life, it seems, is like a very long journey... one so long that many get lost in the sightseeing, sometimes forgetting their destination altogether. it may be "chinese" new year, but this movie about an unlikely father-son pair making a pilgrimage to Mecca couldn't have been shown at a better time.
the Haj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and thus all Muslims are compelled to make an arduous journey from wherever they may be, whatever they may be doing, all the way to Mecca, the holiest site in Islam, where the Sacred Mosque built by Abraham and Ismael stands. this snippet of information has much relevance to me, both as a catholic and a sociologist.
as a catholic, i learnt to respect this teaching of Islam. did Christ himself not take a journey into the desert? indeed, the pious routine of praying 5 times a day brings to mind the hours which our catholic priests do daily. for all the differences we see in each other, Christianity and Islam purportedly worship the same God of the Old Testament, and we are pretty much called to the same ideals of self-denial for the will of the Father. why bother about petty differences when there's so much to share? why stay absorbed with disagreements when our prayers are almost identical? i shall be praying more for the courageous Haji who risk life and limb all for the gruelling lesson of pilgrimage.
as a sociologist, i see once again, the delicate interplay of cultures as the father-son pair trudged through ten or so european, mediterranean and arab countries. the delightful intrigue of each new experience, the absorbing thrill of traveling through foreign land, the mystique of an enchanting encounter. these emotions kept me wondering: is there more to life than just the daily humdrum? how can a terse father-son relationship measure up in the face of unfamiliar challenges? i see that, any journey undertaken with companionship will ultimately result in closer bonding, no matter the differences.
and so i heighten my own resolve... to partake of my own voyage as well, my personal pilgrimage of life. lent is soon upon us, that yearly affair which invites us to recount the steps we've taken and the stops we've made.
is yours going to be a grand voyage too?
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