alice’s spiritual sunday reflection

In the past few months, I have had the opportunity to visit Wat Prodketchettharam of America, a Buddhist temple, as well as the Service and Mercy Alliance, an Islamic nonprofit organization. Both are located on Grand Island. My time at both places was wonderful. The people at both houses of worship were warm, kind, and very welcoming of me and understanding of my lack of knowledge of their spiritual practices. Both offered glimpses into some very different cultures. I feel grateful to have had these experiences. I feel that growth comes from experiencing a wide variety of cultures and types of spirituality.

This Thai Theravāda Buddhist temple is located on a large plot of land. There are several buildings, including one which is the home of a few monks. There are beautiful gardens. The monks and their friends and supporters plant trees regularly, as planting trees is an act of good karma. All of the new trees that are planted are native species that do well in Grand Island’s clay soil. The place where this temple currently occupies was once a place where people went horseback riding. It is a calm and peaceful place.

Everyone gathers in one of the buildings on the property for chanting and meditation.

Afterward, there is dancing, music, and plenty of food. When the event was over, May, a Buddhist nun who lives next door to me, insisted that I bring plenty of that delicious Thai food home with me.There were also vendors who sold an interesting variety of foods and other things. I felt joyful just to be in this colorful, sweet place.

The Service and Mercy Alliance is a recent addition to Grand Island. It is located in a former Presbyterian church called Island Presbyterian. At one time, the church property included the building, as well as a large plot of land adjacent to the building. There was a group of women members of the church who were famous for their pies. Over the course of time, however, membership dropped and there were very few younger people attending the church. First the land was sold. It has now been developed into a subdivision. Then the church began sharing space with the Service and Mercy Alliance. This lasted for about three years. When the decision was made that the building should be sold, the Service and Mercy Alliance offered to purchase it to create a permanent place of worship for the local Muslim community.

I first heard of the Service and Mercy Alliance in March of this year when they donated $1,000 to the Grand Island Neighbors Foundation, an organization that provides nonperishable food and gift cards to people in this community who need that help.

This is what I wrote for the Tribune/Sentinel about the donation: According to April Arman, a member of the mosque, “Muslims are currently celebrating the month of Ramadan. This time is particularly important for us, as this is a month of fasting. Fasting reminds us of what it is like to not have food and of how blessed we truly are in our daily lives. In addition, during this month, Muslims are required to donate a certain percentage of their discretionary income, which is then distributed to those in need. With this in mind, we wanted to donate to the Neighbors Foundation. With the help of a generous donor who matched the $500 raised dollar-for-dollar, we are thrilled to gift $1,000 to the Neighbors Foundation for use within our local Grand Island community.”

The Service and Mercy Alliance continues to work with the Neighbors Foundation. In addition, it has set up its own food pantry.

On October 17th, the Service and Mercy Alliance held an open house, to share their lovely space with the community. They served delicious food and beverages and offered tours of the prayer space. The carpet’s design is intentional. If you stand along these lines, you are facing Mecca. Mecca, located in the Hajez region of Saudi Arabia, is the birthplace of Islam, as well as of the Prophet Mohammed. It is the holiest city in Islam. I learned that Muslims pray five times a day, always facing Mecca.

I did some interviews that day for an article that I am planning on submitting for this Friday’s newspaper. When I went home, I wasn’t permitted to leave empty handed. I was sent home with loads of delicious Turkish food.

I returned to SAMA on Friday for the weekly congregational prayers. It is called Salatul-Jumu‘ah. The men and women are separated by an ornate screen. The women I was with encouraged me to ask questions, and they explained the process to me. There was an Imam who gave a sermon in both Arabic and English. He switched languages with incredible ease. The entire experience of the congregational prayer felt very centering, calming, and peaceful. I also felt very welcome here. As in the Buddhist temple, I felt joyful just to be there.