Togetherness may not be part of chanoyu but it is an intrinsic part of tea. The very character for tea centrally contains ren 人, the symbol for people. While the confluence of the ideogram represents humanity in harmony with nature, it's important to parse each constituent stroke. The fate of the tea plant and of humanity have become inexorably intertwined. And, being a plant, tea can not simply speak and say what it wishes. Its spread, enjoyment, and the multitude of rituals across every culture on earth are the result of humanity. Uniquely among beverages, tea is served as an invitation, as a gesture of welcome, and of calling the disparate together -- even in times of war.