Lokahi – Searching for Harmony in All
Things
I heard that Buddy last Sunday has duly warned you that I would be speaking today. Let me tell you a little more about how my being here today “giving the sermon” came to be. First of all, I want you all to know that it wasn’t my idea! J
Some of you may know that I
have been involved in a new program sponsored by the Volunteer Resource Center
of Hawaii in conjunction with the
Anyhow, to make a long story short, last month we had a series of two presentations on Ohana Management offered by Fay Uyeda who is the Executive Director of the YMCA Communities in Schools-Hawaii Project. The second session included an exercise which placed the entire class in an interesting scenario.
Well, I was having coffee with Buddy the following day and was evidently pretty “pumped up” because Buddy took an immediate interest in what I was describing. I should have known then that I was in trouble because his face lit up and he said “this is a great sermon and you have to tell the story to our church!”
My initial reaction was clearly…. “what?…I don’t think so!”
As you all know, Buddy can be very persuasive and he didn’t let up. So we talked some more and I then made my next big mistake. I said that I would think about it. I don’t need to explain what happened next – I’m here today just like he had planned all along!
Actually, the story is a good one and I was, in fact, pretty “pumped up” after the session and I’m still “coming down” from that experience. It’s a bit like what immersion retreats are like. I remember attending a “sensitivity weekend” when in college many years ago, and I remember the look my mom gave me when I got home. They had taken the participants to a different level and the problem was that they didn’t bring you “back down.” I don’t think they had figured that out back then. You leave these programs with a big, fat smile on your face, smiling at everyone you meet, saying hello to people you don’t know, and just loving the whole wide world. People look at you strangely, thinking that you must be another one of those “flower children.” That’s what it was like in the 60’s anyhow.
Well, it wasn’t exactly like that this time, but it was an uplifting workshop and it left me feeling pretty good about people, community, and myself.
The workshop focused on “Ohana Management.”
Let me tell you a little about Ohana Management:
Ohana Management is guided by four main values:
- Malama – what we care about, what we believe
to be true and moves us to action.
- Kuleana – our responsibilities, individual and shared
- Laulima – connecting with others, cooperating to fulfill our mission, and
- Kupa’a – loyalty. Why we exist, what we stand for and what we are loyal to
The overall function or goal of these four principles is to achieve “Lokahi” – harmony!
Sound anything like a “
Sounds an awful lot like the
An interesting aspect of Ohana Management is that every group has two leaders (Haku) – the Haku Iluna (luna meaning up) who pretty much takes charge and directs the group or event and the Haku Ilalo (lalo meaning down) who serves as an observer and assures that no one is excluded. The Haku Ilalo reminds me of the sheep dog who gathers the strays and brings them back into the group assuring that none are lost or left behind. It’s a marvelous way of leading because it assures both direction and inclusiveness all at the same time.
Hawaiians generally begin a gathering with the chanting of an “’oli.” This kind of ‘ike (knowledge) is most often not what can be translated literally. It combines the physical, the emotional, the spiritual and the intellectual. The meaning is often hidden and elusive. The ‘oli is a prayer asking for knowledge from above in the elusive and hidden things, for help in finding knowledge. It should be done as a prayer with solemnity and sincerity, and is an appropriate and excellent way to begin any experience which requires learning and seeks knowledge.
So, I would like to begin this morning by chanting an ‘oli with you. The words are printed on the front of your bulletin. The translation is “Grant me the knowledge from above in the elusive and hidden things. (Please…) Grant me, grant me, grant me.” An ‘oli should be done as a prayer with solemnity and sincerity. It should be done standing, so I will now ask you all to stand. Let your arms fall by your side. They should not be crossed in front of, or behind you – gives the appearance that we might be hiding something. You need one hand to hold the words, so we’ll make an exception this morning. We will sing it three times, modulating up each time. I’m going to sing it once with the choir and then please join us. (I sing it once..)
Thank you – now let’s sing it together.
E ho mai I ka ‘ike, mai luna mai e
I na mea huna no’eau o na ‘mele e
E ho mai, e ho mai, e ho mai, e.
E ho mai I ka ‘ike, mai luna mai e
I na mea huna no’eau o na ‘mele e
E ho mai, e ho mai, e ho mai.,e.
E ho mai I ka ‘ike, mai luna mai e
I na mea huna no’eau o na ‘mele e
E ho mai, e ho mai, e ho mai, e.
