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コモン大聖堂
ボストン市内の公立公園ボストンコモンには、毎日さまざまな人が集まり、フリスビーで遊んだり、集会を開いたりしています。日曜の午後には、「コモン大聖堂」と呼ばれる自由参加の礼拝が行なわれます。雅子さんが訪れた日も、サンダルを掃いた女性聖職者の、分かりやすく気軽な説教に大勢の人が耳を傾けていました。
Common Cathedral
By MASAKO YAMADA
The Boston Common area is one of the hubs of the city. There are many stores in the nearby Downtown Crossing area, and
the pedestrian walkways are always crowded on weekends. It is close to the business district, so workers flood the
area during lunch break on weekdays as well.
And many people congregate in Boston Common. It's a large park that offers free movies, concerts and live plays, and
a place where rallies, demos, conferences and other gatherings are held. It's also a place where people simply like
to visit to play frisbee or to relax and enjoy the trees and the sun. It's large enough that there is always a patch of
empty grass that one can occupy.
On Sunday afternoons, there always seems to be a small group of people around a portable cross made of rough wood.
This is the "Common Cathedral." The people attending the service are no better dressed than the other people lounging
around the park, and many of them sit cross-legged on the grass or lean against a tree while listening to the
minister.
People shift in and out of the circle as they lose or gain interest. This doesn't seem to bother the minister or
the other audience members. My guess is that most of them are average parkgoers who have been intrigued by the
portable pulpit, but who are not particularly religious.
The minister I saw today wore Birkenstock sandals, so I knew she was not conservative. Her prayer shawl was not made
of fancy silk, but was a plain piece of fabric with a bunch of colorful handprints. Her language was simple, and it
seemed that the audience was entertained by her talk, as well as warmed by it. The "common" in Common Cathedral is
obviously a play on words linking Boston Common and the adjective, common, or one for all.
I've never listened to more than five minutes of a Common Cathedral sermon, so I don't know what the underlying
belief of the ministers is. However, I am intrigued by their nonaccusatory, nonhysteric tone, and how this can attract
an audience of people who are enjoying their day of rest.
I listened to the sandaled woman tell the people around her that God doesn't keep a tab of who has gone to church how
many times in order to separate good and bad people. She said that their being there at that moment was the most important
thing.
If it weren't for the cross and the sacrament at the pulpit, I would have thought it was a New Age philosophy group.
Audience members were even invited to share their own feelings.
It's surprising that a minister talking without a mike in large park can get any audience at all. Most of the people I
know are religious in name only. Of course, many of them are culturally attached to their religions and engage in holiday
rituals. Some even insist on marrying only somebody from the same religion, and others selectively decide to follow
certain rules (such as not eating pork).
However, when asked whether they actually go to their church, temple or mosque every week, most of them say, "No."
They certainly don't seem to make an effort to be celibate, which is a commandment in many world religions. Even the
central, "Do you believe in God?" often gets a "No."
I'm always a bit startled when I meet people who are honest about their faith, since most people I know either
don't have faith or wouldn't admit to it if they did.
I was standing in line at the cafeteria when I overheard the woman at the cash register tell one of the custodians
that she didn't have time to go to church every week. The custodian replied, "It's giving back an hour of all the hours
God gave us." I got the sense that he appreciated his blessings, and this moved me, even though I'm just as cynical
as anybody with regards to the supernatural.
I think people are attracted to Common Cathedral for a different reason, though. I have the feeling that even the most
worldly, well-read, urbane types can be attracted to Common Cathedral, if only for a few minutes, because of its
simple charm. Regardless of whether you believe in a God or not, there is something comforting about being told by a
kindly sandal-wearing teacher in a park that things are going to be OK ... and that somebody will always love you.
The Boston Common area is one of the hubs of the city. There are many stores in the nearby Downtown Crossing area, and
the pedestrian walkways are always crowded on weekends. It is close to the business district, so workers flood the
area during lunch break on weekdays as well.
And many people congregate in Boston Common. It's a large park that offers free movies, concerts and live plays, and
a place where rallies, demos, conferences and other gatherings are held. It's also a place where people simply like
to visit to play frisbee or to relax and enjoy the trees and the sun. It's large enough that there is always a patch of
empty grass that one can occupy.
On Sunday afternoons, there always seems to be a small group of people around a portable cross made of rough wood.
This is the "Common Cathedral." The people attending the service are no better dressed than the other people lounging
around the park, and many of them sit cross-legged on the grass or lean against a tree while listening to the
minister.
People shift in and out of the circle as they lose or gain interest. This doesn't seem to bother the minister or
the other audience members. My guess is that most of them are average parkgoers who have been intrigued by the
portable pulpit, but who are not particularly religious.
