A Vow of Identity
I know who I am: before I am a white man,
before I am an American, before I am a Roman
Catholic, before I am a name in an address book
…I am a child of God.
I’m related to every person of every race, every
culture, every creed, and every human tribe
that has ever existed on planet Earth
we are brothers and sisters of the same household
we are made in the image of God and
we have a god-like destiny.
I do know who I am: I am a wind of anguish
that scatters the ancient dust of Tibet and
Afghanistan. I weep with those who grieve
I hunger with those who starve. I am prisoner
with those in chains, and I walk with the
warriors who seek justice.
I mindfully know who I am: awareness courses
upward through my being, over-rushing all
obstacles of time, space, culture and Catholicity
it is an awareness that is mindfully unaware of
those things that are not worthy of awareness.
If nationalists, sectarians, supremacists and
fundamentalists were aware who they truly are
they would not hate one another, slaughter one
another, steal from one another or proclaim
themselves superior to one another. If they mindfully
realized who they truly are they would not force
the poor into servitude in the name of nationalism,
patriotism, religious certitude… or ethnic pride.