Thank you. Please be seated.
Buddy and I talked about several readings which would be appropriate for this morning’s talk.
We looked at Romans 12, this morning’s reading, which talks about dedicated service.
We looked at Ethesians 4 which talks about Unity of the Spirit.
And then 1 Corinthians 12 “The Use of Spiritual Gifts.”
After reading and re-reading these three verses, I had a difficult time picking just one. All three verses are equally relevant to the experience I am about to describe. All three center on two themes: humility and responsibility in community. I chose Romans 12 as a starting point for this morning, but you will recognize a good portion of all three Scriptures as I go on this morning.
So where am I going with this, and how is it all going to come together?
Let me take you through the exercise, and I think you will see what I
mean:
There were about 25 of us in a
large classroom at
Now you have to believe that I had nothing to do with organizing this exercise, and the role that was chosen for me was simply a pick from the hat. I was chosen to be a minister – just can’t get away from those seminary days can I? J
Now, let’s set the scene together: It was an evening class, so when the lights went out, we would see nothing – no one. We would not know who was who, and what was around us.
So please close your eyes and imagine with me the scene I am going to paint for you. You may choose to keep your eyes closed as long as you like, or open them when I invite you to. Ready????
Imagine that you are in a large room. There is a major hurricane with winds blowing and howling fiercely outside. There is no electricity – no lights, no TV, no radio, no phones, not even cell phones, nothing! It’s pitch dark and you can’t see anyone or anything around you. You have brought nothing with you. Whatever is in your pockets or bags doesn’t exist for this exercise. If you had a bottle of water with you when the exercise began, it doesn’t exist anymore. It’s not there!
You don’t know any of the people who are here with you. You don’t know their history, where they’re from, what they do, or even what they look like. It’s pitch dark!
All you know is that you are here with a group of people who all came together to what they believe to be a safe place. Your job is simply to “be there” and to assume the roles you are given, whatever that is, be it someone else or even yourselves.
This is where it gets interesting. Some have been assigned the role of children, some of adults, young and old. One of the participants is a rebellious 16 year old teenage girl who was abused by her dad and wants only to find her boyfriend “out there” somewhere. Some of the participants were teachers. One was a pregnant woman who spoke no English – a tourist stuck in the storm. Another was a quiet young lady who stood by a calm, quiet Hawaiian man who simply suggested that we “just ride ‘em out.”
The emotional climate at the beginning of the exercise was what you would probably expect. People were cautious, worried, panicked, feeling unsafe, leery, protective and defensive. In reality, we knew who was in the room because we were all classmates, but even then, we took on the roles assigned to us, and we very easily fell into the scenario. It was, after all, dark and we didn’t know what roles had been assigned to others. Remember, we were given no other rules or directions, so we had to figure out for ourselves what we would do in such a scenario, and it became surprisingly real in no time at all. It was pretty uncomfortable at first.
You can open your eyes now if you’d like, or continue to keep them closed…..
We came to the room as individuals. We were initially concerned about our own welfare, our own loved ones, our own fears and anxieties. We brought with us our strengths, weaknesses, fears and baggage. Some were shy and slow to come to the group. Some were engrossed in their individual agendas.
You could hear people stirring about the room. You could sense that people were anxiously waiting for someone to speak. Then someone yelled “is there a minister here?” Interesting that the first call was for a minister. I must confess that I was really torn in my response. I was trying to imagine how a minister would respond, and to balance that response with my own personal reactions to the situation. The duality of roles was difficult for me.
I wondered what would Buddy have done? Not sure, but I chose to call people together in a circle, and it worked for me. We were supposed to be role playing after all. I thought that circling the wagons was a good place to start.
Things began to change rather quickly at this point. We couldn’t see each other and the emotional climate was rather chilly at first. Someone in the back, in the darkness somewhere yelled, “I’m a lawyer and I don’t think it’s appropriate to pray – we might not all be Christians you know.”
The lawyer played an interesting role in this scenario. She was a young law school graduate and was very cautious about all of our actions. “Shouldn’t pray…shouldn’t offer medical help…we could all be liable” she said. The group struggled with trying to ally her fears and concerns while respecting her opinion and contribution. After a while, we managed to agree that we would put aside our concerns for now and that we would all share responsibility for our actions. We needed to deal with “now.” She was cautious at first and maintained her concerns, but she later offered that she was a strong person and could perhaps help the group by using her physical strengths right now.
