Rotary prides
itself in having a presence in more countries than are represented i8n the United Nations. And in Toronto that international flavor was readily apparent. Sessions were offered in English, but simultaneous translation was offered in a number of languages ranging from Spanish to Japanese. Many participants wore native dress, colorful saris, gorgeous dashikis, and some Western cowboy hats as well! I have no idea how many religions were represented, but I have little doubt that most if not all of the major ones around the world had adherents among our number.
Our differences were many. But we came together out of a common commitment to working across every conceivable boundary, every human made border, to make this a better world. "Service above self" is the Rotary motto, and it is a powerful call to action!
The convention reminded me over and over again that we need one another. None of us can do it alone. No one religion. No single service organization. No solitary nation can address the issues we face today. In this world of ours bound together by the promise of better communication offered in global technologies and the threat of wide spread destruction found in climate change, we can no longer afford isolationism. We are one world. If that claim makes me an internationalist, a globalist, so be it.
Make no mistake, I am proud to be an American, I am grateful to be a Christian, I am honored to be Rotarian--but none of those parts of my identity make me better than anyone else.
Being patriotic, as I understand it, means supporting that which is best for one's nation, and today, what's best for the United States is to be willing to be an equal and active partner in the world family of nations. In that way, we can work together across all that divides us for the benefit of our precious planet and all those who call it home.
Thanks Canada--it was a good visit!
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