A Warm Welcome

One of my first introductions to people from this part of the world happened at my first principalship. We had a Sikh student who wore the traditional turban, and he was being harassed on the playground.  This came to a head (no pun intended) when his turban was pulled off.  An absolute no no.

I called the Sikh student in, along with his parents, and dealt with the instigating student in no uncertain terms.

Later, I was invited to a Sikh church service.  At this time in my life I didn't want anything to do with anything or anyone related to organized religion.  I had been hurt deeply by Christian folks, so I done with them all.

However, the invitations continued, and I continued to put them off.  In passing, I mentioned this to Forrest, who in his infinite wisdom brought on in part by being ten years older than me, said I had to go.

And so I did.

First there was the church service, where the women sat on one side and the men the other.  This reminded me of the Catholic church I attended as a child, where typically the men and women sat on opposite sides of the church.  We took off our shoes at the door and sat with legs crossed on the floor. There was singing and worship in a language I didn't recognized.  I remember being taken aback by the joy and peacefulness that filled the place.

This was followed by a presentation in a meeting room, explaining who they are (Sikhs) and how they're different from Muslims, although they were/are being lumped together.  This was post-9/11.  The presenter was a prominent doctor from UC Davis, and a high ranking member of the church.  There were about a dozen visitors, including me.  It was totally enlightening and totally engrossing.

Then we were ushered into a hall where there were trays and trays of food on the floor.  Again we took off our shoes and made our way to a tray where we were directed to help ourselves from the huge assortment of food laid out before us.

This day, of learning and growing and experiencing new things, was wonderful.

I'm forever grateful that Forrest nudged me into accepting this invite.  It was an eye-opening experience, and although I had no idea at the time, but it would be a precursor of things to come, as I've learned to immerse myself in this Arab world I call home.

The article below reminded me of the incredible hospitality I experienced.  I thought it was a one-time thing helping to clarify their message of who they are after 9/11, but this hospitable spirit seems to be ingrained in who they are.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sikh-langar-parliament-of-world-religions_5622c61be4b02f6a900c9e68