The Bahai believe in progressive revelation through divine Messengers such as Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ, and Muhammad. Each Messenger was relevant to his time in history, but Baha'u'llah is the Promised One for our time. The Bahai faith is tolerant of all religions, because they are all one and lead to the same God. The temple depicts this through its 9 sides entrances all pointing upward in the same direction. Since 9 is the largest single digit number, it represents completeness or fulfillment. The problem with Christianity is that it is fixated on one prophet, Jesus. There are multiple paths to heaven, and each person is judged according to his/her works. The house of worship is a place to enter into to pray or worship in silence, though there is sometimes reading of scriptures or singing.
Upon entering the Islamic Center, we took our shoes off and sat on the floor in the back of a large room with rugs covering the floor. At the beginning, there were probably around 100-200 men there. Each would come in, bow half way, straighten up, then bow low with nose to the ground. Even after the service began, men continued to stream in until they had to stop and ask people to move closer together towards the front of the room. By the end, there were 500-600 men and boys in the room. In the back corner with sheets to separate, there were probably 40-50 women dressed in traditional dresses. Their head were covered with faces exposed. Some of the men were dressed in jeans and shirts, while others wore more traditional clothing and shirts, including some white robes and black jackets. Towards the beginning, there was a wailing song that a man sang. Then there was short serman to encourage all to be better Muslims. The primary belief in Islam seems to be the belief in one God. Muhammad is the last and greatest prophet, to whom God revealed the Qur'an. They believe in angels, judgment day, heaven and hell, and resurection. The message that day was largely about increasing Iman, or faith, in order not simply to be a Muslim, but to be the best Muslim you can be. At the end, there was more bowing, but it was done by all at the same time. There were some verbal responses as a group, then at the end some chanting/singing. There was an obvious sense of community in that group as men greated each other with a hug or other expression of good will. One of the reasons to be a good Muslim is to deserve Allah's forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Jesus is seen as a prophet, but not as divine.
At the front of the room is an object of worship, of which there is a smaller version in every home. We were not allowed to take photos when the doors of the object of worship were open, but inside were letters in other languages which were pronounced "Nam-myoho-renge-hyo" over and over again for the chant/prayer. Nam=devotion, myoho=mystic law, renge=lotus-the simultanaity of cause and effect, kyo=sutra-truth expressed through ones voice. According to this sect of Buddhism, there is no right or wrong and therefore not guilt. Buddahood is achieved my doing good. Chanting the prayers is done at least two times each day for varying lengths of time, but the chanting broadens thought. Enlightenment is desired, but the important thing is the present, not the past and how the world came to be or the future and the possibility of heaven or the end of the world. The focus is now. Peace and personal happiness are the goals of chanting. There is a bell that is rung periodically during the prayer to honor the dead. They believe in rebirth as humans, which is not to be confused with reincarnation, in which people may come back in varying forms of life. The purpose of this kind of Buddhism is not to answer for how everything is in life, therefore it was hard to get clear or logical answers for the many questions we ask. People meet together not only for prayers, but for music and social programs. Buddhism seems to be very tolerant of other religions.
Sharing and Motel
We had some time off Friday evening to explore Miracle Mile, but it was very windy and raining. My little group ate at The Cheesecake Factory below the John Hancock building, but the weather was not conducive to much more exploration. Later in the evening, we returned to the International Conference Center where the majority of the group was staying. There we spent some time just singing to the Lord, sharing thoughts, and reading Bible verses. Then Sarah, Julee and I left to find our motel, which was quite an adventure in itself. Without sharing the details, we arived there around 1:20am, by which time one of us was feeling like throwing up and I was laughing until I cried. Needless to say, we slept well though our sleep was short.
Saturday, November 11th
Because it was the Sabbath, no photography or taking notes was allowed. I had a hard time staying awake and alert for the three hour service for a couple of reasons, one being lack of sleep and the other being that most of it was in Hebrew. There were several things about this service that were unique, however. The one that stuck out to me the most was the reverence and admiration shown to the Torah, a scroll containing Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy in Hebrew. Taking it out of the ark and putting it back was cermonious as whoever was carrying it took it into the congregation where people crowded around with eyes shining to touch it or kiss the part of their garments that touched it. Throughout the service, the Torah was read in Hebrew in a sort of chant/song by several different people from the congregation, both men and women, young and old. (Allowing women to read in a conservative service is controversial). Between readings, there were various Hebrew scriptures and songs that were chanted/sung by either a leader or a leader and the congregation. The rabbi spoke in English some throughout the service. Every man, including those in our group, wore a skullcap/yarmulke/kipah. Most of the women wore a bit of lace pinned in their hair. Something else that was unique was the baby naming ceremony for a coupe and their baby. The whole congregation clapped in sinc after the naming. There seemed to be a sense of community and pride in the herritage and tradition these people shared.
