Thursday, July 14, 2005

"Ohana" and "Aloha"

We are packing up to leave Hawaii today. Last night we attended a Hawaiian cultural feast in the spirit of "Ohana" and "Aloha." Aloha means, hello, goodbye and love in a spirit of warmth and friendship. Ohana means family.

There were plenty of activities at the feast, plenty of food: poi, cake,chicken, beef, fish, fruits of every kind and loads and loads of rice.

There were many couples who were celebrating their wedding anniversaries, some as new as four days old. One couple marked their 60th anniversary. There was friendship everywhere.

Our youth are required to keep journals, recording their impressions of what they saw and experienced. I have not been to sleep. I stayed up all night long, editing their journals and measuring the effectiveness of these eight days on their spirituality.

The idea is to learn to see Christ in every experience. With many of them we achieved our goal.

There are others that have a ways to go, before they can see Christ in every experience.

I saw Christ in the words that were spoken by the Hawaiian guides as they constantly reminded us of "Ohana" that we are related by virtue of having the same spiritual father. There was a special moment at the feast when 1,200 people of different races, cultures, colors and kindred all joined hands in the spirit of Ohana and asked blessings for the food. It was a snapshot of what will be when the savior returns. One family.

We parted the same way we met, with Aloha.

In life we live with Aloha (love). When we leave it is with Aloha (farewell). But, when Christ comes back, he'll probably say something that sounds pretty close to "Aloha!"

I'll get an hour or so of sleep; then catch the plane back to Louisiana.

Aloha!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I really had fun on that trip and I think that I will go there when I get about 26. So I can take my kids, wife, and grandmother there.