The influences on display in Abu Dhabi’s city centre are endless. The influences of religion, local culture, and Western preferences can be seen in the dress and attitude of people walking the streets, local restaurant menus, and in the design of the buildings. I looked to my left and saw a mosque, Arabic-influenced apartments, and a modern European building design. The overlapping influences are representative of the tug-of-war within the community as well as what I find myself dealing with as I start a new day.
One feels the pull between the secular and the sacred, the community and the individual, between conforming and being true to one’s heart. Even as I reflected on the three distinct buildings, I heard the call to prayer. It was a reminder, even for one who is not directly involved with the life of a mosque, of Divinity’s voice in our lives. Just beyond that was the local community and, further on, reminders that pointed me to a sizeable part of the community that is neither local nor Islamic. The reality of two or more viewpoints in one’s life is tangibly real. One hopes s/he can honour them all; however, reflection suggests that one often fails to be in any of the camps for any length of time.
The challenge of staying the course, being purposeful, and being a member of a community is frustrating. I face the emotions of not being and achieving all that I would hope. I can only imagine what it is like for friends, family, and Divinity. One author noted the frustration that is reflected in us all; “I was provoked, oh, so provoked! I said, ‘They’ll never keep their minds on God; they refuse to walk down my road.’” (Hebrews 3.10)
Life reminds me this morning that the answers are always simpler than I imagine. Everything starts with my heart. As a priority, for me, it begins with feeding my soul with goodness and models of hope. It is followed by taking a restored heart and intentionally bringing myself without distractions to each moment.
