Sarah Oliver Environment, Interfaith, Peace

Prayer is not a part time pass time. It is a full time awareness.

On the 14th May, CTII responded to the call from the The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF), calling on religious leaders and faithful around the world to a day of fasting, prayers and supplications for the good of all humanity for an end to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Kirtanya Lutchminarayan, shared these powerful words below as part of this event: 

Namaste, the divine in me greets the divine in you.

On this International Day of prayer I’d like to start by first questioning, what is prayer? Growing up I always wondered whether God would punish me if I didn’t light the lamp, go to the temple or pray daily. But as I grew and learnt and delved deeper into my faith and that of those around me, I realised what prayer is not. Prayer is not a fear-based practice, it is not just specific to a time or place, it is not licensed beggary, and it is not remembering God when it is just convenient to us.

Prayer is not a part time pass time. It is a full time awareness.

The most loved people I have met were those living not out of fear, but with love, those who have questioned and acted in devotion of what was important, those who can say that the sky is the roof of their temple and the earth is the floor. Prayer is in the daily values we live, treating others as your very own. Prayer is the kindness you show to others, it is also your actions once you leave your place of worship. Prayer is thinking about those with less than ourselves and acting to help them, even if their beliefs are different. Prayer goes beyond the seen, beyond logic and rationality and can change you and touch lives in ways unimaginable.

As an environmentalist, taking care of nature is my greatest worship, and as a born Hindu, it aligns with the belief that the divine dwells within every being and in every atom. I believe that the absence of a reverence for life and nature is a major reason we find our world in its current state. The primary cause of the current pandemic is that we are commodifying nature more rapidly than ever before. Head over heart is not a winning formula in this case. Humanity has seen animals as resources, we are discarding the living libraries locked in our ancestors and advancing at a rate faster than we can cope.

Our minds have become enlightened by science and technology yet dulled by a system steeped in power, status, selfishness and. We have forgotten the Fibbonacci, a connecting thread running through us and our planet, the sacredness of everything around us, of ourselves, and what makes us human. Our seemingly small actions have amassed to chaos and we have created a mountain with our molehills. The world around is reflective of our inner worlds and actions.

This is called the Butterfly Effect. The phenomenon whereby a minute localized change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere. It refers to a situation in which an action or change that does not seem important has a very large effect, especially in other places or around the world: Even slight imbalances in starting conditions, lead to huge final variations in outcome because of the instability of the system. It is sometimes said that the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in one part of the world can cause a hurricane on the other side of the globe. A simple event (a wing flap) can cause a cascade of other events.

Likewise good vibrations, especially collective prayer and intention, can achieve mass benefits for humanity spreading a wave of peace and healing, that we need so desperately.

Indigenous cultures and civilisations like the Mayans, the Incas, Khoi San, Maoris, Native Americans and Indian Rishis all had similarities in their ways of living- they had a reverence and connection with the Earth and each other and this is being eroded in current times. In the book, The Tippping Point, by Malcom Gladwell, he speaks about the ‘The Law of the Few’ which explains that a very select group of people is responsible for the “tipping” of almost all social epidemics. We are those people- global citizens and people of faith – it’s time to keep tapping into our heart intelligence. Heart intelligence is to do with the term “Coherence” which used by scientists to describe a highly efficient physiological state in which the following systems, nervous, cardiovascular, hormonal and immune, are all working efficiently and harmoniously. It is the highest level of function where all our bodies are working together as one at an optimal performance level.

This happens when we use heart intelligence, or “flow of intuitive awareness”. When our emotions and mind are brought into coherent alignment with the heart, our brain and heart are operating in a synergetic way, it almost changes the cellular chemistry in our body and extends our energetic field. We then experience a deeper intuitive inner guidance. In other words, heart intelligence can also be defined as the ability of our heart to sync all of the systems of our body, mind and spirit to bring a higher state of awareness, and to bring more clarity and focus to our lives. When this happens, we can heal, and with this clarity and purity we have the ability for prayers to be answered and to be able to bless others.

Now is the time to use our hearts to heal, to bless, to pray and to act.

