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Idea of the Month: August |
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Written by Sally Mahe
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Thursday, 10 August 2006 |
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Page 2 of 5
Excerpt from a letter from Ariana, a young adult living in Cyprus who participated in recent URI Interfaith Leadership Retreat
Dear Friends,
I am writing simply to remind you as I have been reminding myself, not to be desensitized by the continual bombardment of violence that we are surrounded by. There are thousands of terrified people dependent upon the pressure of the international community to stop what is happening in the Middle East. Let us not go about our days, our programs, our schedules and jobs without thinking about the fate of these people, our friends, our neighbors, our fellow human beings. We may not be experiencing their pain but we need to keep our eyes and hearts open to them in these moments of struggle and suffering. Please speak up. Talk to friends. Talk to politicians, voice your compassion and concern for the people of Lebanon and Israel that are caught in the middle of this conflict.
I know that you all have different belief systems and spiritual paths, but I truly believe, and I think many of you will support me on this one, that one way we can help is through prayer. In my faith we say that even if the recipient of the prayer cannot feel its effect, there is a strong and lasting effect when we utter a prayer, whatever our religious or spiritual orientation.
This letter is a request that you all take a few moments out of your busy days to say at least one heartfelt prayer for this situation to be dealt with immediately before any more destruction takes place, before any more innocent people are killed by war games. The power of spiritual support is just as strong as physical and political action and we should not undermine it effects. So I ask you—in the US, in the UK, in Africa, in Greece, in Cyprus, in Italy, in Portugal, and all the other countries where you live at this moment—to take a few moments and reflect on our common humanity, on our common world, and on our individual responsibility and power to effect change in this world. It might be small, but individuals can and do make a difference, and the more of us that are pushing for positive change, the faster it will come.
2. Open Heart Prayer by Nadia, URI Coordinator, Africa
“The heart is like a flower—unless it is open it cannot release its fragrance into the world. The fragrance of the heart is made up of the qualities and virtues of our spirit. Most of us have learned how to keep our heart closed in a world that would trample all over us if we let it. Being open hearted today seems to require tremendous courage. It is a courage which comes only when we realize that no one can hurt us, no matter what they say or do. They may hurt our body, but if we have realized we are spirit, nothing outside can touch us, if we so decide. Little by little, practice opening your heart to those you think have hurt you. Realize it wasn't them that hurt you, it was yourself. And it taught you not to trust and you closed your heart. A closed heart is in need of opening. And when you do, you will have begun to heal yourself.”
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 17 August 2006 )
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