When will the chicks of the same mother hen remove the colors from their faces and recognize each other as brothers and sisters? The only way to end the danger is for each of us to do so, and to say to others, “I am your brother.” “I am your sister.” “We are all humankind, and our life is one.”
From "Peace Is Every Step” by Thich Nhat Hanh
“Peace Is Every Step” by Thich Nhat Hanh was a gift from a good friend whose thoughtfulness I’m truly grateful for. It’s one of those books you don’t speed through or even read page by page; you find a little tidbit and keep setting it down to let a single paragraph work on you. If you don’t know Hanh’s work, it may read a bit “fluffy” at first, but it’s really good and deep without being overly in your face.
This passage lands especially deeply with Passover this week and Easter weekend coming, a time already rich with themes of sacrifice, forgiveness, and rebirth. Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us that beneath all the labels, borders, and “colors on our faces,” we share one life together.
Maybe this weekend is a good time for all of us to live a little more like that’s true.