In our white middle class houses of worship we share a certain sense of security. Yes, there is the occasional act of vandalism or theft, the rare encounter with violence, but overall we gather on our Sunday mornings and the thought of someone hating who we are enough to enter our house of worship and perpetrate a hate crime against us is the furtherest thing from our minds. Last Sunday, August 5th, I gathered with my family of faith and we celebrated our normal worship routine without one thought of potential harm. In Wisconsin a similar gathering was occurring. Families were arriving for worship, food was being prepared, children were laughing, men and women were carrying out their various duties of preparation. They should have been allowed the same freedom from fear that me and my congregation enjoyed that morning...but a 40 year old neo-nazi full of hate destroyed that illusion for all of us as he opened fire on the unsuspecting worshippers of the Sikh community.
Tonight, my husband and I drove to Charlotte to attend an interfaith prayer vigil at the Sikh Gurdwara. I wanted to take a few minutes to try to describe to you what I experienced there. My first reaction upon arrival was one of amazement. In a world that tends to function on knee jerk reactions (and often over-reactions) I would have expected the Gurdwara to be on heightened security. However we arrived to find gates thrown wide open and no security in sight. I had already seen an announcement that in response to the tragedy, the Gurdwara was actually having open houses to invite all people in to experience their culture and worship. They needed the world to know they weren't scared of us as much as we desired to let them know we weren't scared of them.
I will admit I was a little nervous. There were not many cars in the parking lot and I began to fear that we would be two of only a handful of visitors. I wondered what to expect, would it be awkward for us? Would it be awkward for them? I worried that I had forgotten my scarf at home and I knew my head was supposed to be covered...would they let me in? With a bit of anxiety we finally ventured out of the car and entered the temple. As we entered there were perhaps 6 men standing inside, heavily bearded, wearing turbans and standing bare foot. My first worry - was it ok for a woman to enter this way? Should I step back behind Tim and let him lead the way? But before I could move all the men broke into a warm and welcoming smile and greeted us. One gentleman approached and introduced himself by shaking first my hand and then Tim's. He had a brochure for us on what a Sikh was and he explained what needed to happen before we went further into the Gurdwara. There was a women's room to the right and a men's room to the left. We were to go into those rooms and remove our shoes and put on head covers. It was a sign of respect that they enter the temple barefoot and with hair covered. No fear on forgetting the head covers, they provide those for guests.
When we came back out properly attired, we were passed along to another gentleman who explained where they were in the worship process. They were currently reading from their holy book the nightly prayer. We were invited to enter and worship with them. Upon entering the worship area there is a main aisle that leads to the altar, the Sikh's first go down this aisle and kneel at the altar in humility before taking their seat. We were not expected to do this. We were simply asked to take a seat on the floor (all worshippers sit on the floor) - men on the left and women on the right.
The Sikh worship leaders (men and women) were doing an incredible job of interrupting their own flow of worship to explain everything as they went along. Since we didn't know the language they would not only read the words in English first but then put them on powerpoint on the two flat screen TV's at the front of the worship area. We were told the proper way to sit was cross legged or on our knees but that it was disrespectful to sit with our feet pointed toward the altar. They then treated us to presentations on what it meant to be Sikh, what beliefs they hold, and how their regular worship unfolds. I was awed by the beauty and simplicity of it all. I was thrilled with the multitude of ways that our faiths intersect. The Sikh women around me were at ease in my presence and took me under their wing. They explained what to do and let me know that it was fine that I was there to worship with them, even if I were a Christian. They sang a beautiful hymn about God as our creator and they explained that their faith was born out of the belief that all humanity is created equal and should be valued as such.
I found myself caught up in their prayers and even though I couldn't speak the language and had no idea what they were saying, I felt very strongly the presence of God in that place and I prayed my own prayers with them. We were told that after the final prayer we were to stay seated to receive the "prashad" which was described as a type of sweet pudding. It is prepared in a large pot to the side of the altar and kept hot there. It is a mixture of flour, butter and sugar to create a thick pudding. Out of this one pot, all are served. First the children come forward to take napkins to all the worshippers, then prashad is dished out into smaller bowls where men and women servers use their hands to remove a portion of prashad, roll it into a ball and give it to each worshipper. A sweet treat to end the worship experience.
When this is complete everyone is invited to the dining room for langar. This is a free meal for the entire community to enjoy. We entered the dining room, still barefoot and with heads covered. Again, we sit on the floor, this time men and women sit together. When you enter, the children hand out plates, napkins and eating utensils. You then find your seat on the floor and wait. Soon, servers come by and fill your plate with wonderful (and spicy) Indian food. The lady sitting next to me took great joy in explaining to me how the dishes were made. She told me that they do this every Sunday, for breakfast and lunch. She explained again that it was about equality - the same as the sweet pudding. It was very important that they all sit on the floor together - that they all eat the same food from the same pot - no one was better than anyone else. She introduced me to her family and explained that really, they were all family. Whether they were blood related or not, they did not call one another by name - they simply said, "Brother," "Sister," "Aunt," or "Uncle" when referring to elders. She told me of their upcoming celebration of their first Guru and how they will worship around the clock from early Friday morning until Sunday. She told me about her daughter in college and laughed at me trying to eat the spicy stew that made my eyes water. It was a beautiful fellowship together.
After the meal we all went back to the entry and put our shoes back on and went outside for candlelight prayer vigil. Afterward, many of the Sikh's came to thank us for coming and invited us back any time. We had some wonderful conversations and exchanged contact information so we can continue our fellowship in other ways.
I have fumbled through my description of the night with as many details as I can remember, but I cannot as easily convey the feelings and emotions of the night. I was moved by the devotion to equality and peace the Sikh religion is founded upon. I was overjoyed to be able to worship and celebrate our belief in the same God and feel that they were not insulted that I carried my love and commitment to Christ along with me. I loved how the children were free to be children and yet equally important to the elements of worship and fellowship. I was in awe of how this community opened their doors and hearts to strangers just a few days after another stranger had taken 6 lives. Most of all, I came away with a heart full of love and blessing for these new-found brothers and sisters in faith. Yes we have some fundamental differences - but we have far more in common that most would belief.
I am so thankful for my experience tonight and I pray that our Sikh friends will be allowed the same blessing that me and my congregation do - the ability to gather in worship without fear of hatred and violence.
