Salvation 4

Salaam All

Night 24

 

The word SALVATION is closely related to the word SALVAGE.

Have you ever saved an old clunker car that was on its way to the junk yard to be destroyed. An old bicycle, old computer, old gadget. That’s exactly what God does for us in these nights of Ramadan. He saves us from being destroyed and restores us. We are no longer clunkers, but showroom beauties with that new car smell. New operating system. New apps....like that 5 times a day prayer app.

 

The truly changed life in Ramadan is a life that is grounded in three practices: deep prayer, deep hospitality, and deep justice.

Deep Prayer: Words that come out and appear on the surface of our lips must flow from a heedful Heart. Prayer coming out of our mouths must be Soul-led, the proper edification, not just a memorized recitation without understanding. Prayer is nothing to flaunt about or show off. It is a personal matter, an intimate aspect of our living, and not the public proof of our righteousness. Prayer begins in the heart, that secret place within us all.

“God of Mercy, God of Justice, God who transforms our hearts, God of Forgiveness, God of Salvation
“We give thanks for the privileges and powers that we have been given.
“God, teach us to use these blessings in the right way.
“Save us from the snares of selfishness.
“Guard us from the gravity of greed.
“Forgive us where we have gone astray,

“Grant us the wisdom & the courage to be upright. To be the best to our families. 

“And grant our leaders the wisdom and courage to make our country a beacon of success in business AND in ethics.” Sorry My God if I over-reacted in my supplication for "leaders" who are not worth it...all of them should jump over any FALLS.

Deep Hospitality: Think of a time when you have felt truly welcomed. Maybe it was coming home after a long time away. Maybe someone took you in when you were far from home. Relive those feelings for a moment. Feel that warmth again; see those smiles and feel those arms embracing you. What a gift it is to be welcomed. Hospitality, true hospitality, is emotionally powerful. It touches something very deep in us—our profound human longing to feel accepted, to belong, to be loved, to feel safe, to be valued and respected. Hospitality is not something to be proclaimed; it must be lived. Hospitality is both a spiritual discipline and an expression of spiritual health. If we feel angry, hurt, unloved, or alienated we cannot offer a warm welcome. Conversely, if we are at peace, filled with joy at being alive, aware of those around us with compassion in our hearts, then hospitality flows naturally and inevitably from the depths of our being.

What is true of an individual is also true of a community. A congregation in which people do not genuinely love each other is not likely to exude warmth. A congregation that is self-absorbed and disconnected from its community cannot offer religious hospitality. Hospitality is love in action. Let's hope that at the mosque where you break your fast that you find "love in action."

Deep Justice: The Godly Way is resisting the temptation to accept easy excuses to escape from morally complex situations, and allowing the creative tension that this produces to generate an alternative vision, an alternative system, and an alternative set of desires within our own hearts. The moral arc of the universe bends towards justice. When compassion and wisdom is embodied in social action, it becomes a powerful force to challenge injustice and to remake & salvage our world into a place of mutual reverence and care.

Shamal...Let's hope that a great percentage of Muslims achieve deep prayer, deep hospitality, and deep justice during the spiritual training of Fasting in the month like no other, Ramadan.