I’m sitting in a
small restaurant in Kuwait City. There are a dozen Kuwaitis seated near
me. The women’s heads are neatly covered with black or beige hijabs,
respectful coverings for Islamic women. The men are wearing the
traditional winter attire—red and white checked headdresses with
flowing black gowns. It’s such a regal site. The music of famed
Egyptian singer Om Khalthoum is playing in the background. Her voice is
mysterious and utterly haunting. I could easily get lost in her desert
world, in her mystical melodies—that is except for one small detail.
The servers are wearing red Santa’s elves’ hats with those fluffy
white balls dangling from the ends. Suddenly my other-world nomadic
reverie is shattered. I feel caught between two very different
realities. My soul is aligned with the wonderment of the East. My eyes
are confronted with the imagination of the West. I ponder whether I will
ever integrate such contrasting imagery within my own being. I wonder,
even more, how we as a species will integrate such contrasting world
views into our cultural perspectives.
As the years go by, I find myself more deeply drawn into this
region of the world. The Middle East holds for me a certain stillness
and connection with the ancient past. Time flows more slowly in this
part of the globe and I feel I have a better chance at keeping up with
life. The vibrational energies here are more stagnant, more palpable. I
can feel them, name them, and savor the process of sifting through them.
But even with the hibernating pace this region maintains, I often feel
overwhelmed by the speed at which the days are flying by. I feel
increasingly inept at keeping up with the demands that life throws
before me and the dissonant imagery whirling all around me.
Maybe I am just getting older and this accelerated pace and perceived
madness in the world is shared by all individuals as they step away from
resilient youth and enter the elders’ world of concessions. I don’t
have the same amount of energy I used to have. I still have a lot of
energy, but not as much as before. I am slower in my thinking and
problem-solving abilities. It takes more effort and more time to
implement my zillions of ingenious ideas. Even my prayer life, which I
once accessed so easily, is more difficult to enter. I wonder if these
varying symptoms are just part of aging or if they are indicators of
larger collective trends taking place on the planet.
Some days the contrasts
of life seem easy for me to accept and integrate. Other days I feel this
haze blinding my clarity and suspect I will be swallowed up completely
by the fast-paced contradictions in the world. I fear my spirit will
give up, roll over, and die in resignation to the demands on my psyche.
But I am a survivor so I won’t give up that easily. Instead I will try
to think deeply and ponder the spiritual and cosmological implications.
For sure this life is about learning and growing so I must take the time
to study it well. As I sit in this exotic restaurant where East and West
meet head on, eating hummus, falafel, and French fries, I try to
summarize what I’ve learned during this past year. Maybe my personal
reflections will mirror some of your own:
#1
Simplify:
Struggles to survive and competition to thrive are getting fiercer. The
numbers of humans on Earth are multiplying at a frightening pace
(current world population = 6.6 billion). On this side of the world
large numbers of children are born to each family. Worldwide
non-renewable resources are dwindling. So, it is best for us all to
anticipate a simpler future. Desire less, need less, prepare for less.
Keep things as simple as possible. Build your security on skills, faith,
friendships, and flexibility. Do all that you can to preserve your
cherished human relationships and cherished relationships with all of
creation. Be grateful for everything that you have. Be willing to work
and serve in whatever way that you can and trust the Universe to provide
for your every need.
#2
Be Selective:
The highest beliefs and values that you hold sacred must be carefully
safeguarded. These are times when seduction by dishonesty and
distractions are paramount. You need to remain wise and alert to
what’s happening around you. Sift out the authentic from the hype.
Don’t get lost in the trivia. Embrace the profound. Pay attention to
all the communications, signs, and activities. Pay attention to your
nighttime dreams, the sunrises, sunsets, animal behaviors, plant
expressions, tidal shifts, and celestial events. Be aware of what your
conscious and unconscious mind are telling you. Notice the ways in which
the Universe is speaking to you through other people and through nature
itself. Still your body and mind enough to sense what is real and what
is not real. When given the choice, always choose what’s genuine and
real, even if that realness is not what you hoped for. Holding on to
false hopes is a drain on your energy. Find the strength to accept
God’s highest will for your life. Only complete surrender to God’s
plan for your life will bring you peace of mind. Let go of control and
trust God explicitly. Discover what God is calling you to and
protectively nurture that calling.
