Jim Royal wrote:
> This past weekend, I married the girl of my dreams.
>
> Our wedding was rather unconvential. She's a muslim, I'm an atheist.
> And since we were not allowed to hold the ceremony in the mosque, we
> decided to hold it in the reception hall -- a 1930's French-style
> caberet in Montreal. The ceremony was on the stage, and we opened and
> closed with music from "Le fabuleux destin d'Am=E9lie Poulain" and "Les
> triplettes de Belleville."
>
> And in the middle of it was the Declaration of Principles.
>
> My wife's family is originally from India, but her parents were born in
> Uganda. My family comes from England, France, Denmark, and Slovenia.
> The caberet was filled with an astonishing array of people -- Indian,
> European, African, Chinese, Iranian, Afgan.
>
> Thanks to my wife, I've come to understand the world just a little
> better. I have looked into the world of Islam as seen through the eyes
> of the most outwardly-focused and progressive group, the Shia Ismailis.
> Our family history and culture have been so utterly different, yet we
> see eye-to-eye on many things. Learning about the reasons for our
> differences and similarities has been an incredible education in
> diversity.
>
> And so as one of our readings, I asked my dad to read a slightly edited
> version of the Declaration of Principles. Our wedding, after all, was a
> gathering in common cause to declare that We Are One.
>
> The reaction to the reading was tremendous. Virtually no one knew the
> source of the text. The minister (from a local United Chuch) was bowled
> over by the power of Joe's words, and wants to encorporate them into
> his own sermons. Many of the attendees told me how moved they were by
> the synchronicity between the message and our multi-ethnic, eclectic
> wedding.
>
> I want to thank Joe profoundly for his words. They encapsulate so
> perfectly my experience in getting to know my new family. Thank you,
> Joe. Thank you.
>
> --
> Jim Royal
> "Understanding is a three-edged sword"
> http://JimRoyal.com
> http://DigitalWind.com



Not the first time I've heard of this sort of thing, but it never
ceases to induce awe. Thank you, and best of wishes in your married
life.

jms