Our eldest daughter Elizabeth is writing her 12th
Std. exams. She studies in a government school. We couldn't afford special
coaching classes for her; but she works hard. She starts her studies in the
small hours of the morning when our younger children are still in bed. Her
resentment is the “annoying” early morning call to worship from the mosque in
the next street. “Put up with that darling,” I tried to calm her down saying,
“after all they are worshiping their god. What can we do about it?” She walked
away murmuring, “Why on earth they cannot worship in silence!”
As we drew closer to her exams the lent days started. Our
church situated just a few meters from our home very enthusiastically started
the lent dawn preaching every day from 5:30 am through the loud speakers.
Elizabeth is very upset she is unable to concentrate while this goes on. I am
confused. . . . . This is organized by
our church and I don’t have anybody to turn to for help. As Christians we are bound to
preach the Good News. But somehow it does not seem right to me to forcefully blast the gospel through loud speakers piercing the peace and quiet of blissful early morning
hours.
How many people will despise this dawn broadcasting from
our church just as my daughter disliked the mosque’s call to worship! Some may
even curse our seasonal Christian spirituality during lent. When I tried to
tell my husband about this, he screamed at me, “Idiot, idiot. How dare you
speak against something our pastor and the pastorate committee have decided to
do!” Tell me please: am I an idiot?
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