Opening Remarks

Avoiding division at the onset

When we gather to engage in civic duties, we call people with a broad set of beliefs to unite and work together to address our common plights.

The people of this land may be religious, spiritual, hold indigenous teachings, or be atheistic, etc. These differences stem from personal life experiences.

If respect for the individual is an ideal we wish to have recognized by the government, it must first be recognized in our gatherings. To work together, we should aim to minimize division.

So the question is asked, “Do we open in prayer? Do we blow the shofar? Do we do a land acknowledgment? Do we sing, oh, Canada?”

I’ve seen groups divide over these issues and would like to put forward a format for meeting openers to avoid division and keep us focused on the issues.

Opening remarks are customary in civic, religious and spiritual meetings. In religious and indigenous cultures, opening remarks would traditionally be done by an elder or youth. In both instances words of gratitude to the creator and request for guidance and direction are generally made.

Instead of announcing that you’re opening in prayer, consider simply making a statement of gratitude.

“Thank you all for being here.”

You could add,

“We are grateful for this community, this gathering place, this land, country and diverse heritage.”

Instead of offering a prayer for guidance and direction, consider making a statement of intention.

“We hope that the ideas shared will result in good dialogue and collective decision action to the benefit of our society.”

Some groups will then Sing, Oh, Canada. Oh, Canada is essentially a prayer in itself.

After the statement of gratitude and intention, and possibly the singing of Oh Canada, (or another song that unites or showcases the talent of your group) move into the meeting by stating,

Let’s proceed…

I have ideas on alternative formats for those with deeper convictions.

The above format could include a moment of silence, a smudging ceremony, the blowing of the shofar, etc. In my opinion, these practices require no explanation. To those in the audience who understand the meaning of these practices, the symbolism will resonate, and those who are curious will ask afterwards.

My point is we can include aspects of our faith and still respect the diversity of the people gathered for civic engagement.

Those attending our meetings are awake to the spirit of truth in some form. Let’s not get bogged down in the details, but trust we have come together for a shared mission in this lifetime.

No doubt, our gatherings will consist of prayer circles, sharing, circles, drumming circles, debates and all sorts of ceremonial practises taking place in the background. This is a beautiful thing, and I trust that as we allow for and respect these activities to unfold around us, our collective faith experiences will broaden and evolve.

As we share one-on-one, our life experiences will alchemize and what is true will resonate.

Let’s give each other a little grace and tolerance as we navigate between the seen and unseen realms, while keeping the openings of our meetings geared to civic engagement. Separation of church and state is a subject worthy of comprehension in this regard.

Please know, I judge no one for practising their faith in public. The goal of this article is to navigate this tricky, and potentially divisive matter of protocol.