Date/Time
Date(s) - 12/31/2024
6:00 am - 7:00 am
Location
St. Marks Hope and Peace Lutheran Church
Categories
The 39th Annual World Peace Meditation, an interfaith gathering hosted by the Rime Buddhist Center, will be held at St. Marks Hope and Peace Lutheran Church. on December 31st. The event is free and open to everyone, with doors opening at 5:30 AM for a 6:00 AM start.
The program will feature a rich tapestry of religious observances from diverse cultures and faith traditions. Members of the Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council will lead a collective prayer for peace, symbolizing unity and shared aspirations.
Attendees can expect a multi-sensory experience, beginning with the Muslim Adhan, a melodic “call to prayer”, followed by Native American smudging rituals to cleanse and purify the space. Moments of quiet meditation will be interspersed with devotional music from the sufi tradition, creating an atmosphere of contemplation and reverence. The event will also feature the International Peace Light, a continuous flame originating in the grotto of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. It is shared person to person throughout the world with a message of peace and friendship.
Bodhisattva Award Winner
A highlight of the event will be the presentation of the Bodhisattva Award to Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity – MORE2. MORE2 was created in 2004 as a social justice organization representing different faith traditions, cultural backgrounds, races, and economic means. The organization included twelve congregations and has now grown to thirty-two congregations and many individual members. They are united in our commitment to transforming our communities, building a Kansas City area that embraces all people and offers everyone the opportunity to achieve their greatest potential.
Keynote Address
The Keynote address will be given by Judy Ancel. Judy Ancel directed the labor education program at UMKC from 1988 to 2017 when the program was terminated. As a labor educator she taught the skills of organizing and representing workers to union members and to UMKC students. Judy produces the Heartland Labor Forum, a weekly radio program and podcast on community radio KKFI Thursdays at 6pm central time or at kkfi.org. Since 1998 she has been president of the board of the Cross Border Network, a local nonprofit which advocates for the rights of immigrants here and an end to US imperialism in Latin America which is a major cause of forced migration. Judy is a founder and is Organizing Co-Chair of Kansas City Jobs with Justice.