Religion and Spirituality: What is the Destination?
On February 22, 2024, WFWP USA hosted a GWPN Forum on the topic of “Religion and Spirituality: What is the destination?” The Forum provided a very trusted and supportive space for speakers and participants to delve deeper into spirituality and explore more about it from different perspectives. This time the forum opened the virtual stage for 3 brilliant speakers from various religious backgrounds and Ms. Adia Lancaster gracefully moderated the forum with very kind words which brought warmth to the audience.
By following the good tradition of every event, the President of WFWP USA, Kaeleigh Moffitt opened the forum with welcoming remarks and shared the peace philosophy of Mother Moon. She highlighted the fundamental role of religion in our society today and emphasized the importance of getting back to the true essence of it. She also shared an excerpt from Mother Moon’s book, which says: “Our world houses many religions. What should these religions teach? Religions must first teach the Truth of God”. Indeed, religion and spirituality are essential in understanding the fullness of who we are and why we were created. Ms. Kaeleigh Moffit has also put a big emphasis on recognizing universal shared spiritual values to harness our strength together and thus, she welcomed the speakers who came to share their stories and true spiritual wisdom.
The first speaker was Ms. Hawra Al Jaberi, a Career Advisor at Gateway Community College, who actively volunteers in her local youth Muslim community, promoting understanding and unity. Being from Iraq, she faced identity challenges and embraced her Muslim faith upon moving to the United States at a young age. During the Forum Ms. Hawra shared with the audience the importance of daily reminders that bring her closer to God. The first reminder for her is Hijab – a special dress and headscarf of Muslim women that protects their dignity and helps to keep the focus on inner world and inner beauty. Moreover, Ms. Hawra shared that wearing a Hijab is not just about representing your religion, but also wearing your faith as your identity. Another useful tool which offers her grounding in her faith is daily 5 times prayers. Ms. Hawra truly believes in the power of daily prayers which gives her a deep sense of unity - when you become one with the whole world and get closer to God by setting aside all your other tasks.
The next speaker was Ms. Kim Andrews – a great spiritual leader who has had a diverse professional career across various industries, including fitness and wellness, training and development, and investigating federal employment discrimination complaints. Ms. Kim started her speech by expressing her love for Mother Moon’s peace philosophy. She emphasized that what she likes the most is the idea that we all have to live our faith, do the things that we talk about, and say the words that we believe in…-through everything that we do. Ms. Kim shared her childhood and the difficulties that she faced in her family when she found it hard to understand how her Catholic religion could help her. She asked herself how she could bring God to her life and she believes that our main job in our lives is exactly this – getting closer to God. Thus, she started meditating and found a refuge in meditation. Meditation was the place of peace and spirituality, which gave her access to answers and connected her to something greater. Ms. Kim sees everyone as a child of God irrespective of different cultural, and religious backgrounds and in that regard, mediation plays a big role in transforming her spirituality and bettering her life in general. She said: “I am here to love you all because you are also me and we are one in this God’s Consciousness.” For Ms. Kim spirituality and religion is not just doing a service one time, but more importantly, it is all about bringing spirituality to your daily life, practicing it regularly, and walking the talk in accordance with your spiritual principles. She concluded her words by saying “Knock the door, and it will open!”
The third and last speaker of the forum was Hopi Tewa Elder Perci Ami - a respected member of the Hopi/Tewa Tribe, based in Walpi, Arizona. She is an ambassador for Grandmothers, actively involved in cross-cultural learning and addressing critical issues of her community. She shared the secrets of the Hopi way of life, whereby there is no division between outer and inner worlds – “Nothing is outside of you, it is all inside of you.” For Ms. Elder Perci Ami it is very important to understand that there is only One Creator who created us all. Therefore, she highlighted the significance of relationships: not only with people but also with your environment, with nature, and with everything that surrounds you. In that regard, she shared about the ceremonies of the Hopi Tribe, which are all about honoring Earth and its elements. Through various actions, her tribe and community show respect for water and take big care of Earth by balancing head and heart.
After the speakers’ insightful speeches, the moderator Ms. Adia Lancaster invited the speakers to a Round Table discussion whereby they could answer to the questions and share their reflections on the topic of Spirituality and Religion.