The minister I saw today wore Birkenstock sandals, so I knew she was not conservative. Her prayer shawl was not made
of fancy silk, but was a plain piece of fabric with a bunch of colorful handprints. Her language was simple, and it
seemed that the audience was entertained by her talk, as well as warmed by it. The "common" in Common Cathedral is
obviously a play on words linking Boston Common and the adjective, common, or one for all.
I've never listened to more than five minutes of a Common Cathedral sermon, so I don't know what the underlying
belief of the ministers is. However, I am intrigued by their nonaccusatory, nonhysteric tone, and how this can attract
an audience of people who are enjoying their day of rest.
I listened to the sandaled woman tell the people around her that God doesn't keep a tab of who has gone to church how
many times in order to separate good and bad people. She said that their being there at that moment was the most important
thing.
If it weren't for the cross and the sacrament at the pulpit, I would have thought it was a New Age philosophy group.
Audience members were even invited to share their own feelings.
It's surprising that a minister talking without a mike in large park can get any audience at all. Most of the people I
know are religious in name only. Of course, many of them are culturally attached to their religions and engage in holiday
rituals. Some even insist on marrying only somebody from the same religion, and others selectively decide to follow
certain rules (such as not eating pork).
However, when asked whether they actually go to their church, temple or mosque every week, most of them say, "No."
They certainly don't seem to make an effort to be celibate, which is a commandment in many world religions. Even the
central, "Do you believe in God?" often gets a "No."
I'm always a bit startled when I meet people who are honest about their faith, since most people I know either
don't have faith or wouldn't admit to it if they did.
I was standing in line at the cafeteria when I overheard the woman at the cash register tell one of the custodians
that she didn't have time to go to church every week. The custodian replied, "It's giving back an hour of all the hours
God gave us." I got the sense that he appreciated his blessings, and this moved me, even though I'm just as cynical
as anybody with regards to the supernatural.
I think people are attracted to Common Cathedral for a different reason, though. I have the feeling that even the most
worldly, well-read, urbane types can be attracted to Common Cathedral, if only for a few minutes, because of its
simple charm. Regardless of whether you believe in a God or not, there is something comforting about being told by a
kindly sandal-wearing teacher in a park that things are going to be OK ... and that somebody will always love you.
Shukan ST: Oct. 1, 1999
(C) All rights reserved
- hubs
- 中心
- pedestrian walkways
- 歩道
- 〜 flood 〜
- 〜 は 〜 で溢れる
- congregate
- 集まる
- rallies
- 集会
- conferences
- 会議
- gatherings
- 集まり
- play frisbee
- フリスビー(投げて遊ぶプラスチック製円盤)で遊ぶ
- patch of empty grass
- 芝生の空き地
- portable cross
- 持ち運びのできる十字架
- rough wood
- 生木
- service
- 礼拝
- lounging
- くつろいでいる
- cross-legged
- あぐらをかいて
- lean against 〜
- 〜 に寄りかかる
- minister
- 聖職者
- shift in and out of 〜
- 〜 から出たり入ったりする
- bother
- 気に障る
- average parkgoers
- 公園をよく訪れる普通の人
- have been intrigued by 〜
- 〜 に興味を持った
- pulpit
- 説教壇
- Birkenstock sandals
- 平底の皮製サンダル
- conservative
- 保守派の
- prayer shawl
- 礼拝時に掛ける肩衣
- fancy
- おしゃれな
- fabric
- 織物
- handprints
- 手形
- play on words linking 〜 and 〜
- 〜 と 〜 のごろ合わせ
- one for all
- 皆の
- sermon
- 説教
- underlying 〜
- 根底にある 〜
- nonaccusatory, nonhysteric tone
- 非難めいたり、感情的になったりしない口調
- keep a tab
- 記録をつける
- sacrament
- ミサ用のパン
- New Age philosophy group
- ニューエイジ哲学(西洋的価値観に対する批判から生まれた神秘主義)のグループ
- rituals
- 儀式
- selectively decide to follow 〜
- 〜 だけ守ろうと決める
- mosque
- イスラム教寺院
- be celibate
- 禁欲する
- commandment
- おきて
- (am)startled
- びっくりさせられる
- overheard
- 偶然聞いた
- cash register
- レジ
- custodians
- 守衛
- "It's giving back an hour of all the hours God gave us."
- 「神様が与えてくれた全時間に対して1時間お返しをすることだ」
- blessings
- 恵み
- cynical
- 皮肉な
- with regards to 〜
- 〜 に関して
- supernatural
- 超自然のもの
- the most worldly, well-read, urbane types
- 最も世故にたけ、知的な都会人
- comforting
- 心が安らぐ