The Dalai Lama spoke at the University of Maryland in College Park on Tuesday. I believe there are several words of wisdom worth pondering in the Dalai Lama's remarks.
Consider:
"Sit down. No formality! We are the same. The way we are born. The way we die."
"When I look at you, if I think I am Tibetan, I am Buddhist, I am Dalai Lama -- nonsense. That kind of thing leads to problems."
"I look at you as human beings. No differences."
These simple yet profound remarks may offer some food for thought among some who are in authority in the church. I also believe they should provoke reflection about our current focus on developing our Catholic identity at the expense of a focus on our Christian identity and our common humanity.