Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

Praying in Churches, Mosques, Temples and Synagogues

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The Blue Mosque, Istanbul

 

As a curious anthropologist, a photographer, and a discreet and respectful observer, I love visiting mosques, temples, synagogues, and churches, and often use the quietness and sacred space to pray. (And, as a schoolgirl, have not been above accepting the delicious sweets offered by the priests in Hindu temples and Sikh gurudwaras.)

I observed during a holiday in Turkey, the utter devotion with which Muslims bow, pray, prostrate themselves. I have watched Jews bow before the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, slipping prayer requests into the cracks of the wall. I have seen those same wide, longing, hopeful eyes of faith in Buddhist temples, Sikh gurudwaras, Roman Catholic churches in Italy, and Protestant churches in England.

* * *

What happens when I pray? Well, often–coincidences accelerate; I change; other people change; circumstances change. Sometimes, miracles happen. Magic, an element of surprise and unpredictability, is introduced into dreary, impermeable, hopeless reality. Once I’ve started praying, with faith, hope, love, diligence, persistence (and a list!), I feel that anything can happen—and it often does!!

If I prayed, and nothing happened, ever, would I continue praying? Perhaps not; the cognitive dissonance would be too hard to bear.

And would Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Jews continue praying if their prayers were never answered? Perhaps not!

* * *

God, God, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness was God’s self-description to Moses (Ex 34:6). And would he only answer the prayers of those whose parents had taught them to call him Jesus, or Jehovah, but not the prayers of those taught to call him Allah, or Krishna or Rama?

I do not believe that. I believe God graciously inclines his heart to all who call upon him whatever name and language they use.

* * *

God has a yearning heart of compassion for all peoples. He feels pride and affection for all creation. “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls each by name.” Isaiah 40:26.

“Alpha Centauri. You’re beautiful. I made you. Twinkle, twinkle, little Sirius. You’re lovely. I made you. And you, Andromeda burning bright in the darkness of the night. I made you,” I can imagine God saying.

And will he not also delight in the humans he has made and fashioned in darkness of their mother’s womb, the area almost out of the control of our hope and ambition? Will he not answer their prayers, whether they think of him as Jesus, Yahweh, Allah or Rama? I believe he will.

* * *

Jonah cannot understand God showing mercy on Nineveh (the capital of Assyria), Israel’s great enemy, whose wickedness and violence has come up before God.

But God replies, “Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (Jonah 4:10).

And will he not be concerned about those who pray to a God they call Yahweh, Allah, Rama, Vishnu, Jesus in synagogues, mosques, temples, gurudwaras, and churches? Does he not often grant their requests?

Is that why prayer has been a feature of every known human civilization, from primitive distant civilizations who build ziggurats, sun temples, Wats and Parthenons to the Unknown God they knew as numinous and beyond our ken to hyper-connected us, who with a million ideas available at our finger-tips, still reach through the heavens to someone beyond ourselves, who knows everything–and everything about us–and still loves us. Whom I call Jesus.

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  1. Love this post as a mother-in-law of a Hindu and grandmother of 2 boys being brought up with both Christian and Hindu influences. A very charismatic/ evangelical friend once told me that by even going into a Mosque or a Temple it would expose me to being demonized. I’ve done both but feel that God will honour his promise that those who seek will find.

    • Thank you, Ann. I am sure I am right in believing that God hears the prayers of all people.

      I too belong to the charismatic/evangelical tradition and so prefer to seek answers in Christ “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” as it says in Colossians.

      However, I too believe God scatters abroad his gifts to all people, and do yoga with a clear conscience, and am inspired by and use some ideas and principles from Zen.

      But Christ is central in my thinking and life. I do yoga because Jesus hasn’t given a specific indoor exercise system to Christians, and use ideas from Zen because God has not given Christians a specific interior decoration aesthetic that I know of 🙂

  2. From C.S. Lewis’ book, That Hideous Strength: “‘Sir,’ said Jane, ‘I know nothing of Maledil. but I place myself in obedience to you.’
    ‘It is enough for the present,’ said the Director. ‘This is the courtesy of Deep Heaven: that when you mean well, He always takes you to meant better than you knew. It will not be enough for always. He is very jealous. He will have you for no one but Himself in the end. But for tonight, it is enough.’ ”
    God’s desire is that none shall perish-2 Peter 3:9.
    The Holy Spirit leads into Truth and Jesus is Truth- John 14:6.
    Why one man will walk one hundred miles to seek the truth. Why Muslims are having dreams of Jesus when they pray for the truth to be revealed.
    Prayers are the start. God knows the heart.

    • Thanks, Mollie. I totally love that quote from CSL. Haven’t read that book. The post was just a thought based on my own experience of the Father Heart of God, and I could well be wrong!

      • I deep thought and prayed about my response. I loved that quote from Lewis, writing it down when I read it a few months ago. I felt the Lord tell me to use it in response. I read how dreams lead people to Jesus. I don’t think we follow a system of beliefs, but the Man Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross opens Heaven and a relationship with Him to us. Yes, I believe He honors the seekers. But the Truth is Jesus.
        I didn’t think you were wrong. Yet, I know the Holy Spirit leads to Jesus. Our response is what our Father honors. And I do think it breaks His heart to see us struggling and posturing that we are right or somehow we can build our bridge to Heaven. He so discourages that. We only have Christ’s righteousness as our clothing before God.
        This is very complicated and yet simple. Sometimes I think we evangelicals got some of it wrong. I heard that God is the Hound of Heaven, chasing us down. Still, in the parable of the Prodigal son, the Father waits for his son to come to his senses.
        I hope you take this in love, as I really respect your writing and honor your friendship.

  3. Thank you Anita for another thoughtful piece. More people should realise the universality of God, who no doubt meets Moslem, Bhuddist, Hindu, Sikh, Jew and Christian in equal mercy and humility. For me, of course I experience Jesus. Would I interpret God in that way if I had been brought up in a devout Moslem family. It reminds me of the title of one of Archbishop Tutu’s books; “God is not a Christian”. I remember treating a father of someone once, we sat in the lounge, Christian, Jew, Moslem all meeting together to try and help someone. The father came from a village in Iraq. When the second Iraq war started I found myself opposed to war totally, and prayed for his safety. War was no longer impersonal, there was someone I knew potentially at the end of a bomb. May we follow the way of the Prince of Peace.

    • I too was deeply opposed to both Iraq wars, equally opposed to both. I lived in American during both wars and found them very upsetting, and found it upsetting that my sentiments were so different to those held by most Americans.
      I love the title of the book by Tutu, “God is not a Christian.” What a bold title and idea! I hadn’t heard of the book. And I agree. He’s even larger than the largeness being a Christian brings to our lives.