Sri Chinmoy:
The Peace Meditation at the United Nations

At the invitation of the President Carter / Vice-President Mondale Inaugural Committee,

the Meditation Group ushered at the Inauguration Day early interfaith morning prayer service held on 20 January 1977 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington , D.C. The Group gathered at 6 :30 a.m. in the sub-freezing temperature to pass out programmes, seat people and generally help out, for a crowd which grew to 5,000.

The 8:00 a.m. service was led by the Rev. Bruce Edwards of the Plains Baptist Church, assisted by Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr. , while Ruth Carter Stapleton, sister of the President, read from the scriptures.

Following is an excerpt of the  letter of appreciation from the Inaugural Committee for the Meditation Group ‘s assistance.

“We are particularly impressed by the dedication and co-operative spirit of your members, who are outstanding examples of the philosophy of brotherhood and good will which you seek to implement at the United Nations.

“Thank you again for your generosity and public spirit. You represent America ‘ s idealism and spiritual values at their best . Your contribution is deeply appreciated .

— 1977 Inaugural Committee “

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See also NY times coverage of day:

“unlike some religious inaugural events that tended in the past to reaffirm God’s special favor on America, the impact of today’s words was to call the nation back to its spiritual roots….

“the gathering represented a wide variety of denominations and religions. Roman Catholic priests in clerical collars stood beside Jews and young baptists. They had come form every religion of the nation and most said that they were attending the service in the belief that the country needed moral and spiritual uplift.  The hard sayings of the prophets have formed the basis for soul searching for centuries. It was translated most powerfully today in the ringing phrases of Mr. King…

NY times.com/

1977/01/21/archives/plea-by-dr-kings-father-adds-touch-of-revivalism-to-the-day.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1977/01/21/archives/plea-by-dr-kings-father-adds-touch-of-revivalism-to-the-day.html

Plea by Dr. King’s Father Adds Touch of Revivalism to the Day, By KENNETH A. BRIGGS Special to The New York Times ; January 21, 1977, Section , Page 30,