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Interfaith Services
Which we plant before this day. Make deep their roots and wide their crown Amongst all trees of Israel for good and for beauty. (9)
This is our offering
This is our offering, we are united in caring for the world in which we live, as each petal takes its perfect form, we shall cradle it.
Sikhism - We could not decide which flowers or plant we would like to represent our dedication to caring for our world. For this reason we have brought a painting depicting an image from our holy scripture the Guru Granth Sahib which shows the high regard we have for plant life and the fact that for Sikhs, as for many of us here today, conservation is a religious duty. The sentence I am to read briefly tells the story contained in the picture :
Flower girl plucking petals, know in each petal abides life. (Guru Granth Sahib p.479)
The painting is placed on the table in the middle of the room.
The reading we have brought shows how we proclaim the glory of God in nature. It is taken from the Guru Granth Sahib (p.463), and expresses the Sikh belief that God is seated in Nature, and His spirit is continuously present within it. This feeling of utmost respect for nature makes conservation a religious duty for many Sikhs. We feel that God intended us to maintain and care for his creation, this can be achieved by ethical behaviour :
In Nature we see God, in Nature we hear his speech; Nature inspires devotional reveries. In nature is the essence of joy and peace. Earth, sky, nether regions comprise Nature. The whole creation is an embodiment of Nature. Air, water, fire, earth, dust are all parts of Nature, the Omnipotent Creator commands, observes and pervades Nature. (10)
This is our offering
This is our offering, we are united in caring for the world in which we live, as each petal takes its perfect form, we shall cradle it.
A short address, Speaker 5 -
As we come to the end of this our opening ceremony, we remember the symbol of flowers which we began with, we remember how as flowers are a symbol for the beauty of the world, they also remind us of its easy deterioration. We know that when we try to grow house plants, without very careful tending, they can easily die. This theme is exemplified in a poem by Robert Herrick, an English poet who lived from 1591-1674:
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