#
3 Anticipate Your Life Review:
As the outer world intensifies and accelerates around you, remain as
mindful and grounded as possible with your inner world. Contemplate the
mysteries of this world and the one hereafter. Life as we know it, for
all its beauty and treasures, is only temporary. Your transition from
this world to the next is inevitable. There is nothing you can do to
change this reality. All of your thoughts, words, and deeds are being
noted in some cosmic notebook and will be revealed to you during your
life review at the time of your passing. It behooves you to be the best
human being, the best servant of Mother Earth, and the best child of God
you can possibly be. Do good deeds. Pray as much as possible. Give all
that you can give while you are alive. Give all the honor and glory to
God. Trust and know that God is aware of your every thought, word, and
action. Care as much about your future in the next realm as you care
about the present one. Know that there is nowhere where God is not. God
will be there for you with fierce discernment and open arms when it’s
your time to cross over.
#
4 Laugh and Smile:
Finally, when you feel caught between two worlds and you can’t
make any sense out of what’s happening, take a moment to laugh and
smile. Contradictions are usually the manifestation of two equally valid
truths. Instead of wrestling and struggling against the dissonance,
shrug your shoulders with the least resistance and say “Hmm, that’s
interesting!” After all, anything is possible in this life (and in the
next life). Who says Santa can’t prance about with elves in a Muslim
country? Believe and your dreams can come true. During these past 7
years of living and growing in Kuwait, I never had Christmas. And now,
when I least expect it, for better or worse, Christmas is all around me.
Kuwait is changing fast and furiously. This side of the world is
changing with indescribable bravado. Living in fast-paced America was
challenging enough to my sense of self. And now even this conservative,
isolated part of the world is susceptible to change, try though the
traditionalists do to keep the old ways alive. I am shocked to see how
much building, growth, and expansion is taking place. It’s mind
boggling to hear the voice of Om Khalthoum while watching Santa’s
Elves bop around. It’s paradoxical to hear the call to prayer while
simultaneously reading the latest copy of Newsweek. The Kuwaitis
around me are still dressed in traditional fashion, but I just noticed
some young Kuwaiti girls walking through the mall in tight blue jeans
and Bilabong t-shirts, make-up oozing from their natural-beauty faces,
hair flowing wildly uncovered. A few young Kuwaiti men follow in close
pursuit, sneaking a piece of paper into the girl’s handbags with their
names and numbers scribbled hastily.
My mind starts to
analyze the sociology of it all. The old and the new are walking
side-by-side into the undetermined future. Where will it all lead? What
is the vision, the goal, the outcome for Kuwait and other Middle East
countries? Will they remain true to what is real and authentic for them
or will they sell out and become enamored with facades? Will they
explore and develop new aspects of themselves while maintaining the
lovely core virtues that make up their society? Nobody knows for sure
where the sudden growth spurt on this side of the world is all headed.
Nobody knows for sure in the West what our future will be as we move
boldly into the 21st century, uncertain of our own collective
values and history. And where, when, and how will the East and the West
intersect? Will that cross-over be explosive or will it be mutually
enhancing and edifying?
As I watch
history in the making, I feel dizzy from the contradictions. It’s too
much for me to wrap my petite brain around so I think I will just get
back to the business of relaxing in this quaint little restaurant. The
Middle East music is amazing. The Kuwaitis are delightful. The Christmas
theme is enchanting. I will finish off the food in front of me and then
order an extra special holiday treat: Nachos! Yes, this Mexican delicacy
has come to Kuwait. Who would have thunk it? I have to laugh and smile
and say “Hmm, this experience I am having in the Middle East is indeed
very, very interesting. Life is good, relationships dear, and the
presence of Allah pervasive.”
Blessings of love, salaam, and shalom to each of
you and yours during this holy time of year and this fascinating time in
history. Know that God dwells within each of you -- those of you in the
East and those of you in the West. Trust that God is alive and well in
every unique and distinct manifestation imaginable. Smile and laugh
during this colorful, exuberant time of year. And remember: ‘Tis the
season to be jolly, alhumdullilah, alhumdullilah, alhumdullilah.
