Fred Brown, CSW Associate
Walking down a quiet country road, I sense movement in the distance. Through the light morning mist there appears a line of men in single file walking towards me at a steady pace. They are wearing what I think are orange robes, only to later learn that the color is saffron. These are no ordinary men, but a group of Buddhist monks walking. As they approach, I feel something in my chest as my breath catches, and I can feel tears welling in my eyes. My body wants to sob, not knowing why. Is it sorrow or a great joy that wants to overwhelm me? The lead monk sees me, stops, and begins tying a simple cord around my wrist as the whole group of nineteen monks quietly chants a blessing. Oh, that I wish this were not a dream, but an encounter I found on my daily walks!
While I have not been fortunate enough to see these monks in person, the scene I described is one I vicariously experience along with thousands of other people as they encounter these monks on their “Walk for Peace”. Since they left their temple in Fort Worth, Texas on a 120-day, 2300-mile walk to Washington, D.C, I have been virtually following them via the Internet. Given the comments I read from other people and the photos, the experience of something hitting me in the gut does not seem to be unique. So many people are moved to tears, and I’m left asking, “Why do we have tears in our eyes?”
The question takes me back to an October morning in Rome, where I’m standing with pilgrims from the Center for Spiritual Wisdom on pilgrimage walking in the footsteps of Saints Francis and Clare. We’re joined by many thousands of people from around the world as we fill St. Peter’s Piazza awaiting Pope Leo’s weekly address. Pope Leo is joined on the dais by leading figures from many of the world’s religions as he is celebrating 60 years since the promulgation of Vatican II’s document, Nostra Aetate. That document was part of the work of reconciliation between the Roman Catholic Church and Judaism following World War II. The Pope first gives his message in Italian, followed by translations in many of the languages spoken by those in the crowd.
When it comes to English, the Pope himself reads the message, and I hear the following, “Sixty years ago… Nostra Aetate opened up a new horizon of encounter, respect and spiritual hospitality. This luminous Document teaches us to meet the followers of other religions not as outsiders, but as travelling companions on the path of truth; to honor differences affirming our common humanity; and to discern, in every sincere religious search, a reflection of the one divine Mystery that embraces all creation.” (Pope Leo XIV, General Audience, St. Peter’s Square, October 29, 2025) I’m overwhelmed with emotion and tears are running down my face. Never could I have imagined that I would hear words like this from the leader of the Roman Catholic Church! But why the tears?
My answer is just mine, but maybe it could be yours, too. I believe the Spirit who resides in each and every one of us is shedding tears at the brokenness of humanity and, at the same time, shedding tears for the hope that seems to emanate from these monks; a hope that many thought was lost. A Facebook commenter suggests people are drawn to the monks and greatly moved, because in the midst of so much toxicity in our culture they help us to “…remember what love looks like. To witness humility in motion. To capture a fleeting image of compassion made visible. Watching them is watching prayer with legs and heartbeat—love incarnate.” Maybe God is using these monks to speak to us, and some of us are listening. Maybe in order to get our attention, God needs to bring some of His “other sheep” from another faith tradition to walk for us, to break open our hearts and minds.
In the final analysis, it turns out we all belong to the same fold, we are all God’s sheep, regardless of how we try to separate one from another. Humanity is created in the image of the Divine, no matter whether you wear the latest fashion, blue jeans and a cap, or dress in saffron robes; no matter whether you attend church in a gothic cathedral, sing praise songs in an auditorium, bathe with forest spirits, or worship in a Buddhist temple in Fort Worth, Texas. We don’t define who belongs or who doesn’t, who is a sheep and who is a goat. Instead, we are given a new commandment: “…that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) So, go in peace, to Love and serve one another!
Above: Tibetan monks on their Walk for Peace, during a stop in South Carolina
photo courtesy of Instagram