Interfaith work with humour : )

[Guest guest]

Following is an interesting email exchange (between us and the local Parish

Priest) which reflects on the positive aspects of Interfaith work in London

(as well as on how a bit of humour creeps up in such exchanges).

 

M.......

Vivekananda Centre London

Thursday, May 02, 2002 07:36

Thank you

 

Dear Jay,

 

Please excuse the delay in me saying a big "thank you" to you for coming to speak to our little group at St. Anselm`s last month. People really found it valuable. Over 30 of us visited the Neasden Temple on the following Saturday and really enjoyed the experience. So, the inter faith work in the church is on a good footing at the moment.

 

If you remember, I briefly mentioned to you that I`m taking a wedding of an Indian couple in the church at the beginning of June. I`m looking to incorporate some appropriate Hindu material in terms of a reading, prayers and music (if it proves possible). Could you advise me, please, Jay as to what might be appropriate? (I have a copy of the Bhagavad Gita which I can use if you know of a passage there.)

 

Any suggestions you have would be really appreciated. Thank you.

 

And thanks, once again, for coming to us and being such a positive influence.

 

with very best wishes,

M.......

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~response~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Dear M.....

 

It was a pleasure meeting your group.

Your email is highly appreciated as it shows the positive results of our

Interfaith work.

 

Adopting something from the Hindu scriptures relating to a wedding....

 

There is not much in the Gita that you can use for wedding ceremonies(!)

Gita was preached on a battlefield -- so unless you are expecting the

happy couple to start off on the wrong footing....not advisable to focus too

much on the Gita.....

jay

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

p.s. Though I was sorely tempted to offer him the first verse of the Gita to be

recited to the bride and groom:-

 

(Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre Samveta Yuyustav..' facing each other keen to fight..' )

I actually gave him some more appropriate material.

jay : )