Interreligious Celebration for the International Day of Peace - Peace Starts with Me! - Paris, France

By David Perry young members. He invited one of his disciples to give a brief testimony on how he has developed his inner peace in the past six years. It was the first time the disciple had spoken

O n Sunday, 24 September we held an Interreligious celebration to mark the United Nations International in public but he united with his Venerable showing heartistic Day of Peace with the theme “Peace Starts with Me!” unity. At 10:30 the MC, Alexandre HUARD, offered an opening The Evangelical pastor, Armand MAVINGA could not be prayer and the Paris Community Choir then sang “Grace of with us, but sent a message which our brother Alain the Holy Garden.” RAULOT read in his place. Pastor MAVINGA stressed the importance of unity with Jesus to gain a better understanding Four religious leaders then shared their reflections on the of oneself which leads to a better understanding of others. day’s theme. Alain RAULOT also sang Saint Francis’ prayer: “Make me a First was the Rabbi Albert MESSAN who began by playing a Channel of your Peace”. video of a Jewish high school choir singing the song, Before his speech, Jean-François MOULINET, president of “Evenou Chalom Ale’hem. He then spoke of the story of the Unification Movement in France, showed Beyoncé’s Jacob in Genesis chapters 32 – 33. He compared Jacob’s fight official United Nations World Humanitarian Day with the angel as a symbol of Jacob fighting with his own Performance video ‘I Was Here’ mixed emotions as he prepared to meet Esau. Jacob had to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i41qWJ6QjPI and overcome those mixed emotions and find his own inner suggested that we say to ourselves, not “I was here” but “I am peace. On that foundation God could guide him on how to still here.” By saying that, we recognize that we still have a prepare to victoriously meet his brother. lot do. He then explained Reverend Moon’s quote: “”My After a second song by the Paris Community Choir the peace plan starts at the level of the individual. We must first Buddhist Venerable Michel THAO CHAN raised a half-full find peace with God, then peace with our neighbor and, glass of water and said he was not going to ask us a finally, we can build and ensure world peace. “ philosophical about the glass of water. Rather, he wanted to To illustrate Rev. and Mrs. Moon’s dedication of working for explain how he uses a half-full glass of water to find inner world peace, he spoke of the many activities they have peace. When thirsty, he raises the half-full glass of water and launched, UPF, WFWP, YSP, ICUS, IAPP, SUNHAK Peace imagines filling up the empty half with his desire to see the Prize, et al. good in other people and not to judge them. He then drinks the water. Doing this on many occasions each day helps him The service ended with everyone singing the CIG Anthem to keep his inner peace in relation to other people. He also and after enjoying coffee and cake together. showed us that he, like us, is concerned about raising up

MC : Alexandre HUARD - The Paris Community Choir

Rabbi Albert MESSAN - Venerable Michel THAO CHAN

Venerable THAO CHAN’s disciple. - Alain RAULOT singing « Make Me a Channel of your Peace »

Jean-Francois MOULINET