INTERFAITH THANKSGIVING SERVICE
Saints Peter & Paul Cathedral, Indianapolis, Indiana USA
November 20, 2007

A Spiritual Reflection:
MEANING, FESTIVAL AND SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING
Kanwal Prakash “KP” Singh

Wonderful Lord:
“Self-Created, Self-Illuminated, Immaculate Reality,”
“Embodiment of all virtues and attributes
That we can imagine
All those we cannot possibly fathom.”
“You are the Father and Mother of all Creation,
We are all Your Children.”
All people, faiths and cultures and communities
Together make
Your beautiful temporal, cultural, and spiritual tapestry;

Almighty King of Kings:
You have commanded us to recognize
“All humanity as One Race, One Brotherhood;”
Revealed and affirmed that as the “Magnificent Master
You have fashioned all beings from the same clay,
Infused the same Divine Light in all Life;
Your Immaculate Order governs; Your dazzling Radiance
Illuminates the unfathomable and the manifest
In every realm, every direction and dimension”

All Life is bursting forth with One Spirit, One Light, Your Love,
Whether we are inside the sanctuaries of faiths
Or outside the sanctuary and embrace no faith;
Your reassuring Canopy of unimagined blessings,
Unbounded Benevolence stretches across all Creation.
Then does it not stand to reason, we too embrace a similar spirit?
No one should be outside the circle of our friendship, understanding,
Nor our thoughtful concern for one another in Your Name?

Everyone is worthy of basic sustenance, freedoms, rights, dignity;
A sense of humanity, community, equal justice, to find their promise;
To have their opportunity for a fair pursuit of their destiny;

With deep humility and thanksgiving,
In a spirit of living our faith in service of others,
As our humble offerings at your Exalted and Majestic Altar,
May we recognize our individual and collective responsibility to our
Extended family across the continents and cultures in Your Name;

Compassionate Lord God of All:
May we be people of faith with a humble, an all-embracing spirit;
Not even inadvertently ignore, trespass against someone else’s dignity,
Nor intrude upon the beliefs, traditions, practices,
Cultural expressions, sensitivities different from our own;
Instead, discover in them wisdom, universal common threads,
Strengths and reflections of our own spirituality and humanity,
Glorifying “Ek Onkaar, Sut Naam: One Immaculate, Eternal Truth.”

Lord, Yahweh, Allah, Ishwar, Pure Being, Waheguru, Great Spirit:
“You are the Fountainhead of all Languages, Wisdom;
Source of all Divine Knowledge, Faiths, and Revelations;”
“Your Power and Command thread all Creation,”
Your Messengers affirm Your Greatness; our many shared spiritual lessons.

As Supreme Architect with a keen eye for every detail:
You have created Nature and all basic elements for Life and living.
All that we see, imagine and experience is Your Creation,
A part of Your Handiwork, Wonder, Majesty, and Manifestation;
May we honor, be good stewards of our life-sustaining blessings,
Your enshrined Magnificence and Mystery in Nature,
Not just for its awesome splendor and natural bounty, but knowing
“You dwell in Nature and Nature forms Your Sacred Crown.”

Your Greatness and Benevolence are beyond our mortal grasp:
You carry awesome burdens of our daily petitions, demands, and expectations.
May we share some burdens of those Lord You place at our crossroads,
With needs, troubles and trials far greater than our own,
May be with profound lessons and message for our lives and spirit.
May we in solidarity, righteous defiance stand to redress serious wrong
Against fellow travelers: tragic sufferings, devastated faith, or broken spirit
Caused by daily conflicts, violence, injustice, indifference, or natural disasters;

As an Act of Gratitude, True Thanksgiving:
May we dwell in the Light and dispel darkness of Spirit through:
Naam Simran: Meditation upon and Remembrance of Your Name;
Seva: Living our Faith in selfless Service, making a difference;
Vand Chhakna: “Giving generously to others from the fruit of our honest labor,”
Knowing, “all gifts for our body, mind, and spirit flow from You, O Lord.”
Safeguard Human Dignity: Rejecting ignorance, unjust treatment,
All forms of outrage against other beings that inhabit our shared universe.
In every act of Love, uplifting of a fallen spirit, know Your Presence;
Witnessing in faith, see Your Holy Face in all, in all our blessings:
Earth, sky, stars, light, snowflakes, birds, flowers, music, life, laughter;

For me, this is the true meaning, festival, and joyous spirit of Thanksgiving
Where everyone is in the front row with four universal basic freedoms:
Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom from Want, Freedom from Fear;*
Let us carry this Light, Hope, Prayer, and Sacred Passion as we go forth from here.

“In Your Name, by Your Grace
May there be Peace and Goodwill among all people everywhere.”

Source of all quotes throughout the prayer reflection:
Guru Granth Sahib (The Sikh Sacred Scriptures), Sikh spirituality.
*(Four Freedoms Speech, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1941)