To conclude and really unpack what it takes to exude the divinity we so need on our world there are qualities of a divine person from scripture, The Bhagavad Gita. These are: fearlessness, purity of heart, perseverance in knowledge, charity, sense restraint, sacrifice, austerity, honesty, nonviolence, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, equanimity, abstaining from malicious talk, compassion for all creatures, freedom from greed, gentleness, modesty, splendor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, absence of malice, and absence of pride; These are the qualities of those endowed with divine virtues, and qualities that we can all aspire to for a healed world.

In Sanskrit we refer to Sankalpa, which refers to an intention formed by the heart and mind, but more a vow or commitment we make to support our highest truth. Today may we take a sankalpa of imbibing the above qualities and doing our best to be a beacon of light to those around us during challenging times.

May we have an intention of healing for the world, for our individual minds and collective consciousness, to move toward righteous action and for the best of all beings, so that we may live in peace, safety, health and unity.

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

“May all beings be happy and free from suffering. And may the thoughts, words, and actions
in my own life in some way contribute to that happiness and freedom for all.”

 – Kirtanya Lutchminarayan, 14 May 2020

Sarah Oliver Announcements, Peace

International Day of Prayer – 14 May

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CTII has responded to a call from The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF), urging religious leaders and the faithful around the world to observe a day of fasting, prayers and supplications for the good of all humanity on Thursday, May 14 for an end to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Endorsed by Pope Francis and Shaykh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, religious leaders and groups around the world will be honouring this day.

CTII, SAFCEI and Turquoise Harmony Institute invite you to join us as we heed the call via Zoom. Featuring Christian, Earth, Hindu, Jewish, Brahma Kumaris and other Sacred Expressions. We will be opening the mic for participation by all – prayers, poetry, healing thoughts are welcome.
Sarah Oliver Cape Town activities, Peace

International Day of Peace – DANCE!

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain!”

This quote epitomised our celebrations for International Day of Peace, as we joined Soul Circus and Faith Hope Love Communities in a joyful dance of Peace, despite the rainy weather! This event was the launch of Soul Circus’ Caravan journey of inspiring action from the Cape to Cairo. You can follow their incredible journey here.

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It was also our chance to celebrate International Day of Peace. As CTII we support the ideal of Peace by 2030 as outlined in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and we feel that Goal No 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions by 2030) is particularly close to our hearts. We will be doing all we can to implement this vision, along with our partner organisations at home and abroad!

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Sarah Oliver News Article, Peace

Someone Else’s Neighbour, someone else’s child – A Call to Action

3 September 2019

Someone Else’s Neighbour, someone else’s child. 

Rev Berry Behr

None of us is unaffected by the horrific killings of Uyinene Mrwetyana, Jesse Hess, Janika Mallo, Leighandre Jegels and so many others. Women are scared, there is pain in our hearts, and too much fear. Amahle Tabethe aged 8 is still missing. It’s been 4 months. We cry for the pain of people we have never met. Our men cry with us; they too feel the desperate trauma and the need for transformative change.  We are at war and if the war is to end, it is going to take effort from all of us.

This is a call not to wallow in the fear and the horror, but to uplift each other and to unite. We are still an immensely geographically fragmented society and it is easy for me living in Table View to think of Manenberg residents as someone else’s neighbours. Gangsters and their victims are someone else’s children. Lavender Hills is far, and what happens in Elsie’s River doesn’t really affect our lives. It’s easy, yes, but it’s not that simple. This is our city, and the word “our” is by definition inclusive. The horror is in the air that we breathe and there is no escape. We all feel the emotional turmoil, vulnerability and suspicion. Life will go on, but it is never the same. We are never the same, although we think the only people affected are those who are there, wherever “there” is. Until suddenly one day “there” is here in a quiet post office in suburbia and “they” are us.

What is our best response?

This is an invitation to take meaningful action, no matter how small. I believe in friendship as a superpower, because I believe that when we make friends we start to understand each other, and we see humanity in each other. At Cape Town Interfaith Initiative our job is helping Christians to understand Muslims, Muslims to understand Jews, Jews to understand Hindus, Hindus to understand Wiccans. When we make friends with each other, we protect each other from violence and harm. We stand up for each other. We have compassion, and we care. But how do we go about making friends in a fearful world?