I said that we didn’t have to pray out loud, or even at all …we could just be still for a moment and try to gather our thoughts and take a deep breath.”
What happened next was awesome! People in the circle began talking…throwing questions out to the darkness.
“Anyone have food? Anyone have
water?”
“Anyone have a flashlight? What
about the kids?”
I encouraged people to introduce themselves in the dark. I asked:
“Who are you and what do you do?
What do you bring to the table that could be helpful to others…to the
group?”
Some were anxious to identify themselves. They told us their name, where they were from, what brought them to this place. Some offered their gifts, their talents, what they could do to help.
While people were introducing themselves, one said:
“Let’s gather the kids and bring
them together in a corner of the room.”
Others quickly joined in and all of a sudden we had a “kids group.” Another stood by the pregnant foreigner and gently rubbed her hand on her shoulder providing comfort. Not much said, just done. The energy in the room took an immediate turn for the better. It was exciting to “hear” what was suddenly happening around us.
We heard a commotion in the dark by the outside doors. The 16 year old was trying to get out. She wanted to find her boyfriend, the only person in her life who she trusted. Several people tried to calm and reassure her. One man realized quickly that he was not going to be successful and he backed off while another lady wrapped her arms around her and held her in. She tried to get her back to the group of kids, but that wasn’t going anywhere fast. But you know what? That lady stayed with the young girl the entire time and she never did go out those doors into danger. Eventually, even the girl became part of the group, even if only from arms length.
There was a quiet young lady who stood by this calm and quiet Hawaiian man. He didn’t have much to say either. She was quivering in fear, but took comfort in his calm demeanor. His words to the group were simple and to the point:
“I’ve lived through many of these storms and it will go away….just take it easy and we’ll ride it out – we’re safe here!”
Simple but strong words. Words founded on experience.
It was amazing. You could almost hear the sigh of relief move through the room. His calmness and reassurance flowed over the room like the blanket you pull over yourself in bed at night shielding you from the cold and the boogieman. His gift was as important as any other in the room and he did nothing – he was just there.
These were just a few of the many “stories” told that evening. There were many more notable people, and many more interactions in the room that evening. They begin to demonstrate what I saw that evening. I think you get the idea, right?
What is particularly exciting and promising about this exercise is that none of this was rehearsed. These were real people thrown into this situation with few instructions and no expectations. These were people who, I think, provided a snapshot of what humanity is capable of at its best.
I learned that people are indeed resilient. People are fundamentally good and we are all in this together. The exercise began as a group of strangers coming together in adversity, each trying to survive, to “make it through the storm.”
And then there was such a dramatic
change in emotional climate as the exercise went on.
The group started out as individuals concerned about their own personal needs, and they left the exercise as a group, united by their experience and their concern for each other. The transformation was phenomenal. You could actually see and feel the morphing as it occurred. The group found Lokahi – Harmony! Each member put his or her personal concerns and interests aside and focused on survival of the group.
I invite you to take a second and think about a time or a situation that you have experienced in your own personal, professional, or community life where you have seen this process in action and have achieved Lokahi…….
Or maybe a time or situation where things didn’t work out as well as they could, or should have. A time when the group didn’t reach Lokahi.
What might you and others have done differently to achieve more favorable results, harmony…….
I’ve seen it many times in my
life and I think that we have all seen and felt this kind of transformation
right here at
This exercise only lasted 20 minutes and yet we were all visibly touched by the results. We formed a bond that was anchored in our humanity.
Our Mission Statement reminds us that:
We choose to respond to God's Love through intentional ministries of welcoming the stranger, careful listening,and responding creatively and collaboratively in the communities in which we live.
It’s all about working together to find Lokahi – harmony.
E noho iho I ka puweuweu, mai
ho’oki’eki’eki e.
Stay among the clumps of grasses and do not elevate yourself.
Sounds an awful lot like in Ephesians 4:
“Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been
called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for
one another in love.”
And in Romans 12:
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not
have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and
individually members one of another.
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Let’s close with the “Oli.” Would you please stand and pray with me:
E ho mai I ka ‘ike, mai luna mai e
I na mea huna no’eau o na ‘mele e
E ho mai, e ho mai, e ho mai. e.
