From government leaders to local volunteers, Amma’s universal love brought peace and hope to people in the Nordic country.
Even though temperatures hovered around 9°C, crowds gathered in Espoo, Finland to welcome Amma to their homeland. Many had not seen her since her last visit to the country in 2019. The joy on their faces indeed brought light to the Nordic region’s dark and rainy October days.
With many newcomers arriving as well, a record number of people showed up for the program. The Espoo Metro Arena was filled with prayers of unity.
Among them was Ville Merinen, a Member of the Finnish Parliament who as a nurse and psychotherapist is especially known for his mental-health advocacy.
“This is a truly emotional moment for me to stand here on this stage with Amma. She is a person whose life mission is to embrace others and bring compassion into the world. What she does has reminded me how precious it is to help one another,” he said in his address.
“One embrace, one gentle look, one moment of selfless action can change the course of a life. Amma expresses it beautifully: ‘Each thought and action has the power to brighten or darken many lives.’”
Mervi Katainen, Chairperson of the City Board of Espoo, also expressed gratitude to Amma for coming to Finland. She spoke about how Amma’s vision of a global family united in love is the need of the hour.
“The impact of your work is beyond measure. Not only because it brings help to the underprivileged, offers access to education and healthcare, promotes equality, and thereby contributes to world peace. But also because offering hope is a message that we all need right now,” she said.
India’s Ambassador to Finland, Hemant H. Kotalwar, also brought a message of oneness. He described how divisions of nationality, religion, language and race disappear when one arrives in Amma’s arms. He honoured her decades of tireless service to bring humanity together in this way.
“Technology is fragmenting society. Nowadays, everyone is watching their mobile screens; everyone is in their own world. Amma is connecting people in the real sense. And through her hard work in India and abroad, I think she is giving us a message that we need to be connected, we need to be together,” he said.
Matti Rajakylä, a former Olympic swimmer, is a long-time devotee and was part of the organising committee for Amma’s stop in Espoo. He explained the volunteers worked hard to get ready for her to arrive. So after the programs concluded, they were inexplicably grateful when Amma called them for a prasad lunch, meditation, bhajans, and a spiritual talk.
With a smile, he also shared the advice Amma gave to her Finnish children.
“Among other things, she pointed out our typical reserved personality traits. Amma requested all of us to be happy, smile and laugh more. She encouraged us to express our joy instead of keeping it inside,” he said.
“She gave a beautiful example: ‘If a flower remains a bud, it will never unfold its colours, shapes and perfumes, and then others will not be able to enjoy its beauty.’ With this image in mind, all of us were overjoyed by Amma’s love. Even though the world faces dark times, she inspired our hearts with a renewed sense of optimism.”
Amma’s next tour stop is Aix-en-Provence, France.
