Veterans Day Tribute

Veteran's Heart Georgia held a fantastic interfaith Veterans Day service this evening. There were many faith traditions represented and stories from several veterans. We honored the veterans in the crowd, those still in service and those who had passed.

Veterans/service people who spoke:

Bob Cagle - Vietnam Veteran
Ret Lt Col Barb Devlin - Vietnam Veteran
PFC James Price - Active Duty
Chris Kemper - Iraqi Veteran

Chris Kemper honored the memory of PFC Chance Phelps and stirred the room with a story from the book Operation Homecoming edited by Andrew Carroll.

We also enjoyed meditative contemplations from Native American spirituality, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism.

Calling of the Directions, Mending of the Sacred Hoop

Mantra of Green Tara - Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha (Oh, Tara be swift, protect us and guide us so we may transcend suffering, fear and ignorance, so be it.)

Isaiah 2:1-5: The Mountain of God

Sufi Chant - Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim (In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful)

Luke 7:1-10: A Soldier's Faith

Prayer of Remembrance (Adapted)

For those who are serving Iraq and Afghanistan, For those who will be leaving soon to serve their country, For military families, especially their children, For all people on all sides of the conflicts, For all people healing from the effects of war, For veterans who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Somalia and the First Gulf War, For those still missing in action, For all current and past prisoners of war, At the rising of the sun and at its going down, At the blowing of the wind and the chill of winter, At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring, At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer, At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn, At the beginning of the year and when it ends, For those who have died in service to our country, When we have decisions that are difficult to make, When we have achievements that are based on their achievements...
We remember them.
As long as we live, those who serve and those who have served will live;
for they are now a part of us, as we remember them.

Gaitri Mantra - Om Mani Podme Om

Here's hoping our efforts help those who have helped us.

~~~~~~

Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americansislamicfellowship.com