Many Faiths, One God. Poem by Bernedita Rosinha Pinto

And in your own field
be a shepherd of love
if you have to be;
in your own house
be a protector of peace
if you have to be;
but when from upon that high mountain
will flow so many rivers of faith,
where will they find their pond
to hold their gushes of water and springs?

And from those streams will flow
many fountains of faith
over many little hillocks of devotion
which inside a pious mind shall encircle
and roll out a reverence to God.

And just as only water mingles with water
or just like water of the river
mingles with the water of the sea,
and with water of the rivers and fountains
devotion stirs with momentum in every worshiper.

But faith varies as no faith shall mix with faith
except when at the door of heaven
will stand man and whisper to God-
O Lord, I tried to find Thee in many ways
and in every idol and statue
I tried to create your face;

with every kind of prayer
I tried to call You,
with every humility I sought thee;
I prayed kneeling on the ground
I tried singing many hymns
I tried yelling aloud so that You could hear
when my anguish was so deep.

But Lord, where ever I tried to find You,
everyone whom I knew also tried to find you;
they walked to churches and to mosques,
they did the same things I did
in trying to find You;

they even folded their hands as they prayed;
they fasted for a full forty days
they made sacrifices and offerings
they did every action and spoke every word
with greater sanctity and piousness than me;
only inan attempt to find You! "

And God replied- "I know, my child,
every dedication of every man
has been on my list,
every word and mind have I heard and seen,
every heart I have watched and evaluated.

But, ifI had to appear before you,
you would have not searched for me
you would have not prayed at all;
you would have lost your way;

but in searching me, you have been so vigilant,
the fear has made you restless
and you kept praying to reach me;
and as you kept looking for me
I looked back at you
and found you getting so close to me;
now hold my hand and just step in
for in my house I have kept your seat
as you respected me and humanity, diligently".