Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 2014 — God is in the flowers [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

God is in the flowers

n the wake of the recent politieal storm that raged over the state Legislature's approval of same-gender marriage, a friend forwarded an email she received from a friend, Adam Keawe Kinau Manalo Camp. I have never met Keawe but was so stmck by what he wrote that I'm compelled to share it with you as something that hopefully will give you pause for thought in the New Year and perhaps tum a light on in your heart.

With this marriage equitv debate, I have heard people make rather strong comments (opposing same sex marriage) and invoking the name of the Queen (Lili'uokalani). My grandmother Sarah Kamakalili' uokalani was born in 1900 and was given her mieklle name by the Queen herself. Her mother, Lilian Kinimaka, was one of the last companions anel ladies-in-waiting of Queen Kapi'olani. She also served as lady-in-waiting for Princesses Ruth anel Likelike. Her husband hael been one of the private secretaries of Princesses Ruth Ke' elikolani anel Miriam Likelike when both were appointed governors of Hawai'i island. So my family knew a thing or two about the members of the Royal Family. According to my grandmother, there was a time when some Christians did not want Buddhist priests to eome to Hawai'i anel were protesting anel calling Buddhists "ielol worshipers," "hana pagana " (pagans), anel other ugly names. Theywanted Queen Lili'uokalani to endorse their position. So they went to seek an audience with Queen Lili'uokalani at Washington Plaee. According to my grandmother, the Queen smoked her cigar anel then remarked to them, "God is in the flowers." Some of the people lookeel bewildered. Then the Queen explained that God loved gardens anel made so many dijferent types of

flowers, of so many colors anel of various fragrances - yet thev were all flowers anel beautiful in their own vibrant splendor. Gardens are beautiful exactly because of that diversity of flowers. Whether one practices Buddhism or Christianity or is of one race or another, they are still flowers in God's garden, radiant in their different varieties anel shades of hue. O Ke Akua i na pua. God is in the flowers. I elo not believe that someone as enlightened as the

Queen, who saw the beauty of God within the brilliant variety offlowers in nature anel saw humanity as a garden of God, woulel eonelemn people who simply want their love to be recognized. They are flowers of God too. I believe that if the Queen were alive today anel people eame to ask her for her advice regarding this issue, she woulel say the same thing - God is in the flowers. To those of you who may take exception to this message, I apologize. It's not my intent to judge anyone's belief system whatever it may be. My message is that we all live on the same planet and somehow, as the world shrinks, and belief systems crash head-on into eaeh other, loaded with the raging passion of deeply held moral convictions, we must find a way to navigate this garden in whieh we are all planted by first seeing the beauty of the garden in its wholeness, keep the dark side of our humanity in eheek, and reach out to eaeh other on those things about life on whieh we agree. If we ean do that, the rest will take care of itself as we evolve to higher levels of our human existence. Weleome to the garden. May you walk with God and let the light in your heart be tumed on for all living things. For more, please go to www.PeterApo. eom. I

PetEr Apo TrustEE, O'ahu