Tag Archives: spirituality

Choosing our forward path

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It is seventy years since the start of what has become known as the Blitz, a period beginning on 6th September 1940 and ending on 10 May 1941 during which the German Nazi Luftwaffe bombed towns and cities across the UK.  By the time the Blitz was over, more than  43,000 civilians, half of them in London, had been killed by bombing and more than a million houses were destroyed or damaged in London alone.

On Wednesday, home late after my rehearsal with the London Symphony Chorus, I watch ITV’s Words of the Blitz, in which footage of the Blitz is accompanied by readings from the diaries and letters of the men and women who experienced the attacks and their aftermath.  The people reading these letters include some who wrote them, and the descendants of some who wrote them.  Even knowing how unlikely it is that I will see what I seek, I find my eyes scanning the footage for a glimpse of my grandfather who, as a conscientious objector during World War II, chose to support the war effort by staying in London during the Blitz whilst his wife and children, including my mother, evacuated to Cornwall where they spent the war.  I wonder, too, about the full depth and breadth of experiences of my family during this time.

It is also nine years since the day that has become known as 9/11.  At home on the ninth anniversary I choose to watch Channel 4’s 9/11:  State of Emergency.  This minute-by-minute documentary combines both footage of the day and present-day testimonial to show how the day unfolded.  As it draws to a close, the narrator emphasises the thousands of decisions that were made that day and which, for many, meant the difference between life and death.

As I head towards bed, I ponder our present-day choices.  For it is one thing to look back on these events and reflect and another to make choices, based on our reflections, which shape our forward path.  I think of the men and women who have protested against plans to build an Islamic Centre and Mosque close to Ground Zero, the area that remains following the destruction of the Twin Towers on 9/11.  I think, too, of the US pastor who has made world news after saying he will burn a copy of the Koran in protest at the proposed Islamic Centre.  I know that each man and woman is making the best choices he or she knows how and I feel humble, knowing that I cannot know what choices I might make in their shoes.  And still, I yearn for choices that will move us towards – rather than away from – the outcomes I desire most.  Towards peace.  Towards understanding.  Towards compassion.  Towards harmony.

Seth Godin, formidable marketeer, puts it this way in his blog posting of Saturday, 11th September, 2010:

Lately, some marketers would like to push us to move from fear to hatred. It makes it easier for them. We honor and remember the heroes who gave everything, the innocent who were lost, the neighbors who narrowly escaped. A day to hate? I hope we can do better than that.

Ramadan, a time of spiritual reflection

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The sun set at 18:39 this evening, here in Dubai. This is significant, for today is the first day of Ramadan. Sunset is the time when Muslims break their daily fast.

The Gulf News has been preparing for Ramadan. Yesterday it ran an article with advice for those people who, during Ramadan, experience a variety of symptoms which, together, might simply be labelled “indigestion”. The problem, a dietician advises, is not the fasting during the day. Rather, it is the choice to eat high cholesterol foods as part of the evening celebrations. A simple solution is to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.

The hotel has also been preparing. A single sheet is distributed under doors throughout the hotel on the eve of Ramadan, offering advice for guests on etiquette at this time. The hotel’s restaurants have also been preparing. Even in Dubai’s relatively liberal regime, the bulk of restaurants and cafes are closed during the day throughout the month whilst the hotel has special dispensation to continue to serve its international clientele with certain provisos. (The commercial opportunity that this represents is not lost on the Restaurant Manager). Normally highly visible, the Brasserie has been cloaked with curtains to reduce visibility. The evening buffet will be an Iftar throughout the month of Ramadan.

Some concerns remind me of home. An article this morning, again in the Gulf News, outlines the number of people arrested last year during Ramadan for begging. Some of them were found to be living in hotels. This reminds me of the ongoing debate in London about whether or not to give money directly to the homeless. It seems that here in Dubai, there are people who are ready to come forward to receive the gifts of Muslims at a time when the focus is on acts of kindness.

For the non-Muslim, maybe even for the Muslim, it is easy to be cynical, to make light of everything that Ramadan brings (from the tetchy tempers in the workplace – beware your smoking colleagues at this time – to the fasting followed by – in some cases – excessive consumption), perhaps even to feel anxious: there are so many ways as an outsider, unknowing, to offend.

I take time to reflect on the purpose of Ramadan, recognising the opportunity it represents for a spiritual homecoming, a time to reflect on one’s values and what they mean in practice, a time of kindness and charity. And as I reflect I wonder if, whether Muslim or not, we are not all alike in grappling with the fundamental question: “How shall we live?”