Divine presence

Available for 29 days

Spiritual reflection to start the day with Rupa Mooker, a lawyer and member of Glasgow’s Sikh community. Script: Good morning. Often, one of the first things a Sikh child learns is Ik Onkar. It’s often translated as “There is One God”, one universal creator, one supreme reality that connects all of creation. It comes from the very start of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy scripture, and it lies at the heart of Sikh belief. I’ve always found something deeply reassuring about Ik Onkar. Because if there is one divine presence in all of us, then none of us is more worthy than another. Our differences in religion, colour, culture, wealth or status don’t make one human being more valuable than the next. But We draw lines between communities and make assumptions about people we’ve never met. We sometimes allow fear of what is unfamiliar to become a reason to keep our distance. Further on in scripture we say ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ (Nirbhau Nirvair): "No Fear. No Hatred." — The Divine is devoid of fear and harbors no enmity toward anyone. Ik Onkar invites us to look beyond any labels and simply recognise the person in front of us. The colleague whose life we know very little about or the neighbour whose beliefs may be different from our own. We don’t have to be the same to belong to the same world. Perhaps today, we might pause and remember that we share something fundamental - our humanity. My prayer today is this: Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh. Waheguru, Remind us of the connection we share with all living beings, and guide us to treat every person with kindness, dignity and respect. May we recognise the light in one another.