Maine Voices Live: Brother Arnold talks about the Shaker life, spiritual and otherwise
Brother Arnold, as he calls himself, spoke in Portland before a sold-out crowd Tuesday about his life as one of the last three living Shakers in the world. He lives at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester, the sole remaining active Shaker community.
Arnold Hadd, who joined the Shakers more than 40 years ago at just 21 years old, spoke with eloquence, expertise and humor as part of the Portland Press Herald’s MaineVoices Live series, which is held at One Longfellow Square.
Brother Arnold fielded questions from the audience and interviewer Press Herald Food Editor Peggy Grodinsky that ranged from “Do Shakers vote?” (yes, but they don’t talk politics) to how he came to - and was willing to - give up a so-called “normal” life and all it entails (career, belongings, having a family, sexual relations, etc.) to live a religious, communal life.
Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village was established more than 200 years ago and was one of three Shaker communities in Maine. Today, it encompasses a museum, library, meetinghouse, shop, orchards, farm and gardens. To Brother Arnold and his fellow Shakers, it is home.
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From age 17-21, I spent four years working at the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community (SDL) from the fall of 1974 to the fall of 1978, the last year contemporaneous with Brother Arnold's arrival at SDL. My passion was working in the Herb Department which became the platform for my career now in its 45th year. My profession, encompassing the diversity of the global herbal realm, began at SDL. I also lived in the Community and was embraced as a member of the Shaker Family at SDL, describing my relationship as a brother to the Shakers, rather than a Shaker brother. All human flaws and judgements aside, that time is a touchstone of meaningful evolution and experience that still has a positive effect on my daily life 40+ years on. Life lessons learned. In this interview, Brother Arnold, with his expression of detailed reverence for Shaker tradition and history, provides an excellent foundation for beginning to understand the Shakers and their human complexity. To quote Deepak Chopra, "It is not necessary to judge."
@noelleangelus
10 ай бұрын
What a tremendous gift you received!
@rayo7617
2 ай бұрын
Very encouraging and neutral feedback brother.
nicely said