The Beauty of Spiritual & Cultural Difference

"To cut oneself off from the reality of 'difference' between cultures - or worse to attempt to stamp out that 'difference' - is to cut oneself off from the possibility of sounding the depths of the mystery of human life. The truth about humanity is the unchangeable standard by which every culture is judged; but every culture has something to teach us about one or another dimension of that complex truth. Thus the difference that some find so threatening can, through respectful dialogue, become the source of a deeper understanding of the mystery of human existence." (1) Pope John Paul II

These words bring great comfort. In a very beautiful way Pope John Paul encourages us to place value on cultural differences. I believe he is asking us to search for understanding. I believe he is asking us to look for opportunities to bring people together, to help others find peace, love and understanding.

It's hard not to think about the tradgedies of 9/11, even though I don't want to remember them. Rather than revisit the pain and horror of that day, I renew my commitment to peace, my commitment to religious and cultural unity. I promise you that peace is coming, not just for one but for all. The more people pray for peace, the faster peace will come. It may sound silly to believe that prayer can change the world but one fact will always remain true: prayer will change us, and we will change the world.

I remember all the emotions I felt during the days and months following 9/11. I remember struggling with anger, and I remember the first time I felt absolute hatred. It happened in an instant, and for the first time in my life I feared for my soul. I am lucky to have been surrounded by people who love me. I am lucky to have had my faith, and I am lucky to have had beautiful experiences that helped me say no to the temptation to hate others.

One of those experiences was brief but memorable. As I entered the subway at lunch hour and waited for the train, I noticed a man roll out a small mat on the floor. Facing east, tucked up against the wall, safely out of the way, he knelt upon his mat and began to pray. A very strange thing happened to me that day. In those moments, I felt the grace of God. I felt the grace of God as strongly as I had ever felt it. I felt it as strongly as I had felt it in my own church. This grace was not born of my actions but of the actions of a stranger, far from the sight of people hustling about in a very busy city. Time stood still and the light of God was bright.

The subway train came and I got on it. My eyes remained fixed on the man in prayer until he was out of sight. Over time, that brief but beautiful moment became temporarily lost in a sea of daily details. Years later, as I searched to understand what had happened on 9/11, the memory came flooding back to me. Amdist all of the temptation to believe the worst about people of the Muslim faith, I clung to that memory. Osama Bin Laden could not take that away from me. I had experienced it first hand.

Over time, more good experiences followed. One wise man taught me that jihad was not a call to physical violence but a call to fight the internal war against temptation. In that moment relief came over me. "Of course," I thought, "how could I have been so silly to think otherwise?" In our own spiritual texts the metaphor of the war against temptation exists. Why didn't I figure this out on my own? How could I have been led so far astray? The good experiences will be with me always.

So it happened that day; I learned a great deal from a Muslim man with whom I had never spoken a word. I learned that the commitment to prayer can literally touch strangers. When we pray with humility and sincerity, our prayer has a lasting impact. Combined with my other experiences, including Pope John Paul's quote, I learned that the existence of other faiths does not make our faith less important; it makes our faith more important. Noone can another person's faith from him. Faith is ours to give, ours to share, and ours to receive.

We each use religion in our own way, drawing upon our culture, language and life experiences. Above all, we must use our faith to share the love of God with as many people as possible. Sharing our faith without passing judgement of another's faith is critical. Remember we do not yet fully understand the depths or details of God's plan.

Following 9/11, I came to understand that having faith in God means having faith in the goodness that exists in all of God's creation. I must have faith that we can all overcome temptation, and I must commit myself to eradicate temptation, while helping others overcome it. Most of all, I learned that the path to peace is lined with prayer.

Please take a moment each day to pray for peace. Remember to thank God for receiving your prayers and forgive anyone who has trespassed against you. Express your love for God, and ask God to save you from being put to the test. God's grace can happen in an instant, any instant.

(1) Go in Peace, A Gift of Enduring Love, by Pope John Paul II