Bahá’í Reading.     Niloofar Davidson

O Thou kind Lord! Thou hast created all humanity from the same stock. Thou hast decreed that all shall belong to the same household. In thy Holy Presence they are all Thy servants, and all mankind are sheltered beneath Thy Tabernacle; all have gathered together at Thy Table of Bounty; all are illuminated through the light of Thy Providence.

 O God! Thou art kind to all. Thou hast provided for all, dost shelter all, conferrest life upon all. Thou hast endowed each and all with talents and faculties, and all are submerged in the ocean of Thy Mercy.

O Though kind Lord! Unite all. Let all religions agree and make nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home. May they live together in perfect harmony.

O God!  Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind.

O God! Establish the Most  Great Peace.

Cement Thou, O God the hearts together.

O Thou kind Father, God! Gladden our hearts through the fragrance of Thy love. Brighten our eyes through the Light of Thy Guidance. Delight our ears with the melody of Thy Word, and shelter us all in the Stronghold of Thy Providence.

Brahma Kumaris Reading;Robyn Horton

The highest love is God’s love- Divine or pure love. This is the love of the perfect spiritual being. Simply allow yourself to be a child again. God is happy to take you into His lap with the unlimited, unconditional love of the perfect Parent. Just as the flower turns each morning to absorb the light of truth and warmth of the sun, we too need to turn each day to absorb the light of truth and warmth of pure love from God- from the Source. The experience of perfect love is deep within our subconscious personality and, because we had this experience at some point, we have been searching for it ever since. This is the personal god that we all share, the one parent and friend we all share. This is not a conceptual God, nor is God a belief. If we hold God as just a concept or belief in our minds, we will never know God, never experience the greatest and deepest love .We cannot receive love from a belief just as we cannot have a real relationship with a concept. Instead it is necessary to cultivate a personal relationship with God through a silent conversation of thoughts and feelings. In terms of our relationship with God, if we are honest with God we will draw His love. We need to free our feelings from emotional disturbance. God is available to everyone but few of us know how or where to direct our attention. The connecting and absorbing of the love of God is a personal process and requires no go-between, should never cost anything and can eventually become a natural part of living each day. The more one is complete, the more one is self-less. The experience of love from the Beloved completes us. We become self -sufficient but not self-centred.

 Buddhist Reading. Willie Senanayake

In the Buddhist teachings, the spirit of love is more important than good work.

The Buddha said: “ All good works whatever are not worth an iota of love which sets free the heart. Love which  sets free the heart comprises good work. It shines, gives light  and radiance.”

The pursuit of happiness is not difficult if we have the right mental attitude. Love is the key to happiness. All human beings have the potential to give and receive love.. The more love we give the more we receive in return.

According to Buddhist teachings: “Hate is not overcome by hate. By love is hate appeased. This is the eternal law” ( Dhammapada 1; 3-5)

In another Scripture, Buddha said; “Just as a mother, even at the risk of her own life, loves and protects her child---- so let a man cultivate this Universal Love---towards the whole universe.” ( Metta Sutta)

Christian Reading.  Vernon Bailey

 If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing symbol.

And if I have the gift of prophesy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so I can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

If I give away everything I own, and if I give away my body so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not pompous nor rude nor quick tempered.

Love bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

Hindu Reading. Thamo  Sritharan

Indigenous Reading.  Elder Robyn Brown

A message of love 

Islamic Reading.   Dean Sahu Khan

Islamic belief unites all human beings in love and sympathy as brothers and sisters. This oneness of humanity is a corollary of the Islamic belief in the Unity of God.

              “Mankind is a single nation” (Surah 2:213)

In his last sermon, the Holy Prophet Muhammed (PBOH) said:

            “O People your God is One. You are progeny of Adam and Eve (who were created from dust). Hence it is not permissible for you to make any discrimination between high and low. Neither has an Arab superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab over an Arab. A white person is not superior to a black person, nor is a black superior to a white, except by piety and good action. The most honourable among you in the sight of God is the one who is most righteous”

He added:

            “All God’s creatures are His family and he is most beloved of God who tries to do the greatest good to God’s creatures.”

