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A devout, godly Muslim made his first pilgrimage to Mecca. Wearied from the long journey, he laid himself down on the ground to sleep. Soon, he was awakened by an irate Muslim, saying, “The time has come for everyone to bow his or her heads toward Mecca, but you have your feet pointed toward the Lord!” The irate man, then, bowed his head, only to have the first man interrupt, saying, “Friend, also move your feet in another direction, for they are pointing toward the Lord.”
Where is God? Some say in heaven. Some claim that God lives in holy places. Other persons say God dwells in the human heart of the faithful. God is everywhere, affirm other persons.
This little parable answers the question, “Where is God?” Where? To bow before the Lord is to place the head before the Lord, and the feet, too. Ultimately, God is within where and outside where.
The vignette teaches another lesson: how devotion to God can be accompanied, ironically, by profound disrespect for the other person who is a brother or sister in the faith. When we get attached to thinking there is only one right way of doing things or only one right way to call upon God, then, that leads to arrogant disrespect, as we see in the story above. True devotion should lead us to humble allowance of differences and a seeking to learn from other persons who are different in their devotion.
OneLife Ministries is a pastoral outreach and nurture ministry of the First United Methodist Church, Fort Meade, FL. For Spiritual Direction, Pastoral Counseling, spiritual formation workshops, Christian meditation retreats, or more information about OneLife, write Rev. Dr. Brian K. Wilcox at briankwilcox@comcast.net.
Brian's book of mystical love poetry, An Ache for Union, can be ordered through major bookdealers.
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
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