On Jan. 14, diocesan interfaith officer the Rev. Canon Gary van der Meer led a group of parishioners from St. John the Evangelist in Ottawa on a visit to the Sikh Gurdwara.
“We received a wonderful welcome that included teaching, worship and music played on beautiful instruments, hospitality and answers to our many questions,” he wrote on the parish Facebook page and newsletter.
Here are some of the photo highlights and learning he shared:
The basis of Sikh religion is represented by the symbol in the photo at the top left, which represents the words, “There is only one God or one Creator or one Om-maker.” This is a short form for the full expression of Sikh faith: “There is one God and will always be ONE, the eternal reality, the creator, without fear and devoid of enmity, immortal, never incarnated, self-existent, and realized through Guru’s teachings.”
The basis of Sikh worship is the chanting of the Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh scriptures), texts called kirtans – which reminded us of the Psalms. The singing at the Ottawa Sikh Gurdwara Sahib is led by Bhai Manmohan Singh, a world leader in kirtan singing.
The Rev. Canon Gary van der Meer and parishioners from St. John the Evangelist in Ottawa enjoyed meeting people at the Sikh Gurdwara and learning about their faith.
“Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.”