“Brilliant,” “Hilarious,” “A Bridge of Eastern & Western Wisdom.” Rabbi Rami Shapiro has been called all these things, as well as “teacher,” “author” and “Holy Rascal.”
Everyone will have several opportunities to hear Rabbi Rami, as he is commonly known, during “Engaging the Heart of Spirituality in the Hub City of the South” on Sunday, Feb. 10, and Monday, Feb. 11, in Hattiesburg.
Rabbi Rami is a renowned teacher of spirituality across faith traditions and an award-winning author of multiple books, essays and columns. His visit to the Hub City gives those of diverse backgrounds a chance to engage in multiple languages and appreciate the commonalities in all our lives.
“To me, religions are like languages: no language is true or false,” Rami said. “All languages are of human origin; each language reflects and shapes the civilization that speaks it; there are things you can say in one language that you cannot say as well in another; and the more languages you speak, the more nuanced your understanding of life becomes. Judaism is my mother tongue, yet in matters of the spirit I strive to be multilingual.”
Rabbi Rami was invited to Hattiesburg by Brian Ford, a member Parkway Heights United Methodist Church, who learned about Rami by reading his book, “Perennial Wisdom for the Spiritually Independent.”
Ford, along with Rev. David Sellers of The Open Door Community; Bruce Case, lead pastor at Parkway Heights; and Dr. Sam Bruton, with the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Southern Mississippi, believed others would find Rami’s teaching spoke to them as well.
n The first opportunity to hear Rabbi Rami is from 4:30-6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10. He will hold a Conversation about Addiction and Recovery at The Open Door Community, 2180 Oak Grove Road, Hattiesburg.
n A Conversation about Perennial Wisdom will take place at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10, at Parkway Heights, 2420 Hardy Street, Hattiesburg. A free meal will be offered that night, but reservations are requested. Anyone interested should email parkwayheights@parkwayheights.org or visit parkwayheights.org to register.
n At noon Monday, Feb. 11, Parkway Heights will hold a Midday Meditative Practice with Rami at the church.
n Coffee and Conversation with Rami will take place from 3:30 until 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, at TBones Records and Café, 2101 Hardy Street, Hattiesburg. Copies of some of Rami’s books will be available for sale.
n The final opportunity to hear Rami will take place at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. “Perennial Wisdom: The Shared Truth” is part of the university’s Philosophy and Religion Spring Forum and will be held in the Gonzales Auditorium of the Liberal Arts Building, located at 1999 Pearl Street in Hattiesburg.
All of these interfaith discussions are open to the public. Parkway Heights is hosting the events and invites everyone who wants to “Engage the Heart of Spirituality” to attend. Learn more about the events at parkwayheights.org.
