Journey

September 29, 2025, I was informed that I was first on the wait list that had opened up, and I would like to join a trip to Oman led by the pastor of our church, Marble Collegiate in New York City, and his wife.  They had lived there for 10 years, he as the leader of the Al Amana Center, “Safe Spaces. Sacred Trust. Al Amana Centre fosters peace and reconciliation through safe, immersive, interfaith experiences”.

My therapist said I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.  So, of course, I had to say “yes.” Suddenly, January was looming, and we were to leave on the 27th.  Meetings about what to expect, what to wear, and what to bring began to spark trepidation that I, at 74, had bitten off more than I could chew.  Anxious feelings erupted about not understanding the culture, the weather, or what I could eat; the list grew with each passing day. I did try talking to God about it, but it doesn’t seem that God is particularly concerned with the specifics of wardrobe for traveling to unfamiliar locales.  God’s been there.  Not a big deal.  Anyway, I finally packed my suitcase in time to start worrying about the weather.  A major snowstorm was predicted to disrupt air travel for at least a couple of days.  Now, I realized that all along I had been building up my anticipation and excitement, in a good way, for making the journey, but that had been buried under a myriad of swirling “what ifs”. I realized that I would be so disappointed if we couldn’t take off on our appointed flight. But we did, and we landed safely, although somewhat groggy, in Muscat, Oman. 

Our time there in their ‘safe space’ provided unexpected ‘sacred trust’ through many opportunities to experience a culture that is so often maligned in the West.  We met kind, funny, helpful people.  We heard stories of their lives, hopes, and faith, and came to know how many of them coincide with ours.  We learned that divergent beliefs and experiences don’t have to be in conflict and that when we are open to ‘safe, immersive, interfaith experiences’, we can know ‘peace and reconciliation’.  The courage that I was lacking gave way to experiencing a light in the world I never known before.  God was there.  Allah was there.  Jehovah was there, too.  Abraham was smiling somewhere beyond.  He thought… “I did that.”  And God said, “It was good.”

Yes, God.  It was very good.

                                                                        From Susan Ceely Philips