Meditating / Praying / Prcessing AND the houses of worship

I have not done an accounting yet AND I think we were in close to 40 houses of worship in 3.5 weeks. I guess it might be even more if we count some of the ruins of them.

Granted we were processing a lot of history, information, vistas, and complex human dynamic situations past, current and future.

For a start our guide in Jordan, Nad brought us into a mosque on our first day.  It was a Friday, and Friday noon prayers are the most important one of the week (I think I remember that correctly).  It was about 45 minutes before prayer and the carpet cleaner was busy vacuuming.  Nad knelt down in the middle, and we all sat crossed legged around him.  He pointed out on the carpet the lines where people praying knelt.  DUH!  I have been in mosques before but had never observed those.  Nad spoke very softly to not disturb others who were already getting themselves ready.  He pointed out the Arabic sayings in a circle around the walls just below the ceiling, the "Names and Attributes".  This was such a great introduction to mosques and Muslims.  

That noon call to prayer was the most powerful one for the entire trip.  All of the mosques in Amman announcing their calls to prayer, and us positioned on the hill near the Citadel listening to all the sounds.  

Mt. Nebo

After that for most of the houses of worship we entered, I was drawn to a seat/pew, folder my hands, closed my eyes and meditated.  It centered me, it calmed down my racing mind about something I had just heard that was outrageous or touching.  It slowed my heart down.  It allowed my heart to open to the next opinion we heard, or next invasion or genocide we heard about.  

In Abu Gosh in Israel, Issa actually showed us how he put his hands together, where he put them on his stomach and repeated the prayer.  After that I folded my hands the same way when I meditated.  As a Unitarian Universalist, this is creating my theology and spirituality from the world religions.  Pretty soon on our journey it did not matter whether it was a Romanian Church, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic or sitting on a bench in a quiet part at the Israeli Museum. The meditation could take a few seconds or a few minutes.  I listened to what my mind and body needed.

Found this just walking around the Old City

Mosque in Bethlehem

Mount of Temptations