Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself . . .

We just returned from a four Stake Interfaith Devotional held to show support of the Muslim community in Hamilton. At 6:50 this afternoon we made our way down the short walk from our house to the church. Cars were parked up and down our little street and on the grassy hill next to our house. Families were walking together. Some of the women were wearing headscarves as their traditional Muslim dress. Others were wearing headscarves as a symbolic show of unity.

When we entered the nearly full building one of the ushers greeted us by name and led us to seats a few rows from the front. After sitting down, I introduced myself to the woman at my left. She looked at me then beyond me and exclaimed, "Barry Garlick! I know you. You look like your dad now!" I am getting used to it. :)

It turns out that her husband worked for Barry's father Geoff at one point. Eileen Singleton Gillard is a contemporary of his sister, Jocelyn. Barry was actually an usher at her wedding as a teenager (though he has no memory of it) and was friends with her younger brother Bill.

I digress, but that's how it is everywhere we go it seems. There is always someone that recognizes his name.

The service started with a youth choir singing "He Honore," in Maori. The choir sang four numbers during the evening and each time the audience stood and sang with them.  Standing to sing with the choir was a new experience for me. Next, we sang the National Anthem, E Ihowa Atua, God Defend New Zealand, first in Maori and then in English. The opening prayer was offered followed by two youth speakers. One was an eleven-year-old Muslim girl and the other was a high school senior who is a church member and Head Girl at her high school. The conducting stake president, Todd Miller, then announced an intermission to allow those who desired, to participate in evening prayers. He announced two rooms that were designated as a quiet place, one for the men and one the women. A significant number of Muslim families arose and left to pray. Those of us who remained were encouraged to quietly contemplate. 

After the intermission, a woman from the Muslim community spoke. Her most memorable line was, "It is not us and them. It is just us." She was of Pakistani descent but she said her family had been in the South Pacific for over a hundred years.

Next, the president of the Mosque spoke. He was an Indian gentleman.

President Sutcliff from the Glenview stake spoke followed by Elder Ian Ardern, General Authority Seventy and counselor to the area president. His niece, Jacinda Ardern, is also the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

The strongest messages were:

• New Zealand has lost its innocence.
• This is not who we are.
• We must look inside ourselves for any hint of intolerance.
• We must love and accept each other and stand together against terrorism as brothers and sisters.

As we left we stopped to greet several people, among them the President of the Muslim community that spoke to us. When Barry said, "You have blessed us by being here tonight, " he replied, "I am humbled by your comment." It was a very sweet moment.

This is not who we are!

Kia kaha, Christchurch.