Threaded Wisdom is an opportunity to foster our interfaith relationships through a sharing of prayers, meditations, and practices from diverse faith traditions—a threading together of wisdom that allows for a greater depth of appreciation and understanding of others’ faith traditions.
Each month, we welcome community members to share words and practices that are related to a particular theme. Submissions can be a prayer, an excerpt from a text, a meditation, or an embodied practice.
Submissions don't necessarily have to be from a particular religious figure or tradition. We welcome shares from texts or individuals outside of a spiritual context who have offered inspiration and insight, which could be a philosopher or even a neuroscientist.
Thank you for joining us as we honor each other and ourselves through this threading together of wisdom.
With gratitude,
Wyoming Interfaith Network
MAY'S THEME: INTEGRITY
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Katrina, a member of the Baha'i faith and WIN Board Chair, offered the following:
As for those who are engaged in government service, they should perform their duties with the utmost fidelity, trustworthiness, rectitude, uprightness, integrity and high-mindedness. Let them not tarnish their good repute by pursuing personal interests, nor, for the sake of transient worldly benefits, make themselves objects of public odium and outcasts of the Threshold of Grandeur.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted in the compilation Trustworthiness: A Cardinal Baha'i Virtue
Janet, a member of the Baha'i faith, shared the following quote and thoughts:
"If you HAVE integrity, nothing else matters. If you DON'T have integrity, nothing else matters." Senator Alan Simpson, Cody, WY
My online Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Integrity as: "firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values".
I was born and raised in Cody, took a hiatus of 28 years while my husband and I followed his career path, but returned in 1999. I don't think I have noted too many references to statesmen or political figures amongst the many inspirational references in this series, but I have one.
We lost our venerable Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson less than a month ago -- and, of course, we Codyites consider him as "ours" first, since he also lived here. I will never forget when I first heard his quote on Integrity . . . and it resonates with me still:
"If you HAVE integrity, nothing else matters.
If you DON'T have integrity, nothing else matters."
One could construe that his quote is directed only to the individual. Interestingly, Bahá'ís are much in agreement with Semator Simpson, a staunch Episcopalian all his life. In the book, "World Order of Bahá'u'lláh", we find the importance of integrity at both the individual and the community level:
"Loyalty to government, in the Bahá'í view, is an essential spiritual and social principle.
We must obey and be the well-wishers of the government of the land.
The essence of the Bahá'í spirit is that in order to establish a better social order and economic condition, there must be allegiance to the laws and principles of government. This allegiance is part of the strong emphasis on integrity of character found in the Bahá'í teaching.
Without integrity of character in its citizens and without loyaIty to government, a nation will find itself torn asunder and unable to function as an organic society. Not only do the Bahá'í teachings obligate members to be loyal to their government, they also specifically forbid them from taking any part in subversive political and social movements."
I have long been intrigued by this concept of loyalty to government being a measure of integrity. There are many kinds of government, and Bahá'ís live in all those countries -- yet we all must work, with integrity, to remain loyal to our government, even if ours is an unjust government that hurts us!
What do you think of these two sides of integrity -- individual and community?
Liz, who is a Druid, sent the following:
As Druidry is a non-dogmatic tradition, integrity is key. That one’s actions align with one’s intentions, one’s intentions align with one’s values, and one’s values align with one’s beliefs is of the upmost importance.
The Rev. Warren, Episcopal WIN representative, submitted the following:
Integrity is when truth is told when it must be. During these times in America we need truth more than ever. Our new (but same old president) is creating new issues that will negatively affect many people both nationally and in our state. I wrote an article about this for my denomination, the Episcopal Church. It called for people of faith to offer hope in these trying times. Truth must be told. The Episcopal Diocese refused to print it because it may be "political". But my personal ministry has always been devoted to truth telling. Integrity is standing up for what is right no matter what the cost. Lack of integrity can lead to injustice and even dictatorship. This is no time for silence. Put integrity first.
Kim shared the following quote by H. Jackson Brown Jr.:
Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you.
Next month's theme — Promise
We want to hear from you! Please feel free to share your words or practices.
Submissions are due by the 15th of each month.
Please use this Google document form to send us your contributions, or email them directly to Kim for inclusion.