In my time as a Graduate Assistant at the Spiritual Life Center, there has been a lot to learn. Originally, I thought that it would be a daunting task to assist in supporting students who came from many different cultures, backgrounds, and religions, that while beautiful and diverse, were mostly unfamiliar to me. However, during my time here, I have found that each of these boil down to a spiritual foundation, which provides each of us a framework for understanding our connection to others and the universe. Each practice shares core values of compassion, empathy, and love, which promotes a sense of unity that transcends cultural and religious differences. From this foundation of peaceful coexistence, I was able to build upon the mission of peacebuilding given to my position.
My graduate assistantship was born through the The Roger C. Dowdy and Janie Wineman Dowdy Endowment for Initiatives in Peacebuilding through Spirituality and the Arts. I was given the mission of creating programmatic opportunities and initiatives for students and the University of Lynchburg community to explore how the arts and interfaith traditions can collaboratively impact peacebuilding for the common good. I was drawn to this position because I have always seen art as a universal language, with its ability to transcend barriers and communicate emotions, thoughts, and ideas. Whether through visual arts, literature, or music, these expressions evoke in each of us the essence of the shared human experience. Art has the ability to encourage dialogue and mutual respect while being a catalyst for change on topics such as injustice, inequality, and conflict. It has the unique power to inspire us towards activism and advocacy, by being able to recognize a piece of ourselves in the “other.”
Often, it is challenging for us to find time in our busy lives to pause and reflect upon art, not only to cultivate our inner peace, but to confront the fundamental aspects of the human experience. Reflecting on this, I created a Reflective Online Exhibition that is easily accessible to you anytime and anywhere. It is an opportunity to have a personal encounter with the arts in different forms and on varying topics. My hope for you is that you will take some time, each day or each week, to utilize this resource and the accompanying workbook, to embrace these interconnected realms that contribute to our global tapestry of understanding, compassion, and unity.