CHAPTER 23
It was time for the ecumenical Martin Luther King Day celebration. Representatives from various religions and philosophies were going to offer a talk, sing, or in some other way try to strengthen the bonds among all peoples. The Hawaiians had their own pain to deal with. They were a part of the United States but had a beautiful history apart from and before that union occurred.
Brother Francis dealt with a little pain himself. One of the reasons he was asked to present at the MLK day was because the organizers had a difficult time finding a Catholic representative who was available. It had nothing to do with the theme of the day, just business and perhaps a lack of fire about the ecumenical movement.
Brother Francis, on the other hand, had lots of fire about mutual respect and harmony among religions. He actually belonged to Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, a world-wide association of Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian monastics and lay folks. The association was in good standing with the Vatican and the members did not try to convert one another, but rather they tried to help one another go more deeply into their own traditions.
The day was glorious. Lily and Dominic picked up their old friend outside the hotel. It was only a few days prior that a police car picked up the monk. Things were looking up!
A large outdoor mall was bedecked with flowers. Colorful and aromatic blossoms were tied to every pole that supported the roof and flowers graced every folding table. The aroma from the food being prepared for the lunch which would follow the talks blended with the perfume, creating a heady mix.
Hundreds of people of every hue seated themselves at the tables as the master of ceremonies, a disk jockey from the local radio station, invited them to pay attention. The red light on each of the three TV cameras mounted on platforms throughout the crowd started to glow.
A Kahuna, Hawaiian elder, was introduced and invoked a blessing on the day. A Baptist choir filled the air with a joyful noise unto the Lord, a group of Buddhists chanted for world peace, a Jewish woman explained some of the mysteries of her tradition, and Dominic and Lilly led the group in some simple qigong movements.
Brother Francis was called to the stage and a succulent lai of orchids was slipped over his head by the Kahuna. He bowed and whispered, “Mahalo,” thank you.
The ecumenical Abbot spoke about the need to put a face on our diversity. If we know people of various faiths, colors, traditions, then we will think of them as people, not as a group. Our brain, he continued to explain, creates mental shortcuts in order to chunk and code information in an efficient fashion. The down side of that efficiency is that if one is not mindful, everyone in a group can be painted with the same brush.
The monk’s doctoral dissertation research in psychology was on prejudice and religious values. He was horrified at such a mix even as a teenager. He avoided the dry and technical data in his talk but rather focused on the outcome of his years of research.
Extreme letter of the law people tend to be the most prejudiced, and the reverse held true for spirit of the law people. It was not a denominational issue. This same pattern emerged in every religion studied. If we communicate and get to know one another, less prejudice is likely to result. Also, if we remain mindful, in the moment, our awareness of the person we are with, not the group, becomes central.
The crowd applauded. He had touched a relevant chord in a practical way.
The ceremonies concluded with a reading of a portion of the Rev. Doctor Martin Luther King’s famous “I’ve been to the Mountaintop” speech delivered in 1968. A twelve year old girl had selected the passage because she thought it caught the meaning of the day. She was also asked to read it. Her voice boomed through the speakers. She had conviction.
Now, what does all of this mean in this great period of history? It means that we've got to stay together. We've got to stay together and maintain unity. You know, whenever Pharaoh wanted to prolong the period of slavery in Egypt, he had a favorite, favorite formula for doing it. What was that? He kept the slaves fighting among themselves. But whenever the slaves get together, something happens in Pharaoh's court, and he cannot hold the slaves in slavery. When the slaves get together, that's the beginning of getting out of slavery. Now let us maintain unity.
The Abbot had always believed that the central message of the Gospel has to do with inner freedom. Doctor King had summed it up beautifully—and died for it. Such was the case with others Brother Francis had researched, those who were most free of prejudice were often too much for us to take—Gandhi and Jesus are two more who represent many in that group.
A communal meal is the height of sharing both in the scriptures and in most cultures. The food was delicious but the conversation was even more nourishing.
Brother Francis reflected back on his life choices, some of which were difficult or could be misunderstood. What an honor to be here.