Visiting the Hindu temple evoked strong emotions in many of us. A few of us commented that is made us want to cry to see people so caught up trying to please their gods in order to receive more carma. Seeing the prophets and people trying to please these gods reminded me of Elijah and the prophets of Baal.
One of the priests spoke to us a little about Hinduism, but he was difficult to understand. The priests go through some kind of purification in order to enter into the holy area around the images of gods. They performed ceremonies such as a wedding for one of the gods. There were offerings of fruit and money as well as ceremonies to please the gods. In one corner on the floor a young man and woman participated in a ceremony with a priest. Another priest was performing some kind of ceremony with a couple for their son before he turned one. We were not allowed to take photos inside the building, but you can see the elaborate flower-laden gods and the priests dressed in white by going to the website above this section.
Stopping at Willow Creek, an interdenominational church that boasts around 20,000 attendees each week, was a change from the other places we had been. As is the trend in Christian churches today, there was a band leading loud music complete with lights and projection onto wide video screens. Props facilitate anouncements and the message of the serman. Bill Hybels started the church around 1975 with the purpose of attracting the unchurched and those uncomfortable with traditional churches in the suburban Chicago area. There is a coffee shop that is open during the service, as well as a food court where one may purchase food before the service then eat while watching the proceedings on a large screen. Up stairs there is a book store and a small library. Childrens programs flourish downstairs. The central area outside of the auditorium boasts an escalator and a water fountain. The church puts emphasis on its large food pantry ministry as well as appealing to "seekers" who may be uncomfortable in some churches but are seeking answers to an empty life. Side note: I left my Bible there in the restroom and had to call and have it shipped to me:)
The Sikh place of worship is called the Gurudwara, where the Sikh holy book is kept.
As the site (
http://www.srschicago.com/) for this Gurudwara describes the religion, "Based on the belief in One God, the Sikh religion recognizes the equality of all human beings, and is marked by rejection of idolatry, ritualism, caste and ascetism." This kind of belief was quite radial compared to the religions and practices in India and Pakistan, where it originated. Sikhism is the 5th largest religion in the world, with most of its adherents living in the state of Punjab, India. One of the marks of its rejection of caste is the way Sikhs eat together with everyone on the same level. In fact, they served us one of their delicious vegetarian meals while we were there! The religion began with Guru Nanak and was expanded by 9 successive gurus. The 10th guru said that
from that time on, the guru would be the holy scriptures,
Guru Granth Sahib, a collection of various writings. While Sikhs insist that they worship only the one God, they show very high respect to the book, treating it as though it were a living, breathing Guru. In its presence, heads must be covered, backs must never be turned to it, shoes must be off, and feet should not point in its direction. Someone may sit and fan it to keep flies and dust away.
In addition, it is place in a special bed at night and then taken out again in the morning. The goal of a Sikh (disciple/learner) is spiritual union with God.
More Thoughts
It was so hard to know how to write this, because there is so much more! I tried to keep it to some of the highlights and make it more of a description of the things we saw and did, though some of my reactions and thoughts managed to filter in. More personal thoughts and the impression this trip made may surface later. To put it in a nutshell, though, I have a different understanding of Christianity. Most of these other religions place a high emphasis on attaining salvation or happiness. Salvation in Christianity is a gift. Works should be more of an outflow of a grateful heart for that gift and a desire to honor the One who saves. The difference is undeserved salvation by grace versus deserved reward. Growing up, I considered atheism versus belief in God more than other religions versus Christianity. This trip and some of the reading on these religions has certainly broadened my view of the world. It has personalized some of the things I had only read about before. Now I see these people more as individuals also seeking and believing what they believe on faith. I want to seek truth, and truth does not change based on what a person believes. I'm also thankful that God is on His throne, because I certainly am not qualified to judge!
Maybe the next post will be the story behind my scarf, or Thanksgiving in Illinois, or...
Just before going on the world religions tour in Chicago, my path crossed with a Muslim woman here in Rochester. She was very open about her life as a Somalian refugee and Muslim, so we talked a lot a couple of different days. The second day, I asked her where I might find a scarf to cover my head because I needed one for the Sikh place on the tour. She said that she had many and would give me one. I insisted that she need not, so she told me where to buy them. Before I left, she said that she really wanted to give me one. So a few days later, I found myself in her bedroom in her apartment going through shawls. She taught me how to put it on the way the Somalian women do. We sat and talked again as I learned more about her life and faith.
