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Out on a School Night: "In God's Name"
April 30, 2008

I wear quite a few different hats: blogger, vlogger, critic, erstwhile journalist -- and mom, too. In between online entries and obsessive-compulsive checking of gossip sites, I make time for things like cobbling together a colonial-day costume from items in the attice (how the standards have fallen...my own mother whipped up carefully sewn aprons, mobcaps, fichus, and calico skirts back in the day). Somehow I have to figure out how to make a mobcap out of an old doll's lace-trimmed petticoat, and last night, frustrated in my attempts, I decided I'd Had Enough. I would leave the dratted sewing and head downtown for a book event.

Not just any book event, mind you, but an event for a book I care deeply about. In God's Name: Wisdom from the World's Great Spiritual Leaders by Jules and Gedeon Naudet is out from National Geographic and Melcher Media. The Naudet brothers are remarkable men whose "9/11," a documentary shot in situ on that tragic day, has touched the hearts and minds of many people. Jules and Gedeon, their own hearts and minds having been irrevocably changed by their experiences on September 11, 2001, decided that their next project would be an exploration of spirituality. They produced a documentary, now a book, about that subject.

Full disclosure: in a recent previous life, wearing one of my many hats, I worked on promoting this book. I am no longer in that position and I have nothing to gain right now by telling you about it; I simply love this book and want to share it with as many people as possible. The Naudets interviewed the Pope (unprecedented!); the Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yonah Metzger; the Dalai Lama; Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury; and Michihis Kitashirakawa, the Jingu Daiguji of the Shinto, among others. They asked each man (and woman -- although the "club" of great spiritual leaders is largely male, Amma the Hindu "hugging saint" is here, too) the same set of questions: Who is God? What is evil? Can different religions coexist? Combined with beautiful and sensitive photos of each spiritual leader at rest, in prayer, at home, and in worship, this book's text has a calming effect.

Last night Jules Naudet spoke at the 6th & I Synagogue in D.C. (check out 6th & I's speakers program...last week they had 550 people come out for Geraldine Brooks!) and presented a slide show of photos from the book while he provided anecdotes from the remarkable experience of working on it.

My favorite: Jules said that when they were given permission to interview the Dalai Lama, it was for 45 minutes. He and his brother thought, why not ask for a bit more time? When they did, the Dalai Lama said all right, you may join me at 3 a.m. tomorrow morning for my daily meditation.

When the Naudets and their team (photographer Stephan Crasneanscki and interviewer Virginie Luc) showed up in the wee small hours, they found the Dalai Lama in apparently deep repose. He inclined his head slightly and opened an eye and said "Hello." The team scurried to take their places so they could take photographs without disturbing the great holy man.

Just then, the Dalia Lama inclined his head towards the east (his home faces Tibet) where the sun was just beginning to peek over the Himalayas. Without cracking a smile or breaking his pose, he said "That will make for a great shot."

If you ever wondered about the human side of our world's great religious leaders, take a look at In God's Name. There is something in here for each of us, whether we are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto, or just plain doubtful.

I didn't get home until after 9.30, and I still haven't finished that dratted mobcap...but I think it's OK.

Posted by Bethanne Patrick on April 30, 2008 | Comments (3)