Dear Editor,
This week a great Jamaican soul was laid to rest -- Governor General Sir Howard Cooke. I was privileged to have spent much time with him, and all those who met would agree that he embodied the mantra 'One Love'.
In 2004 and 2005, when my family was hosting One Love Concerts in schools throughout the island, Sir Howard would invite me to his small Thursday night gatherings of various spiritual leaders at the King's House. It was a relaxed group of eight or 10 people all seeking the Creator's guidance. It allowed him to leave protocol and just be himself -- another spiritual seeker. It was him at his finest.
In 2004 and 2005, when my family was hosting One Love Concerts in schools throughout the island, Sir Howard would invite me to his small Thursday night gatherings of various spiritual leaders at the King's House. It was a relaxed group of eight or 10 people all seeking the Creator's guidance. It allowed him to leave protocol and just be himself -- another spiritual seeker. It was him at his finest.
In 2003, I hosted the Jamaican Leadership One Love Event at the Pegasus. I invited political, social, business, and religious leaders to recommit to a leader's highest calling -- leading the people to love. Sir Howard agreed to make the opening remarks. Over 150 leaders attended.
The GG spoke extemporanreously and it touched us deeply: "My beloved friends, brothers and sisters, this is a unique moment. It may well be a moment of history. For many many years, I have tried to devote my time to make some significant effort to bring peace wherever I am. I had a professor once who taught a comparative religions class. And, whenever he spoke on any religion, you thought that that must be his religion. At the end of the 14-week course, I came to the conclusion that there is only one God and that His righteousness is with all people. I came to the conclusion whether you are a Christian or a Jew or a Muslim, we are all one people seeking truth and goodness and mercy. And so now I am comfortable with anyone who worships God. I know that there are extremists among us all the time, and I have been burned and sniped at even in my own country because I have sought and enjoyed fellowship with many. It is a fact. And I do believe that there are so many disruptions in the world because we don't respect and love one another. And so, at all times when I speak, I say to people, 'There might be diversity, but there can be unity in diversity.' ... Every Thursday there is a little group that meets in my house and I don't think there are two of us that observe the same religion, but we meet to discuss life and how we can have peace because, in the finality of what we wish to reach, it is to be able to have peace. I know that we can't produce unless we have peace. There is not one of you here that can say you are at war with somebody and come up here and speak well. You can't do it. There has to be peace in your soul. I thank God that at this moment I cannot identify anyone I do not love. I cannot identify anybody. There is peace in my heart. I love people and I want people to love me. I'm not happy if they don't love me. I want you all to love me. And we can do it in so many ways. Sometimes in writing, in poetry, in music, sometimes in a painting. It may be in something that makes you feel that God is present. And so I think that what you wanted me to do here was welcome you and I am speaking from my heart and I am happy to be here. I want you to know that I support any cause that is for peace, because if we have peace in our lives, the creative genius of God will express itself in all sorts of ways. I am sure if the Minister of Finance really had peace and love in his heart, he would devise a strategy for financial peace. It's a joy sometimes to sit privately with the prime minister because I find that he is more spiritual. I know why people are afraid to tell the world that the spirit of God is within them...We here could change Jamaica overnight. I'm saying to you, let this moment be a moment of peace."
Robert Roskind
One Love Foundation
Carrboro, United States
The wisdom of Sir Howard
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This week a great Jamaican soul was laid to rest -- Governor General Sir Howard Cooke. I was privileged to have spent much time with him, and all those who met would agree that he embodied the mantra 'One Love'.
In 2004 and 2005, when my family was hosting One Love Concerts in schools throughout the island, Sir Howard would invite me to his small Thursday night gatherings of various spiritual leaders at the King's House. It was a relaxed group of eight or 10 people all seeking the Creator's guidance. It allowed him to leave protocol and just be himself -- another spiritual seeker. It was him at his finest.
In 2004 and 2005, when my family was hosting One Love Concerts in schools throughout the island, Sir Howard would invite me to his small Thursday night gatherings of various spiritual leaders at the King's House. It was a relaxed group of eight or 10 people all seeking the Creator's guidance. It allowed him to leave protocol and just be himself -- another spiritual seeker. It was him at his finest.
In 2003, I hosted the Jamaican Leadership One Love Event at the Pegasus. I invited political, social, business, and religious leaders to recommit to a leader's highest calling -- leading the people to love. Sir Howard agreed to make the opening remarks. Over 150 leaders attended.
The GG spoke extemporanreously and it touched us deeply: "My beloved friends, brothers and sisters, this is a unique moment. It may well be a moment of history. For many many years, I have tried to devote my time to make some significant effort to bring peace wherever I am. I had a professor once who taught a comparative religions class. And, whenever he spoke on any religion, you thought that that must be his religion. At the end of the 14-week course, I came to the conclusion that there is only one God and that His righteousness is with all people. I came to the conclusion whether you are a Christian or a Jew or a Muslim, we are all one people seeking truth and goodness and mercy. And so now I am comfortable with anyone who worships God. I know that there are extremists among us all the time, and I have been burned and sniped at even in my own country because I have sought and enjoyed fellowship with many. It is a fact. And I do believe that there are so many disruptions in the world because we don't respect and love one another. And so, at all times when I speak, I say to people, 'There might be diversity, but there can be unity in diversity.' ... Every Thursday there is a little group that meets in my house and I don't think there are two of us that observe the same religion, but we meet to discuss life and how we can have peace because, in the finality of what we wish to reach, it is to be able to have peace. I know that we can't produce unless we have peace. There is not one of you here that can say you are at war with somebody and come up here and speak well. You can't do it. There has to be peace in your soul. I thank God that at this moment I cannot identify anyone I do not love. I cannot identify anybody. There is peace in my heart. I love people and I want people to love me. I'm not happy if they don't love me. I want you all to love me. And we can do it in so many ways. Sometimes in writing, in poetry, in music, sometimes in a painting. It may be in something that makes you feel that God is present. And so I think that what you wanted me to do here was welcome you and I am speaking from my heart and I am happy to be here. I want you to know that I support any cause that is for peace, because if we have peace in our lives, the creative genius of God will express itself in all sorts of ways. I am sure if the Minister of Finance really had peace and love in his heart, he would devise a strategy for financial peace. It's a joy sometimes to sit privately with the prime minister because I find that he is more spiritual. I know why people are afraid to tell the world that the spirit of God is within them...We here could change Jamaica overnight. I'm saying to you, let this moment be a moment of peace."
Robert Roskind
One Love Foundation
Carrboro, United States
The wisdom of Sir Howard
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