{"id":1202,"date":"2013-03-07T09:00:06","date_gmt":"2013-03-07T14:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/myislamiclife\/?p=1202"},"modified":"2013-03-07T09:00:06","modified_gmt":"2013-03-07T14:00:06","slug":"spiritually-religious","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/myislamiclife\/2013\/03\/07\/spiritually-religious\/","title":{"rendered":"Spiritually Religious"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

I am at the part of my religious journey where I no longer feel comfortable praying \u00a0in any established environment. \u00a0I cannot pray in church, because I cannot pray to Jesus. \u00a0I pray to God. \u00a0I cannot pray in a mosque, because I cannot pray the way Muslims pray. \u00a0It feels wrong.<\/p>\n

So, I pray when I\u2019m driving. \u00a0I pray when I\u2019m doing yard work. I pray when I\u2019m cooking. \u00a0I pray while I\u2019m sewing or making\u00a0jewelry.\u00a0 \u00a0I pray in the shower. \u00a0I pray when I\u2019m holding my child close. \u00a0I pray when I watch them sleep. \u00a0I feel like a being who is constantly in prayer.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I looked upon every Cross, in every church,
\nyet He was not there.
\nI went to the temples of India
\nand the shrines of China
\nyet He was not there.
\nI searched the mountains of Herat and Candalar
\nyet He was not there.
\nI scaled the distant peak of Mount Qaf
\nonly to find
\nthe empty nest of the Phoenix.
\nI visited the Ka\u2019be
\nbut He was not in that tourist site
\namidst the pilgrims young and old.
\nI read the books of Avicenna
\nbut His wisdom went beyond all the words.
\nI went to the highest court,
\nwithin the distance of \u201ctwo-bow lengths,\u201d
\nyet He was not there.
\nThen I looked within my own heart
\nand there I found Him-
\nHe was nowhere else.<\/p>\n

Rumi<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am at the part of my religious journey where I no longer feel comfortable praying \u00a0in any established environment. \u00a0I cannot pray in church, because I cannot pray to Jesus. \u00a0I pray to God. \u00a0I cannot pray in a mosque, because I cannot pray the way Muslims pray. \u00a0It feels wrong. 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