Yvette Moy

Out beyond ideas of rightdoing and wrongdoing there is a field. I will meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about.

– Rumi

My pilgrimage to Turkey continues my lifelong journey to learn more about prayer, to participate in interfaith dialogue and to experience the natural revelation of ancient cities such as Istanbul, Ephesus and Cappadocia. Indeed it was truly a spiritually enriching experience – surrendering my fears (false evidence appearing real) to enter holy ground in the peaceful cradle of civilization – for “where charity and love prevail, there God is ever found,”

Looking into the eyes of the Beloved Father of us all, one can begin to understand the relationship he wants with us and the peace he desires between his children. When we hear the call to pray, at such places like the Virgin Mary’s house, we pause to contemplate, light a candle or offer petitions by tying paper ribbons that are later gathered and burned, rising up like incense to the heavens. Here below, our hearts were filled with wonder and amazement when gazing upon groves, vineyards and green fields appearing in the desert near Kayseri as well as doves aloft amid the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia.

Many devout Turkish people offer thanks for God’s abundant blessings by gathering in daily adoration of the Creator. This begins with the washing of the face, hands and feet – a ritual, which is set out in the Koran. Essentially, the five daily prayers are a way of life, offered in the early morning (breakfast), noon (lunch), mid-afternoon (tea time), sunset (supper) and evening (late snack). Indeed, spiritual nourishment coincides with physical nourishment. And the presence of God is felt throughout the day, similar to Catholic monks or nuns, who observe divine hours.

My Muslim guide, Nihal Balci, said Turkish children learn how to pray at an early age from their parents. Families with as many as four generations live together and observe rites of passage – circumcision, henna and marriage. In some, spirituality grows and matures, much like the minarets that stand above all other buildings to honor God.

It was wonderful to admire a display of Chinese porcelain at Topkapi Palace in Istanbul – a gift from the emperor to the Ottoman sultan – an enduring sign of friendship. Having studied religious movements in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Beijing, Xian and Hong Kong six months prior to sailing along the Bosporus Strait – very much appreciated how the Silk Road in Ephesus connected the multitude of peoples and cultures of the world. My soul was filled with much joy to see where St. Paul, a scholar and native son of Tarsus, preached to more than 24,000 at the amphitheater, centuries ago. Here he began a dialogue of love, grace and forgiveness through Jesus in a world immersed in jealousy, suspicion, distrust, greed, corruption and violence. Indeed, human souls continue to thirst for this divine relationship with the Creator and peace work remains a challenge here on earth, where societies are fragmented by materialism.

In Bursa, our host, reminded us in a parable of how we are to share everything God gives to us. If you say “Always, everything to me” this is not fair and people begin fighting over them, he said after dinner. “Don’t be like an axe, saying, ‘Always to me, always to me,’ nor like peeler, ‘Always to you, always to you,’ but be like a saw, ‘Both to me and to you.’ We must share the bounties of God which is given to all humanity,” he said.  “We can live in the same world in peace through sharing and breaking bread together.”  Visiting schools,so called “Gulen Schools“, families, communities, museums and media one could envision such a common future. But each of us must take on this responsibility to make it a reality for future generations.