Just a few days ago I was in in the cities of Madina and Mecca for a pilgrimage known as Umrah with a group of students and community members. This was my first time in those holy cities which I have spent my entire life learning about, and the physical direction of my daily prayers and spiritual devotions. As I prepared to embark on this journey and leave the comforts of life in New Haven for just a few days, I became intrigued by the challenges of travel from familiar stomping grounds to places familiar in mind but not in sensory experience. What would I find there, I wondered?
In previous journeys seeking greater connection to the holy, I had been confronted with reminders of what I wanted to leave behind: “real life” seemed to follow me, even in those places. Still, I considered what about this journey as an act of devotion may be unique? I went to the linguistic definition of the word umrah for a better understanding of our undertaking as pilgrims and found that it comes from the Arabic meaning “a visit in which is the cultivation of love or affection” (Lane’s Arabic English Lexicon). That seemed straightforward, the intention is to cultivate love and affection with the holy sites and with community on the journey.
Indeed, in fulfilling the obligations of the pilgrimage I found myself quickly bonded with fellows on the trip, but what surprised me was what the silences in-between the busy moments brought forward. I found myself hearing the whispers of my friends and family from back home. Both those whose earthly journeys continue and those who have transitioned into the next life, they felt equally present in the brick and mortar of those holy structures that prophets built, as their loving spirits were felt in expanse of the tall ceilings and chirping birds above the rows of worshippers in quiet standing formation in the thousands. I was brought to tears on multiple occasions at this wonderous realization of our interwoven realities. I couldn’t wait to return home and connect with those whose spirits felt close in that time.
The desire to be connected with and experience the holy is not confined to particular coordinates but may be experienced in earnest wherever we go. Has this ever happened to you? Perhaps we recall these experiences as those that “transformed” our spiritual lives in some way. How might your spiritual life be challenging and opening in new ways?