^{“I can think of no better physical example of this interconnectedness than the roads and pathways that we all walk, bike, and drive on. Our streets– whether they are a grid or an endless tangle of interlocking roads– are a picture of this single garment of destiny. We are woven together in the ways that we move throughout the world. And it’s true that whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”}

New Haven, CT, November 17, 2024

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We have just heard the names of those who have lost their lives due to traffic violence this past year, and we have heard stories that speak deeply to the depth of that loss.

When I used to work as a chaplain at Yale New Haven Hospital, there was a specific set of words that the medical team would say whenever a life was lost in the emergency room, or anywhere in the hospital. Unfortunately a place like Yale New Haven Hospital sees far too many traffic related injuries and deaths. The words of this script that doctors and chaplains use, called The Pause, is an effort to wrap some meaning around the trauma of human loss. I’d like to invite us into a time of meditation or prayer, using these words. Let us Pause.

We take this moment to pause…

So that each of us, in silence, according to our faith, philosophy or beliefs, may recognize the lives of people lost to traffic violence.

We recognize that each of them, in their own unique way, contributed to the wellbeing of this world.

We recognize that they loved, and were loved by others.

We also take a moment to honor the heroic efforts that took place, by first responders and medical care providers, to try and save them.

Amen.

I have heard these words– and I have said these words– far more than times than I would like to have said them. And while these words remind me of grief, they also remind me of the flipside of grief– which is gratitude. They remind me how blessed we are as human beings to be alive, and how blessed we are to know the people that we have loved, even when they are no longer with us. It is a powerful thing to remember that each and every one of us contributes to the wellbeing of the world, no matter how long or short our lives are. Each person whose name we remember here today is still making a palpable difference in the world– because they were here. Because they were connected to family, to friends, to a community. Each and every one of them loved, and is still loved by others. I pray that somewhere, in some universe, in heaven or whatever you call it – I pray that they will know just how much they are loved.

Life is an incredible gift. And perhaps the most incredible thing of all is that we are connected to one another. To be human is to be in relationship. It is our relationships that brought us here today. It is our relationships that will continue to give us the strength to live, and to make the world a better place. To advocate for safer roads and caring communities.

So many of our religions speak, in one way or another, about the holy interconnectedness of human life. In my own Christian tradition, we sometimes talk about being one vine with many branches, or being parts of one interconnected body. Similar teachings about unity appear is Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and in many other varieties of indigenous faith practice. Human life is sacred, and we are connected to one another as one human family– despite our many (and there are many) differences.

One of my favorite voices on this topic of interconnectedness is The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, who said a variation on these words many times throughout his speeches and writings. “It really boils down to this:” King said, in a 1964 sermon, “that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. We are made to live together because of the interrelated structure of reality.”

Hear these words again: an inescapable network of mutuality.

A single garment of destiny.

I can think of no better physical example of this interconnectedness than the roads and pathways that we all walk, bike, and drive on. Our streets– whether they are a grid or an endless tangle of interlocking roads– are a picture of this single garment of destiny. We are woven together in the ways that we move throughout the world. And it’s true that whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. The choices that we make, especially when we get behind the wheel of a car, have a profound impact on the fabric of human life.

Recently I’ve been exploring the idea of meditating on my drive to and from work, at the beginning and end of the day. Now I don’t mean meditating as in closing your eyes– please, please don’t do that! I am speaking of meditation in terms of a greater awareness. As you move about the world, whether you are walking, biking, driving, or any other kind of movement– think about the people that you pass along the way. Each car that you pass. Each bike that causes you to slow your pace. Each pedestrian that is searching for a break in traffic to cross the road. Remember that these are human beings. These are people who, in their own unique way, contribute to the wellbeing of the world. These are people who love, and are loved. These are people whose lives are infinitely more complex and beautiful than we can ever imagine.

I have a lot of hope for the future– as long as we remember that we are connected to one another. As long as we remember that every human life has infinite value. Every human life is woven into a web of community that embraces us all.

May that vision of interconnectedness– of a single garment of destiny– be your guide. Today and always. Thank you.

Sources: https://speakola.com/ideas/martin-luther-king-jr-interconnected-world-massey-5-1967