Article February 28, 2005 Issue

PEACE ON EVERY ROAD

By Gloria Onyuru

MY HUSBAND'S COUSIN AYTEN (PRONOUNCED EYE-TEN) IS SUCH A FRIENDLY , outgoing person—a very loving, unselfish Muslim woman. After having spent many years working in Germany with her husband and children, she is now retired and comes to visit Turkey for several months each year. Recently she came for one of those visits, and we got caught up on four years' worth of family news. The "breaking news" related to her recent two-day stay with her aunt (my mother-in-law).

As Ayten tells it, one of the highlights of her stay came when Auntie's neighbor ladies dropped by for a visit. Somehow the subject came to religion and prayer, and probably to Ayten's experiences while living in Germany. She told them she could pray in a church or a synagogue, just like she did in a mosque. What matters most, she told them, is that our God is one, and all these places of worship are houses of God. She explained how she prays to God wherever she is and tried to help them see prayer in a new light.

After listening to Ayten's story, I told her that prayer was also an important part of my life as a Christian Scientist, and that I was praying for peace in the Middle East. We discussed recent terrorist attacks and felt sad that such things are happening in our world today. She said her mother had taught her a saying that she tries to live by: Sana tas atana sen ekmek at—"Cast back bread to those who cast stones at you." I said that Christ Jesus had taught something similar when he said, "Love your enemies" (Matt. 5:44). We agreed that all three of the monotheistic religions had common ground, and that we could pray to better understand this commonality and help bring peace to the world.