Local artisan's gifts help bridge international divide in Iran

Dick Lehman, a potter from Goshen, has been making pottery for over 25 years. But rarely has his ceramic work been on such an international stage.

During a recent delegation of U.S. religious leaders to Iran, Lehman's handcrafted ceramic oil lamps were presented as gifts to Iranian leaders, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran.

The delegation - which was in Iran on February 19-25 - included representatives from the United Methodist, Episcopal, Catholic, Mennonite and Quaker churches, as well as representatives of Sojourners/Call to Renewal, Pax Christi and the National Council of Churches.

Along with handmade wall hangings, the delegation presented the oil lamps to the Iranians they met with throughout their visit. For the Iranians, the lamps are more than just beautiful ceramic pieces; they are symbols of prayer and hope.

"We were looking for something that symbolized what our delegation is about," said Ron Flaming, the leader of the delegation and Mennonite Central Committee's director of international programs. "As Christians, we feel called to pray for the leaders and for all peoples of our world. We saw the oil lamp as a concrete symbol and reminder of our commitment to uphold both Americans and Iranians in our prayers at this time."

According to Lehman, the ceramic works were part of his normal production schedule. "The common works were elevated to a higher purpose," said Lehman. "How remarkable is it that a rather unknown potter from Indiana might have the opportunity, through the symbol power of the lamps…to have a positive influence in a process that often seems so far away and so unaddressable."

The delegation, which was jointly organized by MCC and the American Friends Service Committee, hoped to deepen dialogue between religious and political leaders in Iran, in hopes of defusing tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

Lehman wrote a poem to accompany each of the oil lamps that speaks poignantly to the occasion:
"Each time we light a lamp we have the opportunity to begin anew with hope.
To share light with another is
to bless and be blessed
to forgive and be forgiven
to love and be loved.
to make peace and to share peace.
May we all light our lamps each day."

In a statement released by the delegation upon their return, the group calls on the U.S. and Iranian governments to immediately engage in direct, face-to-face talks and to cease using language that defines the other using "enemy" images.

Lehman also made lamps for a delegation to Iraq several years ago, and since then he has made many similar ones for American congregations.

For more information on the delegation, and to view the official statement from the delegation, go to mcc.org/iran/delegation/.