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| Al Bustan Palace Hotel - Muscat, Oman |
Ofttimes
lessons and uplifting ideas come to us most unexpectedly. It seems
that when we are least prepared for inspiration or the opportunity to learn new
lessons, they come quickly and have tremendous impact..
Some
years ago, managing an information technology consulting company out of Kuwait,
an opportunity arose to establish a startup office in Oman, in the capital city
of Muscat. Coincidentally, soon after we opened that office Oman held its first
ever computer and information technology show.
Jumping
at the opportunity to be at the show and to demonstrate several innovative
products that we were marketing in the Middle East, we agreed to participate. . One such product was a circuit board for personal
computers that facilitated the keyboard switching
between Arabic text and English text. It was quite novel and we had tied it with a very popular database
software which were also marketing, in addition to our consulting services.
The
first eye-opener of the day came while speaking to the Minister of
Information and
his entourage. As we told them about our technology, a sort of a bird's eye
view, an overview of the multi-cultural scene came to my thought.
Standing there with me, an American student of Christian Science, were Peter, a Lutheran from
Copenhagen Denmark, Awni, a Palestinian
Christian resident of Bethlehem who partnered with my company, and Omani officials, Muslims, and other attendees from India, Pakistan and other countries.
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| Awni, Pat and Peter with the Minister of Information |
As
we conversed, sharing thoughts on technology and describing our
Later
that day, not having yet moved into my apartment in Oman, we checked into the
Al Bustan Palace Hotel, a beautiful
facility, sort of the pride of Oman.
Dinner
in the hotel in the evening featured huge buffet tables set in the area by the
swimming pool and close to the beach. Many people were already
there and surprisingly there was a long line of people, all wearing tuxedos,
and there were few people with the traditional Omani dress, the "dishdasha" and mussar
or kummah headdress.
Joining
the buffet line at the very end, behind the line of tuxes, I was intrigued by the man ahead of me. Very distinguished looking and a commanding
presence, he looked so familiar. I couldn’t recall where I had seen him. Perhaps he had been here before on a
previous visit it was obvious he was with the snazzy group and there hadn’t
been a bunch of tuxedo-ed people here on my previous visits.
Curiosity
won out and as I reached out to shake hands, told him that as someone who had visited this hotel a number of times I was
curious about the group who are now
serving themselves at the buffet. He
smiled kindly and introduced himself as the conductor of the Israeli Symphony.
He was a very well-known man and had performed in the United States many times
and familiar to classical music lovers around the world. I KNEW
it!! That’s who he is!!!
Imagine,
the entire Israeli Symphony was here, in Oman, in an Arab
country. The conductor smilingly told me that Sultan
Qaboos, the Ruler of Oman, loves
classical music and invites the Symphony to play occasionally. Sultan Qaboos who was educated at Sandhurst Military
Academy in England, is very forward
thinking and apparently a music lover.
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| Sultan Qaboos bin Said |
After
a pleasant but brief conversation I took my plate and sat down by myself. Reflecting
on the unusual happenings of the day, thought wandered and pondered.
Couldn't it be this way all over the
world? Does war and terror have to be
practiced in the world? How could the
events of today be replicated throughout? Can mankind “get over” the belief of many
gods, many creators, different gods, no gods, “my god not your god”?
Can man ever adapt the understanding that
there is ONE creative force and learn to live harmoniously?
Can we ever overcome contention, hatred, selfish interests?
Can we demonstrate in a practical way the plea of Malachai (2:10) ... Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?
Can we begin at home and then spread love throughout the world?
In every religion of which I am aware, there is
this understanding that God is Love and Peace.
Stated differently perhaps.
Different words. Different
interpretations. But in each there is
this longing to reach love, purity, peace.
So why do we have such a hard time harmonizing?
In
her Bible companion book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary
Baker Eddy,, knowing that there is, can be, only one Creator regardless of human
strife, petty contention, differing beliefs and views of God, gave this encouraging view:
“One
infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of
man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, "Love thy neighbor as
thyself;" annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in
social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes;
annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or
destroyed.”
Science & Health 340:23-29
As
I sat there in the mild evening heat of Oman, enjoying a delicious buffet,
joyous that I was having dinner with the Israeli symphony, in an Arab country, where Christians and Muslims and Israelis all were together harmoniously today, marveling at God’s
goodness, I recalled a hymn that we used
to sing in the Methodist Church when I was young. Written by William A. Dunkerley, under his pen name of
John Oxenham, the hymn is as follows:
The United Methodist Hymnal
In Christ there is no east
or west,
in him no south or north,
but one great fellowship of love
throughout the whole wide earth.
in him no south or north,
but one great fellowship of love
throughout the whole wide earth.
In Christ shall true
hearts everywhere
their high communion find;
his service is the golden cord
close-binding humankind.
their high communion find;
his service is the golden cord
close-binding humankind.
Join hands, disciples of
the faith,
whate'er your race may be.
All children of the living God
are surely kin to me.
whate'er your race may be.
All children of the living God
are surely kin to me.
In Christ now meet both
east and west;
in him meet south and north.
All Christly souls are one in him
throughout the whole wide earth.
in him meet south and north.
All Christly souls are one in him
throughout the whole wide earth.
As I retired for the evening in this beautiful hotel I was profoundly grateful for the demonstration that East and West met, and we are one!!
Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!! ( II Corinthians 9:15)
