by Father Frank Mann
The Tablet Forum is back in full swing and has found a new home! On May 10, at 7 p.m., at Christ the King R.H.S., Middle Village, (in the Hugh P. Kirwan Performing Arts Center), the ever-popular Tablet Forum will offer a riveting presentation that seeks to uplift the heart, inspire the spirit and motivate the attendees.
The Tablet Forum will host the New York City premiere of a powerful film, “Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home.” This gathering will be an energizing evening of hope, transformation and healing – and hopefully, a life-changing experience. The documentary has been the recipient of multiple awards (including The Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Yale Environmental Film Festival and the Best Documentary Award from Chicago’s Peace on Earth Film Festival). It explores the awakening conscience of several individuals who grew up spending most of their lives in traditional farming culture and have evolved to question the basic assumptions of their way of life.
“Peaceable Kingdom” is presented through soul-stirring woven tapestries of memories, music and breathtaking accounts of life-altering moments. It provides insight into the farmers’ amazing connections with the animals under their care. Interwoven with the farmers’ stories is the dramatic animal rescue work of a newly trained humane police officer whose sense of justice puts her at odds with the law she is charged to uphold. This film presents strikingly honest interviews and rare footage demonstrating the emotional lives and intense family bonds of farm animals. It invites viewers to reconsider stereotypical notions of farmers, farm life, and perhaps most surprisingly, the animals themselves.
Called to Protect and Respect God’s Creatures
The Tablet Forum is likewise intended to reflect and honor the refreshing spirit and vision of our new Holy Father, Pope Francis. In the homily at his inaugural Mass, the pope issued a strong appeal for the protection of the environment and the defense of the weakest members of society, urging the world to shun, “the omens of destruction and death.” He stated, “We are called to protect and respect each of God’s creatures and likewise respect the environment in which we live.”
This Tablet Forum promises to be a pilgrimage to an enlightened consciousness! The evening will also feature a communal (audience) discussion and dialogue with the producer and director of the documentary, James LaVeck and Jenny Stein. We will likewise be joined by one of the film’s subjects, Harold Brown.
The Tablet is most grateful for the red-carpet treatment that has already been extended to the Forum by Christ the King’s administration. Special thanks to Michael Michel, president, and Alice Wenz, director of public relations. Their hospitality has been warm, inviting and enthusiastic.
Next week, The Tablet will publish a feature story by LaVeck. As always, tickets for the Forum are free and can be obtained by sending an e-mail to ewilkinson@diobrook.org or by sending a request via postal mail to The Tablet Forum, 1712 10th Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215. Free tickets may also be obtained at http://www.tribeofheart.org/nyctix.