📝 From the Pastor’s Desk

Walking Toward What We Long For

Dear Holy Covenant,

Excitement was felt in Charlotte this week as Buddhist monks participating in the historic Walk for Peace made their way through our city. For those unfamiliar with this remarkable journey, monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas are walking 2,300 miles to Washington, D.C. The walk began last year on October 26, 2025, and is expected to conclude in February 2026 when they arrive in the capital.

The monks’ intention through this walk is to promote national healing, unity, and compassion. They’re wanting to raise the awareness of peace, loving kindness, and compassion across America and the world. This walk is said to be a living prayer, and a chance to share kindness and peace as they connect with all kinds of different people, during a time when fear, violence, and divisiveness in our world are all too prevalent. The journey has become an historic event, drawing the attention of millions worldwide. Even Aloka, the peace dog accompanying the monks, has become a star and amassed a following of 675,000 on Facebook.

Today I was honored to witness the monks for myself, not far from Holy Covenant, as they crossed W. W.T. Harris Boulevard along Tryon Street near Atrium’s University City hospital. I was delighted that Bhikkhu Pannakara, the head monk leading this sacred journey, accepted my UCC “Just World for All” lapel pin as he walked by. You can see him eyeing it as I was trying to hand it to him in the photo! I’m looking to see if he adds it to the shawl on the front of his robe, and I’ll put a picture of the lapel pin further down in my article. Maybe you can help me look for it in an upcoming photo as their walk continues…