| Attended by 7000 participants from 95 countries and 210 different traditions, the love and the camaraderie of the PoWR audience was palpable during the entire 5 days of the conference. I was joyfully immersed in the multitude of presenters and different faiths celebrating each other and sharing their concerns to pull our world together. Needless to say, in the heavily divided world, our need to come together has never been so urgent. I was struck by the eloquence of this sentiment shared by Rev. HPs. Phyllis Curott, 2023 PoWR Program Chair:
“Today we are all standing at a pivotal moment where history seeks to repeat itself. It is a moment of urgency — an existential global scourge has returned … It is a stark reality that transcends borders, cultures, and faiths. A reality that demands our collective action and moral courage. As people of faith and spirit, we have a singular responsibility. Here is the truth we must all confront and change. Despots are misappropriating religions to justify the unjustifiable. Tyrants proclaim themselves saviors, posturing with religious symbols and exploiting language to affirm their power. And tragically, there are religious leaders who stand beside them and religious communities who cheer them.”
I presented 4 separate talks at PoWR. Two with a panel that included Jan (and others) and two solo presentations which I mused about prior to my experience at the event. Historically, the first-ever PoWR convened in 1893 – notably held in Chicago when Swami Vivekananda spoke and was received with a long, almost non-stop standing ovation. He was the Hindu representative from India who joined the West with the East — thereby sparking yoga’s delivery to the United States. After that, PoWR went dark for 100 years, and then in 1993, to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the powerful first PoWR, it reconvened in Chicago again. Since then, it has been held every few years starting in Cape Town, S.A. (1999), then in Barcelona, Spain (2004), in Melbourne, Australia (2009), in Salt Lake City, Utah (2015), in Toronto Canada (2018), and last month, once again, in Chicago.
Here is a link to a short 5-minute video of PoWR’s history by my brilliant friend Ruth Broyde Sharone, a talented speaker, author, musician, filmmaker, and also a co-panel presenter at PoWR.
My overwhelming reaction to the unity and love demonstrated at PoWR gave me hope of what is possible in the world outside of the Utopian conference if enough of us can see the similarity in our spiritual practice. Ruth Rose (Hong Bui) presented on the Caodai faith which originated in Vietnam and is now worldwide, focusing on a 3-fold strategy for world unity and self-realization: Service, Self-Cultivation, and Meditation. Jan, Ruth, and I presented the 3-fold strategy from our individual faith perspectives of Unity (Christian), Jewish & Kabal, and Sufism respectively.
Many of the presentations essentially followed the same journey to self-realization. It is through service that we are truly able to conquer ego and work towards a life of selflessness by moving our focus from ourselves to serving our sisters and brothers. This is where satisfaction, fulfillment, peace, happiness, and flow reside.
I can vouch that my own service practice spanning over the last 28 years to youth has delivered all these attributes into my life. I saw this in many attendees at PoWR who embody these attributes in a humble, yet powerful demonstration. The Sikh community, whose tradition of serving “langar” (lunch) fed all the attendees every single day for a delicious free vegetarian lunch. Beyond service, gratitude fosters enlightenment and unity, as appropriately expressed by Rev. Stephen Avino:
From the 1,000+ representatives of more than twenty diverse faith organizations who walked in our Inaugural Parade of Faiths, to the 7,000+ attendees that filled the halls of the Lakeside Center during the week, to the hundreds of presenters and exhibitors who shared their unique contributions to the global interfaith movement, to the hundreds of Sikh volunteers who shared Langar – the gift of sevā (selfless service), and to the incredible work ethic of our trustees, staff, volunteers, and vendors, my gratitude knows no bounds.
I have been blessed to promote peace through forgiveness for the last 28 years to over 2M children, youth, and adults and have felt this far-reaching connection through service first-hand by crossing paths with people who know my story. An example of one of the joyful coincidences came one afternoon at PoWR when I was on the floor trying to charge my cell phone with my back to the room. I heard a lady say, “Azim – is that you?” I turned around and she said, “It is you!” I did not recognize her but she gave me a big hug and said, “Several years ago, you spoke at the Silver Ray Spiritual Conference in Phoenix and left a handprint on my heart. I have never forgotten that.” We had a delightful conversation after that about our work and PoWR and I was humbled by the interaction and re-invigorated to continue to speak at venues in hopes that others might also move through life with an open heart because of my message. To that extent, I am in prayer that this also speaks to you.
My untold gratitude for the good work many of you do and let us all commit to go that extra mile.
Peace and many blessings,
Azim Khamisa |
