A sea of fabrics has taken over the Library Loggia, bringing with them a flood of information about some major religions around the world.
The Golden Rule quilt exhibit is now on display in the Library Loggia, part of an ongoing tradition at Sinclair. These beautifully woven quilts represent many faiths, from Christianity and Buddhism to Islam, Judaism, Yoruba, Taoist, Sikh, Wicca, Zoroastrian and many more.
The Multifaith Campus Ministry office sponsors the Golden Rule quilt display, which is usually displayed at the Dayton International Peace Museum. Sinclair professor Kathy Rowell arranged for the quilts to be brought to campus from Jan. 22 through Feb. 1.
Each quilt represents a specific religion, with little blocks of informational text woven into intricate designs and patchwork. The whole display is a beautiful array of colors, patterns and ideas.
These unique quilts were created by a group of local Dayton women in response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The unifying factor of the quilts, and where the display receives its name, is a concept referred to as the golden rule.
The golden rule is a basic principle that must be followed in order to achieve success in a given activity or environment, and in the context of the quilts, the golden rule is to treat others as you wish to be treated.
In addition to the quilt display, the Multifaith Campus Ministry organized two events that tie into the display. One of these has already passed, a presentation by professor Kathy Rowell which talked about some human needs that religion explores to meet.
The second event, called “Faith Fair,” will take place on Wednesday Jan. 30, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event will be a large conversation between people from multiple faith communities.
Chaplain Larry Lindstrom hopes that “the combination of quilts and conversation with members of different faith groups will enlarge our perspective on life and what it means to live it more fully.”
The very first quilt in the display, and the only one that doesn’t pertain to any specific faith, welcome visitors to the display with a simple message:
“Travel back in time to see where and when the world’s major faiths began, you may be surprised to see the common roots they share.”
These words, written in faded text on a rainbow background that’s stitched into a rich black quilt, convey the display’s theme of unity. As Lindstrom said:
“We hope that visitors will have a chance to engage with different faiths and see this important common ground we all share—the call to treat others with respect and compassion.”
Cerridwyn Kuykendall
Managing Editor