[Dialogue] Some Reflections

[Charles or Doris Hahn]

Some Reflections

As I tried to gather my thoughts after the first
revelation of the November actions of the Board of the
ICA, I realized first and foremost that I had only the
vaguest understanding of how the ICA is structured in
any of the many places and countries where it works.
1) I knew that since the Global Council of 1984
“primary units” had gone their own way and that within
each country these units (provided there was more than
one in a given country) figured out how to relate to
one another. 2) I did know that there was one Board of
Directors in the United States, but I did not know how
it actually played out its role. 3) I was even less
knowledgeable about the Ecumenical Institute in the
21st century. I tended to lump everything under the
wing of the ICA. 4) I have visited the Kemper Building
several times during the past 20 years, but I was not
clear that many of my colleagues who live there had no
primary relationship to the ICA. Then, there was
Phoenix, with people living together and apart; Denver
which I really didn’t know at all; and some separate
families (like the Grows, who had some stunning
accomplishments) that worked under the ICA flag. 5) I
knew that the ICA International had moved its office
to Canada and was busy trying to organize itself to
play some sort of legal (and symbolic) role for
various national entities of the ICA—that seemed to me
to be a good idea. 6) I have an understanding of “the
Order,” but whether that matches up with anyone else’s
understanding, I can’t say. And that pretty well sums
up what I know about things to this very moment.

Now, for a couple of reflections—one more personal and
the other more contextual:

1) People have been scared, and people have been hurt.
And those who have been hurt, feel betrayed on the one
hand and abandoned on the other. The silence following
the Board’s first announcement seemed puzzling (even
though I was in the silent camp). No doubt, we all
knew that what had been done could not be undone. At
that moment, maybe the better part of wisdom was to
let it be.

In times of pain, anger and distrust, I try to remind
myself that the name I give the situation defines my
relationship to the event. Then I try to recast things
so that I am neither victim nor irresponsible genius.
Finding a name that takes into account as much truth
as possible is always releasing for me, and creating
an appropriate symbol helps me to live life in a new
(and sometimes healing) light.

2) The world of 1954 at the time of the Evanston
Council of Churches and the first rustlings of The
Ecumenical Institute (Chicago) can hardly be imagined
from our present vantage point. E.I. served well, but
it seems to me that the ICA became a far more
authentic vehicle for spirit ecumenism in the 70’s and
to the present day—and perhaps the future. I attend
church, and I live out of our theological insights
(more and less faithfully), but the church just
doesn’t seem comprehensive enough to play the role of
a global spirit vessel in our present world. I don’t
intend to imply that the ICA is THE answer; still it
has viable global experience and is doing some
creative work.

These are simply my present reflections. Certainly, I
don’t ask you to agree, but maybe it’s worth saying.

Grace and Peace (what a great secular/religious phrase
that is!),

Doris Hahn