namaste

so i'm reading this book right now called "irresistible revolution".  i was just reading about shane claiborne, the author, and his 'internship' in calcutta with mother teresa.  i can't get this traditional word and it's meaning out of my mind.

namaste.  the A's are pronounced like the first 'a' in america and the ste is pronounced like 'stay'.  it means "I HONOR THE HOLY ONE WHO LIVES IN YOU".  it is usually said with a bow and out of respect.

here are some other sources of definition i found:

"I honor the Spirit in you which is also in me." -- attributed to but not claimed by author Deepak Chopra

"I honor the place in you in which the entire Universe dwells, I honor the place in you which is of Love, of Integrity, of Wisdom and of Peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are One."

"I salute the God within you."

"Your spirit and my spirit are ONE." -- attributed to Lilias Folan's shared teachings from her journeys to India.

"That which is of God in me greets that which is of God in you."

"The Divinity within me perceives and adores the Divinity within you."

"All that is best and highest in me greets/salutes all that is best and highest in you."

"I greet the God within."

"The light in me sees the light in you" -- attributed to Bridget Laureira's experience with Yoga practice in New York City.

there is so much to this word.  where to even begin with it...

what if Jesus really meant it when he said that we have to become lesser so that he can become greater within us.  and what if we actually became like him... dedicate our lives to feed the hungry and heal the sick. take care of the widows and the orphans?

how beautiful would the world be if we truly believed what the apostle paul said, that we no longer live, but only Jesus lives in us (galatians 2:20).

The world would be beautiful.

i believe in miracles.  and i do believe that jesus made many miracles.  but more importantly, behind those miracles is his LOVE.  a leper was an outcast to society... no one would even touch them.  so when jesus healed a leper from his leprosy, he not only healed him, but more importantly he TOUCHED him when no one else would. that is love.  Jesus raised lazarus from the dead, but eventually lazarus died again.  jesus fed 5,000 (not including women and children of the 5,000 men-wow!) but they were all hungry again.

It is the Love of Christ and his actions that we remember.

If we are crucified with Christ and no longer live, but Christ lives in us... think about the lives we would touch for Christ.  To be used by Christ.  For people to be loved to the core of what love really means...

if we really lived like christ wants us to... to be in a community who takes love everywhere and changes the world with it.

namaste.

I Honor the Holy One who lives in you.

The greatest blessing in the world would be for someone to whisper 'namaste' in my ear.