In India and many Asian countries, people greet each other by folding their hands and bowing their heads. This same gesture is also made during prayer, and I recently learned what it signifies. 

The five fingers are each slightly different in size and shape, but they are all touching, and the thumbs are pointing upwards towards God. This symbolizes the unity of all people, no matter how different, on a spiritual level. When you bow your head, you are greeting the soul within the person opposite you, a piece of God that resides within that person. It is a a great sign of respect to look at another person and recognize that they are a part of God.

This summer at IFYC, I met people who truly try to live out the ethic behind this common gesture. It is clear that people in this office respect each other on many levels. They respect each other’s opinions and time in the office. On a more personal level, they respect each other’s faiths and feelings. I have met people in IFYC who happily offer their time and advice to me and others.  They have taught me the importance of giving of myself to a cause, whether that cause is a movement or a single person.

I have also learned the importance of reflection and honesty this summer. I rarely take time to think about where I have been and where I am going. By writing blogs and my story, I was able to reflect on my faith journey and my time at IFYC.  By hearing other interns’ reflections, I grew close to them. What struck me most when hearing the other stories was the storyteller’s honesty. I know it was hard to share parts of my story, as it was for the other interns. But it was therapeutic to hear some harsher aspects of reality verbalized.

Finally, this summer I learned what makes a movement. A movement is more than a vision and a mission. People and passion make a movement. And I don’t think it is easy to spread true passions to others. It is a difficult job, and in my case, everyone at IFYC succeeded.

So I want to thank everyone at IFYC for a great summer. I began this summer disheartened by what I considered a weak and divided world. I am leaving here with more confidence and ambition. I thought peace and harmony were just words, and that the reality was that ”might was right.” But I am not disheartened any more when I see the great divisions and inequalities in the world. Strength comes in numbers, and the ranks of people working to build communities based in equality, justice, and respect are multiplying.  I am proud to join in with these people who are reshaping this world.