by Anita Davine, president of Greater Dandenong Interfaith Network
Recently I have had the privilege of meeting with people of different faiths, cultures and positions of leadership in local and government settings.
This for me was a sure sign of hope, as those gathering all had the desire and commitment to live together in peace and goodwill.
It is this sign of unity that has inspired me and many others to continue to give witness to ‘Many Faiths, One People’ which is the motto of the Interfaith Network of the City of Greater Dandenong.
Together we can ‘share the load’ of the many people suffering in our community due to job losses, homelessness, domestic violence, sickness and other social ills that we experience today.
Through the practice of a daily awareness examen we can all grow and transform our consciousness, so that together we can acknowledge our unique imperfections and identify where we must change in order to bring about justice and peace for all.
Michael Hansen S.J. (author of Light Spiritual Exercises) offers these points to help us grow in awareness:
Thanks – I give thanks for the graces, benefits and good things of my day.
Help – I ask the Spirit for help to discern my day with openness.
Review – I review my day, hour by hour, to see how God is working in my life.
Response – I respond to what I felt or learnt in the review of my day.
Resolve – I resolve with hope and grace to amend my life tomorrow.
Many spiritual writers encourage us to become more aware of ourselves and our thoughts, words and deeds.
Together let us be messengers of hope in our homes, workplaces and wherever we find ourselves.
May we discover the worth of each thing and be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature.
We have this extraordinary gift of life and what we do with it is our gift to God and others.
Enquiries regarding the Interfaith Network, City of Greater Dandenong administration@interfaithnetwork.org.au or 8774 7662.
Visit interfaithnetwork.org.au/
