Beauty, Peace, and Prayer

"Why is 2 + 3 always equal to 5?
Where do people go to when they die?
What made the beauty of the moon?
And the beauty of the sea?
Did that beauty make you?
Did that beauty make me?
Will that make me something?
Will I be something?
Am I something?

And the answer comes: You already are, You always were, and You still have time to be."

                                                                                       

                                                                                               -- Anis Mojgani

      Beauty will save the world, and beauty will save the Holy Land.  There is so much beauty in this place, from the olive trees, spread across ancient terraces which line the sides of the rocky hills, holding together for hundreds of years the earth in which they are placed, to the diversity of peoples, religions, and cultures which somehow all meet in this place.  My friend here, Jess, tells me over bitterly dark Arabic coffee while we sit in a hidden hipster coffee shop in the ancient sprawls of Bethlehem that diversity is what makes the world beautiful, and I stare at Jerusalem as the sun sets, as the Muslims begin their call to prayer, and I have to agree.    

       As often as I can, I have tried to practice a liturgy in this moment where the sun is setting and the Muslims begin their call to prayer.  I face Jerusalem, like all Muslims do as they pray, and begin a prayer titled, "Ignatian Litany of the Names of Jesus."  I begin reading aloud: "Jesus, Son of the Virgin... Have mercy on us.  Jesus, our Creator and Lord... Have mercy on us.  Jesus, eternal Lord of all things... Have mercy on us."  And on and on I continue, reading a list of about thirty names which characterize Jesus, and repetitiously praying, "...Have mercy on us."  I find this liturgy meaningful because it allows me to pray to the one God as I believe and understand him to be, but it also allows me to be in a kind of solidarity with my brothers and sisters who are Muslim and who are simultaneously praying to the one God as they understand him to be. In addition, from my understanding and impression of the faith thus far, Muslims place a big emphasis on God's mercy and compassion.  So, as I pray this prayer, I pray that Jesus will have mercy and compassion on us all: Christians, Muslims, Jews; everybody!  May we know God, know Truth, and worship Him.  

God is good.

Peace, Shalom, Salaam,

Love,

Elliot