“Tragic irony” is a term often overused. On 20 August in Benburb priory, a group of Buddhists attempted a vow of silence as around 80 Bahá'ís from all over Northern Ireland gathered for a “community feast”. We can only apologise meekly , as the result, while not being tragic, was definitely not silent either.
The day started at about 10 am, Bahá'í time. Tea and biscuits greeted sleepy eyed travellers as they trickled into the Benburb stables. By about 11 am, the place was filling nicely and we moved to the lovely old con-ference room to start. After a brief and heartfelt talk by Edwin about our dear friend Beman Khoshravi, the devotional commenced. The atmosphere was very relaxed, and there were smiles all around by its conclusion.
The main session consisted of a series of short talks by youth about their year of service, as one of the themes of the gathering was sustainable development. It was original and refreshing to see young new faces take centre stage and bring their unique styles into play. Their experiences were both inspiring and entertaining, with the audience often bursting into laughter.
Lunch followed the talks, with soup and rolls to supplement our pack lunches. In the afternoon there were workshops on basket-weaving, stained glass, and ornate box-making, as well as a walk in the woods. Attendance wasn’t compulsory, and while the workshops were well attended, others chose to chat in the sunshine or wander around the grounds. The International Tree Foundation had a meeting at this time as well, after which they joined in the merriment. Afnan hosted a quiz in the courtyard, with some of the questions sparking interesting discussions in the various groups.
Dinner promptly followed, prepared by Sina and Bruce, the latter sporting a very fetching apron. It was lovely to all sit at the same table, the room alive with talking and laughter. One really felt part of a community. Music outside followed dinner, with Les and Alan in fine form, after which people continued to mingle and chat until it was time to leave, with people slowly departing until Benburb was finally fit for a vow of silence.
The purpose of the community feast was to provide a relaxed, informal and fun environment for Bahá'ís and their friends to socialise, and this seemed to happen from beginning to end! Let’s hope this is the first of many such gatherings, and that they evolve as the community does. Special thanks to Lucinda and Sina for the cooking, Sarah, Ian and Allison for the workshops, Edwin and the youth for the talks, and Lewis for the devotional and Robert for the photographs and video.
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