GLADSTONE — On Sunday, November 7, the Hannahville Indian Community, Trinity Episcopal Church of Gladstone, and the Great Lakes Peace Center will come together to dedicate a Peace Pole and Labyrinth on the grounds of Trinity Episcopal Church in Gladstone. The event takes place at 2 p.m.. There will be a sharing of different traditions, including songs and drumming, followed by prayers that peace will prevail. Afterwards, there will be a meal for all who are present.

The Peace Pole represents hopes and goals that all three groups share. For Sue Gustafson, who works at the Hannahville Health Center, the pole embodies efforts they have made using Native Connections Grants to “help bring people together in an effort to promote healthy connections.” For Trinity Episcopal Church, putting up a Peace Pole arose out of the desire to create a sacred public prayer space on the grounds of the church. And for the Great Lakes Peace Center, it is a step toward one of the goals expressed in their Guiding Pillars, “The act of practicing peace is ultimately about the healing of self, family, neighborhood, town, city….by celebrating our diversity while honoring our shared humanity.”

The Peace Pole movement began in Japan in the 1950s and has spread around the world. Each pole carries the message, “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in multiple languages. The pole in Gladstone will carry the message in eight: Ojibwa, English, Spanish, French, German, Hebrew, Arabic, and Mandarin Chinese.

The pole will stand at the heart of a Labyrinth behind Trinity Episcopal Church. A labyrinth is similar to a maze, but without paths that branch off or dead end. It guides the walker on a long, slow path to the center that allows time for reflection. Labyrinths have used by numerous cultures and religions dating back thousands of years.

A common way to pray in a labyrinth is to focus on worship and praise as you walk toward the center, and then reflect on concerns you have, or a desire to help others, as you walk out. In the case of the Trinity labyrinth, the walker will encounter the Peace Pole when they reach the center. Hopefully, it will encourage reflection upon the idea of World Peace as they walk out.

“The Peace Pole and the Labyrinth, as well as a Little Free Library were made possible through an Episcopal Evangelism Grant, and are open to the community, but as wonderful as they are, the event itself has importance beyond just the physical structures being dedicated,” organizers said. “The dedication is a significant, first joint event between the Hannahville Indian Community and the people of Trinity Episcopal Church. It is just one step, but it shows that steady, hard-earned progress is being made in building positive relationships in Upper Michigan. Relationships that respect the dignity of every human being and progress that promotes peace and unity.

Friday’s event will be attended by members of the Hannahville Indian Community, the staff of the Great Lakes Peace Center, and Bishop Rayford Ray and members of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper Michigan. The public is invited to attend.