mending the tear in the fabric: prayer and comfort in Oak Creek, WI

See explanation of bracelet below.

It has not even been a month and another story hits the headlines of a shooting.  This time it is in a place of worship.  The jarring impact of the shooting of innocents who were attending worship services in their Sikh Temple is still rippling out. (See story from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.)

I listen.  Messages come in via facebook and twitter.  We are all feeling this.  And I think that there is a growing feeling that this has happened to all of us.  The internet has fleshed out and made tangible a metaphysical principle uttered by many  of faith and of no faith: We are all connected.

I look up Sikhism on belief.net to learn more find out how to share and feel comfort.

"Known as the "religion of the householder," Sikhism emphasizes the family and advocates living in the world without being worldly. Moral purity is considered the chief basis of religion. There is no priesthood per se, but there are official readers of scripture."

Christian Science and Sikhism share that common bond in that our "pastor" or "priest"  are books.  Moral purity, compassion, uniting with God.  These are all familiar practices.  (See belief.net's explanation of Sikhism.)  These make up the fabric of our lives, our daily living, striving, helping, loving.

So when there is a tear in this fabric, there is the natural and primitive response to mend it. The scriptures that I study include Jesus' cry to his disciples "Father that they all may be one"  (from John 17: 21). I read Mary Baker Eddy's words: " The divine Science of man is woven into one web of consistency without seam or rent."  (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p 242)

There's comfort in knowing that it isn't the tear that has the substance to define us, it is the fabric - the intertwining of our lives and our highest ideals and our daily rhythm of continuing good - this defines us.

The outpouring of love, the seeking out of the motive, the resolve to forgive, and the strength to go forward are the active agents in healing.  We will find more ways to heal. 

There are five Sikh symbols worn every day.  One is the Kara •A steel bracelet, symbolizing strength and integrity. From http://www.sikhismguide.org/fiveks.aspx:  "Steel is symbolic of strength yet resilient under stress. In the same way, the human soul must become as strong and unbreakable as steel which has been tempered in the furnace." 

We can all move together in strength and integrity on this.

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