DEAR WATCHER OF TIMES: WHOSE SPACE IS THIS?

The faces of those boarding the early morning flight showed the lack of sleep occasioned by the hour and the boarding process was labored and slow. To most in the crowd, a desire to find their seats and catch what little rest the short 4 hour flight to Casablanca afforded was topmost on their minds when all hope for peace was shattered by a group traveling together boarded in a cacophony of noise. This wasn’t a group angry for some maltreatment or one at war with each other, just a group totally oblivious of the needs of others and holding a multitude of conversation with each other at the top of their voices.

The scene reminded me of a story shared a few hours earlier of a passenger who upon boarding a flight, took his seat and broke out into a very loud session of praise and worship followed by intense prayers in tongues, completely insensitive to the personal space of other travelers. Similarly was the case of another traveler who whipped out his prayer mat, positioned his face towards the direction of his holy city and started his prayer session in the middle of the aisle. Every attempt by the air crew to restrain each one only resorted in an increase in volume of the individuals in question which leads me to question their piety. The God of Heaven and Earth is both a very public being as He is private. He is able to be everywhere at all times yet when the occasion demands can go silent as well. As Omnipotent and Omnipresent as the Almighty is, He never intrudes into the personal space of those who don’t want Him. He knocks first and waits to be invited in before entering the hearts of any man and never forces His presence upon anyone. Only the Evil One in contrast enters where he isn’t invited, overrides the desires of any who are oblivious of their rights and overpowers the will of the passive and weak. Selfishness is his domain and the absence of peace his gift. Are you selfishly invading the space of another? May God grant us the wisdom to know when to stay quiet today.