HEMISPHERES:
You’ve always been interested in active
viewers who take part in the things you’re interested in. So
how can viewers of this series take part and empower some
of their leaders, particularly those around theworldworking
toward interfaithpeaceand interfaith relations, ata timewhen
it seems all we hear about is religious conflict?
WINFREY:Forme,faith isnot justaboutpreachingandexhort-
ingbutabouttakingrisksanddoing. Imean, the imamandthe
pastor inNigeria [formerenemiesnowworking together for
interfaithpeace]—lookat the risks that they took in coming
together. You can see, evenas theygo into the crowds, how
thepeoplearestaringatthem.They’re indisbelief, too! Inthat
moment, I think, awall comes down. Thebest I cando—the
bestwecandoasstorytellersandfilmmakers—istoshowthat
thewall cancomedown. And if theycando it, imaginewhat
youcando.Sothenexttimeyourun intoapersonwho is“the
other,”whereverthathappenstobe—inyourneighborhood, in
theworkplace, inyourfamily,even—justbecomea littlemore
open. I think thepastorand imamdoexactlywhat I’vebeen
tryingtodothroughothershows,andspecificallywhat Ihave
the intention todowith thisseries:dropapieceof light right
there inthemiddleofyourconsciousness.Thewholepurpose
of everyoneof these stories is toopen theheart space just
a littlebit. Itdoesn’tmatterhow longyousitandmeditate—I
meditateeverymorning.What is it for if itdoesn’tallowyou
tomove through theworld in amore calmed and centered
space?Tome, that’s the true testofwhatfaith is:Howdoes it
allowyou tobehave in theworld?
HEMISPHERES:
Clearly, you still see aplace for religion.
WINFREY: Oh, absolutely. I think even in your spiritual
practice, if youbringa level of religiosity to it—where there
is order and there is ritual—it becomes enhanced. There is
certainlyaway tocombine thebestofboth,becausereligion
without spirituality is just doctrine, and spiritualitywithout
somesenseofdisciplineandorderdoesnotbringyouthe level
ofconsistencyandcontinuedpeace. I’vebeen inastatewhere
Iwasn’tgoing tochurch, Iwasn’tmeditating, Iwasn’thaving
anorderedspiritualpractice,and Ifeltabit lost. Ifelt loosened
from thecenter, from thecore, from thesourceof life,which
IcallGod. I leadabetter life,and Iamabetterperson,when I
haveareligiouspracticethatstemsfrommyspiritualbeliefs.
HEMISPHERES:
Canyou tell usaboutyour spiritual journey?
WINFREY: Iwas adie-hardBaptist. TheChristian church is
my foundation. It ismy rock. It’s the reason that I becamea
televisionpersonality.Mypreparation formy career began
standing in front of a churchwith30pews. My first public
speakingwas in thechurch.My first speechwas “Jesus rose
onEasterDay, Hallelu! Hallelu! All theangelsdidproclaim.”
But Iwastaughttobelievethatyouneverquestionanything.
Itwas inaskingthosequestions, thatwaswhatopenedmeto
a largerviewofthegrandeur, themajestyandthemysteryof
God—and that therearenowholeanswers. That’swhenmy
spiritual journeyactuallybegan.So, inaseriesofexperiences
thathappenedtome, Istartedtoaskquestions.And itcreated
anopennesstoGod,anopennesstomyfaithandanopenness
to life that reallyhasbeenmy journeyandcontinues tobea
partofmy journey. I amnowherewithout faith.
REZAASLAN
is a religious scholar andNewYorkTimes best-
selling author. He teaches creativewriting at the University
of California, Riverside.
“ITDOESN’TMATTER
HOWLONGYOUSITAND
MEDITATE—IMEDITATE
EVERYMORNING.WHAT
IS ITFOR IF ITDOESN’T
ALLOWYOUTOMOVE
THROUGHTHEWORLD
INAMORECALMED
ANDCENTEREDSPACE?”
OPRAHWINFREY
THEHEMI Q&A
