[Oe List ...] Being Black in the Order Ecumenical

[Ruth Landmann]

Personally, I believe the discussion that stemmed from the death of 
Shrop has to do with his being a spirit giant, and the otherness he 
represented in the Order. As other names came to mind and were 
recalled, they also illuminated for me the globalness and diversity 
that we were/are in this world.

The dynamics of the O:E in the 60s and 70s were way ahead of the 
times. Today we have an African-American president. The idea of that 
was only a dream dreamt by a few 35-40 years ago.

Discussing the otherness of different groups who made up the Order, 
in my mind, only enriches the wonderful memories of the impact we 
had/have in the world. In many ways we were the point of the 
wedgeblade cutting through what was to what came to be.

Thank God for all those we've names who were other than some of us, 
and who taught us what it was to be black living in America at the 
time. No wonder they made a difference when they worked in India or 
Australia when they did, because in those times the world knew about 
the racial division that was so common in the United States.

Ruth
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