The Greeting of Peace

Story for all ages:

Once upon a time there was a child who lived in Nepal at the top of the world, where the tallest mountain on earth, Mount Everest is. Mount Everest towers above the clouds. This child had promised her father, who was a mountain guide (called a Sherpa), that she would find a way to help make the world a better place.

Every day, she walked through her village to go to school. She met people on their way to the market with things to sell. She met people who had come to her village to hike up the great mountain. She met monks on their way to the monastery. After school, she would see people going home with the things they had purchased. She would see people who had come down from the mountain top, tired, hungry and exhilarated. She would see monks going home after praying and studying all day.

Whenever she saw someone, she would bring her hands together with her fingers almost touching her chin, slightly bowing her head, and say "Namaste". Her mother had told her that “Namaste” means “the light in me greets the light in you”. Her mother had also told her, "When you say “Namaste”, try to see the special spark that shines within every person's heart."

So, she did that.

She learned to see with her heart the special spark of light that was within everyone she greeted. When she said her greeting, she could feel that special light inside her own heart. Seeing and feeling that light made the world brighter for everyone.

She helped to make the world a better and brighter place.

Let’s try it. [end of children's story]

What can you do to make the world a better place? ...a brighter, more just and peaceful place?

You can write letters to politicians and editors. You can march, make speeches and make phone calls, advocate for change. You can support worthy causes with donations of time and money. You can do the work of justice. You can feed the hungry. There are so many things that need to be done to make the world a better place. We do so many of those things...

Yet, there is always the question; will what we do to create justice make a difference?

We certainly hope so. Yet, all of the world’s religions teach that nothing really changes until our hearts change.

All the world’s religions teach that the essence of making the world a better is found in practicing compassion, mercy and gentleness ...loving your neighbor as yourself.

Making the world a better place is not about right thinking or correct dogma, not about “belonging” to the right religion. It is certainly not about what you own or what you control. It is not about the causes you support. It is about being in compassionate, merciful, gentle relationship with yourself and with your neighbor.

“Sikhism teaches that compassion, mercy and religion are the support of the entire world.”

“Gandhi said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

Buddhism teaches that the essence of Buddhahood is the great compassionate heart.

Jesus said “blessed are the peace makers, the merciful and the gentle”

The Yoruba of Nigeria say that gentle character enables the rope of life to stay unbroken in one’s hand.

The Prophet Mohammed when asked what was the best thing in Islam, responded, “It is to feed the hungry and to give the greeting of peace both to those one knows and to those one does not know.”

Every time we pass another person, we have another opportunity to “brighten” the world.

Too often, we let that opportunity to make peace, to gently touch the spark of light within the other, slip by....

During Sunday Services many congregations familiar with the teachings of the world’s religions set aside time to greet each other, as do we. In some traditions this part of a service is called “passing the peace”. Whatever it is called it is a time when movement or gestures (hand holding, hugging, moving around the space, even kissing) are used to acknowledge that “we” are one, at peace with each other, joined by a common spirit that touches us all.

Almost every Sunday morning, for a while now, we have taken a few moments to greet each other. I hear you say; “hello, good morning, glad to see you”. I see some of you reach out to someone you don’t know, to welcome them here. I see some of you walk across the room to greet each other. Sometimes, I see what I interpret as body language that says that some of you are uncomfortable! Crossing your arms in front of your chest, you say; “don’t touch me!” And, sometimes, I hear some of you express more than greetings! .....whole conversations about church or personal “business” go on!

Rather than a time to simply honor the Spirit of Life that is in us and among us, a time to practice “radical inclusiveness”, our greeting time to define or re-define an exclusive circle. Some are in, some are out. Some touch or welcome touch. Some don’t. Some are “honored” with conversation, some aren’t. This exclusivity happens all the time!

Perhaps, we can practice more intentionality in recognizing and honoring the Spirit of Life... that still small voice...that is within EVERYONE!

So much of all of our daily lives are spent struggling to be heard, competing with our colleagues or co-workers, even our family members. We spend so much time soothing our own hurts, justifying and defending ourselves and our actions. So much time separate, alone.... Our precious time is spent, as one UU minister puts it, “dwelling together in irritation, annoyance, fatigue, frustration, intimidation, and resentment.”

Every week we come here to be set right again, to be reminded of who we really want to be... we promise in our affirmation...

“to dwell together in peace”

What do we need to change to make it so?

Maybe we can use the gesture and word “Namaste”, to say to each other “the light within me (the still, small voice within me) honors the light within you.”

Bringing both palms of the hands before the heart, and lightly bowing the head, it is a humble, simple greeting. It origins are from the two Sanskrit words, nama and te. Te means you. Nama means to bend or to bow, or to honor the other. The word "nama" has parallels in many ancient languages, in Greek, Latin, Saxon, German.

Na signifies negation and ma represents mine, put together they mean 'not mine'. The significance is that one is not honoring another ego with one’s own ego, or bestowing something one has on another, but rather that one is bowing to the Spirit of Life that resides in the other and in the self, that neither one own, but rather both participate in, that is within, between, among....

Simply put, Namaste means; “the God in me greets the God in you” or “the Spirit in me meets the same Spirit in you”. “Peace be with you....and with you”

In other words, Namaste acknowledges and recognizes the equality of all, and pays honor to the sacredness of all. It is a gesture that moves our focus from the head to the heart, from the self...to the universe.

Joining the five fingers of the left hand with the five fingers of the right hand signifies harmony and balance.

Hindu’s say Namaste is like chanting a mantra, the sacred sound is believed to have magical value because the sound aligns with the vibration of the cosmos.

Even though in many parts of the world, Namaste is like saying “hi, glad to see you”, a signal of recognition and an expression of happiness at the sight of the other...many also know it is much more than that.

Putting the hands together is understood to be like a knife, so that people may cut through all differences that may exist, and immediately get to the shared ground that is common to all peoples of all cultures.

Try it!

How would it change your outlook, your heart, if you greeted everyone you pass from your heart?