My Korean friend kept me informed of the general thread of the conversation, translating into English snippets of what was being said. Since my ears were not helping me to understand what was going on, I began to “sense” these two women and what they were sharing with us. Perhaps the Buddhist practice of total awareness has taught them to communicate without words, to allow others to be aware of them as they strive to be of all that surrounds them.

Perhaps it was the beauty of the countryside through which we had hiked for two miles in order to reach the Buddhist compound. Perhaps it was the strangeness of it all—sitting on the floor, women with heads shaven, not understanding what was being said. Most probably for all of these reasons plus others, after a few sips of tea and finding a somewhat less uncomfortable sitting position, a great peace invaded me. I use “invaded me” advisedly for it was not a matter of my reaching out for peace, or wanting or willing peace. It was the peace these two nuns emanated seeping into every corner of my being.

Is their Buddhist peace different from my Christian peace? Not at all. I knew that peace is a value in and of itself because it promotes and defends the central value: The flourishing of all life. But when the peace of those Buddhist nuns inhabited me, I learned in a very different way—experientially—that values are not determined by any religion or philosophy.

What the different religions do is provide us with the images, metaphors, examples that help us to understand values. Religions and philosophies do not add anything to the intrinsic meaning of peace, justice, courage, humility, love; they do not add anything to the inexorable value of all life.

Christianity is a way of life guided by a central value, not different from that which guides those who follow other religions: the flourishing of all life. The greatest value that leads Christians is the same one that leads believers of all other religions as well as of non-believers.

Therefore, it is not important whether the USA is a Christian nation or not. What is important is for the USA to uphold and promote the value of all life. Some of the people who are part of the USA value life from a Christian or Jewish, or Islamic perspective; some do it as secular humanists; some do it because they believe in the goddess or in the goddesses; some do it because they are Hindus or Buddhists; some do it from the perspective of Native American religions. (This is not intended as an exhaustive list but rather to signify inclusiveness).

The social and political polity of the USA should not be determined by any one religious piety or religious message. Christendom as a cohesive political unit ended with the Reformation almost six hundred years ago and to attempt to bring it back is, “Thanks be to God,” unrealistic. Today we move in a world enriched by religious diversity and to try to squelch it will make us poorer as a nation, as a people, as communities, as families, as persons.

The USA must be committed to valuing all life, to provide what is needed for all life to flourish. This is what is most important and not whether this nation should be a Christian nation or not.

So much fuss about public Christian imagery during the month of December! So much silence when the government that represents us decided that it can use torture, which indeed violates the basic dignity of the human person, of the value of life! War, torture, poverty, ethnic prejudice, racism, sexism, heterosexism, ageism—all discrimination which diminishes and thwarts fullness of life: this is what I want to make a fuss about.

Let us join hands as a people, as a nation, across religions, to embrace fullness of life for all. That is what December 25th and every day of our lives should be about.