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
FEBRUARY'S THEME: JUSTICE
Katrina, a member of the Baha'i faith and WIN Board, offered the following:
In the Baha'i writings, justice is one of the most highly valued qualities. Baha'u'llah wrote: "The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor." In a time when distinguishing truth from falsehood has become a societal challenge, and the resulting confusion threatens the bonds between us, this understanding of justice offers a way forward.
Justice calls each of us to develop our capacity to see clearly and to hold up truth when we find it, even when doing so requires courage. Justice requires that we set aside prejudices and assumptions. It calls us to investigate reality for ourselves rather than accepting what we have been told simply because it is familiar or comfortable. When we practice justice in this way, we free ourselves from the biases that can distort our understanding of each other.
One source of confusion is that some people tend to conflate justice with retribution or revenge. 'Abdu'l-Bahá explained that revenge is seeking personal satisfaction from returning harm for harm, while justice aims to protect the rights and well-being of all.(https://www.bahai.us/forgiveness-and-justice/) Justice is about creating conditions where everyone can thrive and where wrongs can be addressed in ways that strengthen rather than fracture our communities.
Cultivating justice begins with the work of examining our own thoughts and feelings. It means acknowledging the prejudices we carry, questioning the narratives we have accepted, and committing ourselves to seeking truth even when it challenges us. When we practice justice in this way, we contribute to building communities where everyone is welcome and has the opportunity to flourish. We create space for meaningful connection across our differences and lay the groundwork for lasting peace. Cultivating justice asks something of us, but it also offers a source of hope, and it starts with each of us committing to seek out truth and stand up for it in our deeds as well as our words.
Liz, who is a Druid, sent the following:
Grant, O Spirits*, thy protection
and in protection, strength
and in strength, understanding
and in understanding, knowledge
and in knowledge, the knowledge of justice
and in the knowledge of justice, the love of it
and in the love of it, the love of all existences
and in the love of all existences, the love of Spirits* and all goodness.
~Druid's Prayer
*Each person modifies the first and last line of this prayer to align with their theological orientation and evoke whichever deity(s) or other spirit(s) they wish… or none at all. I say “Spirits.”
Kim shared the following quote by Martin Luther King, Jr:
A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.
Next month's theme — Courage
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.
