Praying

I wanted to paint you a picture of my last few hours in the US. I hope that after you read about this experience you are as struck as I was at what a great country this is and why we must, at all costs protect our fragile way of life.

On my way to the gate to board my plane I passed the chapel. I figured I ought to stop in and say a few words, ask a few favors of God. Besides I could spend some time looking up the bible passage that describes why Moses did not get to enter the promised land (a story about why that came up will have to wait). So there I sit, non demonitional chapel, bible opened to the old testament in my lap. Keep in mind this is no cathedral, the whole room might be 8' x 10' and it has chairs and an alter in it.

So as I sit in walks this guy, an airport worker. I'm in the 2d row of chairs. He takes off his shoes and walks up to the front past me and rolls out the prayer rug kept there. I ask him if he'd like me to leave. He shakes his head: "no, no. of course not" a little broken, very accented but clear enough. He had no problem me being there reading the Christian bible, clearly on my lap.

At this point we are about 3 feet from one another. He begins his ritual of praying toward Mecca. I keep reading. A few minutes goes by, in walks another guy. This fellow kneels down in another row, again about 3 feet from me. So we all three are within about 6 feet of one another. This guy starts praying, clearly in a Christian manner. So here we are; a Muslim, a Catholic reading the Jewish portion of the bible , and a Protestant of some sort clearly praying to a Christ. Then the most amazing thing happened.........nothing. No bomb, no IED, no protest, nothing. The guy behind me got up and left when he was done. The Muslim finished up, rolled the rug and nodded as he went by. I said "Have a good day." He replied "Yes. You too. Good Day."

How about that. An American Soldier, in uniform, on his way to Iraq, reading about Moses, while a Christian and a Muslim pray within arms reach. If that does not just hit you right in the head with this is the greatest country ever, than nothing ever will. Yeah we eat to much McDonald's. We invented Baseball and Nuclear weapons. But we also have shit like this happen a thousand times a day all over the country. And that folks is why I am going down to Gate E-38 and going to battle against those that would rather the three of us turned that Chapel into a boxing ring.