“This world is not a permanent place, it’s a passage, a road on which you are passing.” ~ Imam Ali (AS)
The Middle East has served as the womb and nurturer of the world’s three largest monotheistic traditions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. As such, all of us who follow these faith traditions share an integral spiritual kinship with each other, for each of them took root amidst the same harsh climate and stark surroundings, where mountains and deserts bespeak something greater than ourselves and the thirst for Living Water stings the throat and strains the eyes in search of an oasis. We are all seekers and finders of something that defies description, something that flourishes in spite of the elements.
Perhaps it is this atmosphere that helped to strip our forefathers down to the bone so they might hear the voice of God upon the wind, and be drawn ever deeper into the raw reality of our dependence upon the Essence of Reality for survival and sustenance. Perhaps beyond this is the riveting humanity and brokenness of it all, the cry of psalm and nasheed alike, that we might not be forgotten in the darkness of the pit but delivered from destructive forces, and that we might end this bitter era and begin a new life, face to face with our Creator who has called us so often, even if we rarely listen. We know what it is to pray, beg, prostrate ourselves, pour ourselves out in tears and lamentations before our God and King.
And yet it is when we have nowhere else to turn and our tears run wild that we find ourselves able to return to our starting point, our ultimate origin and destination. It is then we plead for, and often receive, a passage of light to guide us through this passage of life. And the Lord of the Worlds promises that He will respond. For we are all called to remember our impermanence on this earthly plain, and to prepare for the day of our final return to the Source from which we came. We are all part of the same caravan, a ribbon of white across the swirling sands, all weaving our tales around the same sparkling fires, reminding each other that lovers never sleep, but stay awake to tell stories to God.
We all share a subconscious common ground, caught in the current of a spiritual bloodstream which binds us and which will never be broken. Though our histories have often been torrid, and our current realities are still often fraught by misunderstanding and enmeshed heated debate over our doctrinal differences, we are all still the children of Abraham/Ibrahim, and have collectively brought to the world the unique revelation of the oneness of God and His direct interaction with and intervention for His creation. Perhaps this is also where we inherit our passionate natures and strong wills, our fierce fervor and dedicated devotion. We have inherited the faith of our father.
For this reason among many others, even our struggles with one another often take on the characteristics of family fights, pulled up around the same table, partaking of the same heavenly bread, yearning for the same divine Beloved. The Surah Noor captures the essence of this common vision, something which as a Catholic, I was blessed the stumble upon the first time I opened a Quran in a bookstore, seeking my Lord in all things:
God is the Light of the heavens and the earth.
The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp,
The lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly white star,
Lit from the oil of a blessed olive tree,
Neither of the east nor of the west,
Whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire.
Light upon light.
God guides to His light whom He wills.
And God presents examples for the people,
and God is Knowing of all things.
It is my hope and prayer that through focusing on the spiritual and cultural traditions of the Middle East and its religious diaspora, we may deepen our understanding and empathy for one another, as well as an appreciation for the stories we all have to share. This is especially true during the Christmas season, for it is now that Christians like myself the world over sing of the birth of our Savior in a small town in Palestine, and remember our spiritual homeland, a holy land, one that is forever present in our hearts and souls and for which we pray God may show His mercy, bring His justice, and grant His peace.
Shalom aleichem שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם
As-salamu alaykum السلام عليكم
Pax tecum (peace be with you)