At one of our favorite restaurants in Maui, Hawaii, you get a special bumper sticker with your check, “Practice Aloha”. “Aloha” is a friendly greeting of recognition.
What a beautiful way to spread the peaceful island spirit.
Why do we need a glaring bumper sticker to remind us? Why is there so little peace among us? Why is there so little joy among us? There seems to be so much of life lived as a cold war. We have not recognized one another for who we really are.
Who are we? We are God’s very own, special people, whose innards are filled to the brim with the seeds of wonderful gifts that are just waiting to be discovered, valued, nurtured and brought to flower.
Every time we fail to recognize in ourselves or in our neighbor the face of someone who is very special to God, someone who has a special gift to share, we are denying the seeds of peace and the aloha sprit.
The making of peace begins not outside with diplomats, but inside the individual heart, yours and mine.
That peace begins with the moment of self-recognition when we hear and trust the voice of God’s Spirit speaking to us, “You are my special loved one.” For at that moment we begin to value ourselves as great treasures to be treasured.
Peace only begins there. It won’t happen until we recognize that God has spoken to those very same words to everybody else too; and every person we meet is a hidden treasure waiting to be brought to flower.
Peace won’t really happen till all of our hearts have grown big enough to both receive a smile, peace and aloha of others and smile back, practicing aloha!
Remember: We’re all in this together, let’s make the journey worthwhile!! ALOHA!!!!
