The section of the Judaic window we explore in this episode evokes the Sabbath -- or Shabbat – and features images of a loaf of bread (challah), a pair of candlesticks, and a goblet of wine. These are all items that are a part of the meal that begins Shabbat. But Shabbat is much more than just a dinner – it is a day of rest, contemplation, and re-creation. It is one of the true gifts Judaism has given to the world, and it is a gift that most of us don’t really take the time to understand, appreciate, or enjoy. Journalist, author and spiritual advisor Ralph Benmergui talks to Kirk about the value of one day of being after six days of doing.

This episode explores the Christian tapestry section depicting the paradox of the Christian solider, a vocation often held up by society as hero having paid the ultimate sacrifice of giving their life for their country. And yet, the vocation of soldiering is about as diametrically opposed to the example set by Jesus as one can get. Living in a country ruled by an occupying army, Jesus advocated non-violence and turning the other cheek. The Rev. Dr. Stuart Macdonald helps Kirk look at how the life of Jesus informs our response to the violence and war that we see in our world today.

This section of the Judaic tapestry celebrates the Torah, the holy book of Judaism, on the shoulders of which both Christianity and Islam stand. Rabbi Elise Goldstein takes Kirk through the the importance of these texts in Judaism, how they are incorporated into the Sabbath service, and a few more things that he, as a Christian, didn't fully appreciate about what he had always thought of as "The first five books of the Bible."