Some ideas:

  • Show up. Commit to showing up at marches for peace, especially in unfamiliar areas. I marched in Athlone and felt the pain and shared the hope. I went again for a prayer vigil for Nene, Jesse, Meghan, Lynette and so many others. Cape Town, we need to support each other.
  • Make the effort to learn about Others. Get on the Bus! On Heritage Day, CTII’s bus will take an interfaith group on an interfaith tour. All ages and religions will be on board as we go from Shul to Temple to Church to Mosque, learning about each other’s religions and asking the questions you never dared to ask. We will be learning, making friends and having fun.
  • Participate and support – even if it means getting up early on a Saturday. On International Day of Peace (21 September) we meet at 07.30 at the African Brothers Football Academy in Scott Street. United in Peace we shall Dance a resounding send off to the SOUL Circus as it leaves on the road to Cairo. Imagine 21 day camp-outs in a series of communities where they will present upliftment and upskilling programmes. The ultimate vision is in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, specifically goal number 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions by 2030.
  • Be an active citizen. Add your voice, sign the Charter for Compassion. Join any of the many organisations working so tirelessly to hold back the wave. You have a skill, a brain, willing hands. Join us!
  • Watch your words. What you say is as important as what you don’t say. Don’t make gender jokes, don’t tolerate them. Don’t joke about rape, or sex, or body shame friends. An associate wrote: “The world has enough hate, and people have enough self esteem issues.” The problem with jokes about gender and race is that someone always loses and the system of otherising wins. That makes you complicit in broader social consequences.
  • Ask yourself, what will happen if I don’t speak up? I have two daughters. How will I ever look them in the eyes if I stay silent? I also have a son. I want him to be able to look fear in the eyes, and make the women around him feel safe. I want him to be safe.
  • Look for opportunities to celebrate. Share the joys of this world, they are a god-given tool for healing and they exist even in the midst of sadness – like the unity emerging from the tragedies. Treasure your loved ones.
  • Men are not the enemy. Perpetrators are men who must face the consequences of their actions, but these men are the pawns of the enemy. The enemy is an institutionalised social and political system in which injustices are so entrenched that often we don’t even recognise them. The enemy is an archaic and inhumane system of domination. Let’s adopt an attitude of curiosity towards our unconscious biases, and be grateful when we become conscious of them. Recognising the problem empowers us to solve it.

If you do not want to be involved in creating the peace we say we all want, then please don’t complain about the crisis of compassion we are facing. The least you can do is think and speak kindly about those who are doing their best to help. Your thoughts will create a field of positivity that will not only make you feel better, but will serve to encourage the rest of us.

Berry

 

Rev Berry Behr is the Chairperson of the Cape Town Interfaith Initiative and the Coordinator of the Charter for Compassion in South Africa. www.capeinterfaith.org.za

 

 

Sarah Oliver Charter for Compassion, News Article, Peace

Article – Time for City of Cape Town to own its position as a City of Compassion

CTII Chairperson, Rev. Berry Behr, recently spoke at a Critical Dialogue panel discussion convened by Cornerstone Institute, on Religion, Spirituality and Social Justice – considerations towards ethical leadership. Berry spoke in her role as SA Coordinator for the Charter for Compassion, highlighting the need for compassion in our society.

Her contribution to the panel was captured in an article in the Cape Argus. You can read the full article here: https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/opinion/time-for-city-of-cape-town-to-own-its-position-as-a-city-of-compassion-30062055

Speaking to the emergence of a new kind of spiritual leadership, Berry shared…

We are recognising leaders who refuse to separate their politics from their spiritual beliefs because to do so would compromise their integrity, authenticity and intention. These three facets of leadership are critical in our response to a call for deepening leadership skills at every level. Young leaders need to be coached in a new style of leadership that allows heart and mind to work together – dictatorial, top-down, old- style leadership is not the way of the future so why are we still teaching it?

What we say and what we do should be informed at the deepest level by intention aligned with the greater good, inclusive of diversity in all its forms. For humans that means gender, race, age, economic and educational status, politics and of course, religion. We need to celebrate our diversity and recognise it as our superpower. In our differences, we are a beautiful, creative garden, different flowers blossoming abundantly under the courageous and unprejudiced sun, sharing the same soil, drinking the same rain.