The Qu’ran teaches that God revealed His love for humanity through the prophets of all nations, and that the essentials of the messages were the same to all prophets.

            “We believe in God and in that which has been revealed to us, and in that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and that which was given to all the prophets from their Lord; we do not make any distinction between any of them, and to Him (God) we do submit” (Surah 2;136)

Thus the fundamental doctrines and truths of all religions are the same, so there is unity in our beliefs and in our creation as one humanity. This is the essence of any nation building as it can transcend artificial barriers we have created by race, creed and nations.

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Jewish Reading.  Dr Anita Shroot

The first reading is of the love of G-D and comes from the most important declaration of faith in Judaism and is recited at least twice a day.

“ Hear, O Israel the Lord our G-d, the Lord is one, Blessed be the name of His glorious Majesty forever and ever. Love the Lord your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your means. And these words that I command you today shall be upon your heart. Teach them diligently to your children and talk of them when you sit down in your home, when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise up. Bind them for a sign upon your hand and for frontals between your eyes. Write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates. (Deuteronomy 6;4-9)

In Hosea 2;21-22 The Jewish people’s relationship with G-d is described in terms of eternal marriage.

“I will betroth you to Me forever, I will betroth you to Me in justice and in righteousness, in kindness and in mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness and you shall know the Lord.”

We are called upon to demonstrate our love of G-d by behaving in such a way towards our fellow men that will invite their love and respect

“Love your neighbour as yourself” ( Leviticus 19;18)

Sikh Reading.    Inderpaal Singh Basrai

These Hymns are narrated by the Fifth Nanak Guru Dev ji and are documented on page 80 of Siri Guru Granth Shib ( Sikh Holy Scripture)

O dearly beloved mind, my friend, let your mind remain absorbed in loving devotion to the Lord. O dearly beloved mind, my friend, the fish of the mind lives only when it is immersed in the Water of the Lord. Drinking in the Lord’s Ambrosial Bani, the mind is satisfied, and all pleasures come to abide within. Attaining the Lord of Excellence, I sing the Songs of Joy. The true Guru, becoming merciful, has fulfilled my desires. He has attached me to the hem of His robe, and I have obtained the nine treasures. My Lord and master has bestowed His Name, which is everything to me. Nanak instructs th Saints to teach, That the mind is imbued with loving devotion to the Lord

 Sukyo Mahikari Reading.  Dr Andris Tebecis

How a loving innermost attitude can help establish world peace ( Kotama Okada, Founder of Sukyo Mahakari)

 When people have an innermost attitude of love, they are in harmony with the loving will of God, and this helps to bring an increase in the number of people who have loving compassion for others. Furthermore, the vibrations generated by their love travel far and wide and help to promote world peace.

Although invisible, people’s innermost thoughts travel all over the world just like radio waves from a broadcast station. Unfortunately, today many people are generating vibrations of hatred and jealousy that could easily lead to conflict. They think of their fellow human beings as enemies. They say things that sound good, but behind the scenes they are building up ammunition. The vibrations of these innermost attitudes are travelling around the world, keeping real peace forever out of reach. We may succeed in setting up all the outward trappings of peace, but it won’t be the real thing. That is what is so horrifying.

As people who have directed our lives toward God, we should offer Him our gratitude and, at the same time, strive to repay Him for all His blessings. We need to generate such vibrations of gratitude and send them travelling across the heavens so we can unite our will with God’s will. Then miracles will occur that will help to bring about a heaven-like civilisation on earth. From all this I think you can see why I say that “the spiritual realm is a realm of innermost attitudes”

Unless we change our innermost attitudes, we will never be able to achieve health, harmony and prosperity. Thus, changing   our innermost attitudes is essential to the practice of the teachings.