by Siya Atit (an MS Warrior age 14)
Society often labels us. You are a Christian, and they are Hindu. You're Muslim, and they are Buddhist. You're Jewish, while they are Catholic. These labels seem to define us but barely etch the surface.
Faith is more than just early mornings and late nights spent in prayer or gathering. It's in the shared music, the words of culture, the unspoken silence, and the pride that fills our hearts.
While the Presbyterian Church says, "May peace be with you," and the other replies, "And with you," followers of Hinduism offer, "Om shanti shanti shanti hi," with each "shanti" symbolizing peace within us, around us, and in God. These sacred words are not so different. There are more similarities than we realize, echoing back to the very roots of religion itself.
Aristotle once said, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." We are that whole. Just as parts of a basket are woven together to form a strong piece, so should our diverse faiths be interlaced to create unity. So why do we box ourselves in like a feast sitting in that basket? Why does being part of one faith mean we can't embrace another? Why do we often feel the need to elevate our beliefs while diminishing others?
Some argue that our uniqueness makes us different. But when did "different" start to feel so divisive? Our religion, faith, and the higher powers we worship or pray to should not be barriers or walls between us. They should be bridges connecting us and uniting us in a shared humanity.
We walk life with people whose values and beliefs might not always parallel ours. Yet our shared experiences, fears, and aspirations tie us together in ways we never take another glance at.
Close your eyes for a second.
Think about a world where we walk the streets looking down on those of other religions. The Jews, adorned with yarmulkes, a desi donning a kurta, or a member of the Cherokee tribe wearing deerskin. We looked at each other as obstacles on our paths, mud that we slipped in, a mean comment on a post. It sucks; in all honesty, it does.
But the opposite. A world where we didn't just tolerate our differences but genuinely appreciate each other for who we are. A world where religion does not separate us but serves as a mere peek into each other's souls. Taking a look, even if it's just through a tiny telescope, might serve as the connection we've all been searching for. I don't want my thoughts to be a sugar-coated version of what reality could become, but rather a mere peek into a part of my soul, something I hope you do today, tomorrow, two weeks from now, with all the other intriguing people in the world around you. Because only then, when we open our souls for others to take a peek—a pinch of salt, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a dash of cayenne—only then do we see the nature of human potential, in its most authentic form.