News & Observer | newsobserver.com | Acts of Faith: 2006

AOF1.LI.052706.EDH
June 2, 2006 Staff photo by Ethan Hyman
Every day as part of her 20-minute spiritual exercise, Sherry Ward starts by singing the word "Hu." "Hu is an ancient, sacred name for God," explains Ward, a member of the Eckankar clergy. Eckankar, which believers call the religion of the light and sound of God, is an ancient teaching that resurfaced in 1965, Ward says. "It opens my consciousness," Ward says. "I am singing Hu as a form of a love song to God." Though most days Ward does her spiritual exercise in a room in her home in North Raleigh, she says singing Hu can be done anytime. "It helps center you and relax you," Ward says. "People of any faith or no faith can sing Hu themselves for spiritual upliftment. … Singing Hu is what gives me life." More information on Hu and Eckankar is at www.eckankar-nc.org.
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About This Project


Ethan Hyman
"Acts of Faith" explores the different belief systems that co-exist in the Triangle area. Ten years of heavy migration has brought many new faiths to the region, turning the Bible Belt home of Billy Graham into a spiritual coat of many colors. Mosques, Buddhist and Hindu temples, Sikh Gurudwaras, synagogues and scores of Christian churches have become spiritual and social centers for a radically changing population. The demographic shift has pushed congregations to find innovative ways to keep their members while attracting new arrivals. "Acts of Faith" was born as a way to show this new religious diversity and analyze the role spirituality plays in people's daily lives.


Pailin Wedel
When covering an event for Acts of Faith, we look for situations that evoke strong emotion and try to bring readers into the moment. Though holidays and major celebrations are important, we also look for unexpected expressions of faith and quieter moments of solitary exploration. We hope to give readers insight into the breadth and depth of faith by showing how people incorporate it into their everyday lives.


Ted Richardson
For two years, Sher Stoneman and Susana Vera produced this column. In 2004, they handed it over to Ethan Hyman, Scott Lewis and Lisa Lauck. In 2005, Ted Richardson replaced Scott Lewis on this project. In 2006, Pailin Wedel replaced Lisa Lauck.

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