Today was so special. I had one of my regular coffee hours with a close friend at our favourite A and W. We are both glad they still receive old coupons for some time after expiry. I made another stop on 8th Street then pulled into Sobey’s to pick up a few things. Not realizing that, at the checkout, I would have an inspiring conversation that reminds me how every day can have a beautiful morning.
At the checkout, I met Hina (pronounced Hee-na). She was born in Pakistan, grew up in Saudi Arabia, and migrated to Canada. Hina was so friendly and open to conversation that I felt free to ask her a few more questions. She shared how oppressive life was for women in both of those countries. And how thankful she was to be in Canada where she has a freedom she never had there.
With a growing sense of mutual comfort, I asked if Hina grew up in the Islamic faith. She confirmed that she did then spontaneously went on to tell me about a book she read by an American pastor. When she said, ‘The Purpose-Driven Life,’ I had a bit of a shock. This was a book written by Rick Warren, the evangelical pastor of Saddleback Community Church in California. A book that deals with generic human and life issues but is clearly based in an evangelical Christian perspective. With no one waiting in line at the moment, Hina was quite animated in sharing how valuable that book was for her. And how she could see so many compatible beliefs between Islam and Christianity.
Wow! This was something I was not expecting. A vibrant Islamic woman instructing me about the valuable material in Warren’s book. I told her I was a Christian but, for some reason, felt compelled to add that the extreme right-wing evangelicals in the United States did not represent my Christianity. With a broad smile, Hina shared a few more comments on the healthy, wholesome beliefs and values that should define our respective faiths. And, again, how compatible she thought those core values are.
I was so grateful for our brief but powerful conversation. And even more thankful as I write these words. It was a moment of connection between two people who came from different worlds, still functioned out of different religious systems, but mutually had a sense of the elements of faith that must be the foundation for whatever structure we build to make sense of life and living.
Someone was now coming to the checkout counter. I picked up my two bags and, without thinking, said, “Bless you.” With a smile, Hina said something in return that I couldn’t hear. But I kind of think that she was blessing me as well.