September 11, 2010

The last few days have been packed with cultural experiences.  Friday was one of the last days of Islamic Rammadan, as well as the day before September 11, so we thought it would be as great a time as ever to visit a Mosque and see what it’s like.   There has been a lot of controversy lately about Islam and the Mosque at ground zero, and I personally have never been to a mosque, so I was excited to experience one and see what it was all about. And they are open to visitors.  When we first got there we were a little hesitant, and walking into the Mosque itself felt like we were violating something.  It seemed so holy and reverent, and we looked and dressed differently than anyone else in there.  Eventually we went in and sat in the back of the room.  We watched the prayer service, which was very interesting. The sermon that followed the prayers was about love of God, families, and other people.  About praying and worshiping wherever you may be.

I was impressed with the dedication and solemnity of the services.  It reminded me of the way that members of our church treat the temple or the sacrament.  We go there to have spiritual experiences and to worship.  They do the same, in their own way.  After the sermon and prayers were over, the head of the Mosque invited us to sit down and talk.  We told him we were from BYU, and he already knew quite a bit about our church.  He asked us questions, and told us about how similar Christianity and Islam are.  It was a powerful experience for me.

Inside the Mosque.  I didn't take this picture, it was on google images.

The next day was September 11, so we went to the Pentagon Memorial.  We got there just as a prayer meeting was taking place.  There were prayers offered by leaders of several different churches and faiths, as well as short sermons.  There was a prayer for the armed forces, and for the victims of the terrorist attacks and their families that still suffer today. The rest of the prayers were for America, for the children, for families, and for religious leaders all across the country.  Some of the prayers were loud and evangelical, some were solemn and very reverent. The one thing that they all had in common was that they were all faithful petitions to the same God. 

September eleventh was a terrible day, and no one will ever forget it. But any terrorist should know that America will always rise above any tragedy and any adversity it meets. If there is anything that I learned this weekend, it is that faith can be powerful no matter what church you go to, or what religion you believe in. Obviously there is a straight and narrow path, and not everyone is on it. But there sure are a lot of people doing their best to find it and move in the right direction, which is a powerful thing. Osama and the terrorists were not able to take that away from us, and as long as we have that, we are strong.