During Derby week and its plethora of activities, many of us forget there is almost something greater than the famed Kentucky Derby. The National Day of Prayer, which takes place each year on the first Thursday of May, is foundational to our country, our relationship with God and our own healing during our darkest hours.
This is the sacred day that goes back to our forefathers, reinstated by Abraham Lincoln during the bloody Civil War. It is something I personally cherish, and something the Signature Family celebrates big time!
With our partner, Terry Taylor from Interfaith Paths to Peace, we collectively brought the majority of major religions together consisting of nearly a dozen faiths on one stage to hear their customs, their respective prayers of heritage and God’s voice through humanity’s filter.
As we watched the crowds grow, witnessing many of our residents joyfully engaging, each leader walked to the podium, adjusted the microphone, and just let beautiful prayers roll out of them…under the theme of “One Connected Voice!” It always makes me proud to be a Signature stakeholder!We had 80 other communities who were celebrating with us on our live broadcast while hosting their own version of what becomes a therapeutic celebration at many levels. Remember, we are blessed to serve more than 14,000 stakeholders and over 30,000 residents and families annually in a very tough business that leaves minimal room for error or margin.
Here are the highlights that made my soul jump with joy…
The Buddhist chants, paving the way for His Holiness’ visit; a lyrical rendition of Psalm 23 by a Jewish rabbi that made you see David’s harp; a Muslim prayer of peace and understanding that the crowd hung to because of the recent Boston Marathon tragedy; and several Christian prayers of hope and forgiveness from many sources. This was followed by private prayers from our Signature Prayer Chain and stakeholders, attached to soaring balloons that started to cover our beautiful skies.
You can’t miss next year’s celebration, but this year it was about a Native American spiritual leader who used water as God’s nourishment and natural gift to us as the power of life, and something he holds sacred every time the perfect substance hits his lips. Sacred and pure, water fuels our physical existence and makes up the majority of our physiological composition – and is something many fail to appreciate, or celebrate.
But without it, humanity never exists and God’s natural laws create just enough through the design of our universe to fuel 7 billion people, and recycle back into each of us.Now that is one connected voice to ponder…I know my team will never see a bottle of water the same ever again!
