Halfway through a nine-hour layover at London’s Heathrow airport and reflecting on the journey so far. Soon I’ll board my next flight for Kenya, fly for 8 1/2 hours, another layover in Nairobi, and then one more 3 1/2 hour plane trip will deliver me to my first destination – Antananarivo, Madagascar.
But I don’t think that far ahead. I’m just here in terminal four, picking at a cheese sandwich, listening to interesting Moroccan music streaming from the speakers overhead, while watching the even more interesting and diverse people stream by.
A large group of men clad only in white woven blankets and Teva sandals ambles by, providing stark contrast to the bigger-than-life pouty celebrity photos hawking glitzy jewelry and sensual perfumes in the background. The men all look like Gandhi so I’m assuming they’re Hindu. Their wives walk a few steps behind them, also dressed in white from head to bare toe.
They definitely stand out but it’s another group in particular that catches my eye. A cluster of orthodox Jews passes by several Islamic couples – each in their respective religious dress. Everyone looks other-worldly and everyone pretends not to notice each other. It takes me back to a lengthy, intense conversation yesterday with a young 20 something student from Saudi Arabia.
We were seat mates on the initial flight from Cleveland to Dallas. He held a Nook reader in his hand displaying an Arabic book on American history. My Nook displayed the book Not for Sale on global trafficking. I gently asked him a few questions before we took off, and we ended up talking without pause until the wheels hit the ground two and a half hours later..
The man was intelligent, well-spoken, well-mannered and well-versed in both middle-eastern politics and the Koran. He was willing to field my straightforward questions about his faith and culture without offense. I was particularly interested in the role of women in his culture – for instance, why women can’t drive in Saudi Arabia. He explained that this is an old mind-set that will change in his generation, but first laws must be changed and women policemen must be recruited and trained. Things move slowly, but they will move, he assured me. I asked him about Sharia law which he feels to be an effective way to deter crime against innocents if it is doled out justly and equally to rich and poor alike. He shared pictures of his family at home and asked me questions in turn. I shared my faith and we exchanged viewpoints and scriptures. The only time the conversation got a bit strained was when the subject turned to the Jewish people. We tried different angles on that topic but found no point of agreement – so agreed to disagree.
I changed the subject and asked him if he knew anything about sex trafficking in Saudi Arabia. He told me that he doesn’t know about his own nation but that he knows it is common in Bahrain and Morocco. He has seen the buildings in Bahrain with rows and rows of small dingy rooms filled with young women from many different nations. He said his mom always worries about him when he hops over the border to go to the movies in Bahrain because these houses are a well-known fact. But the young man believes in saving himself for the future bride his mother will find for him, so he says her worries are groundless.
We parted ways upon landing, but I prayed for this young man through much of my four hour layover in Dallas. I was especially grateful for the encounter because I had prayed for specific divine appointments on this trip – and saw my request granted right out of the gate. In our exchange I was struck by how much we have in common as human beings – though we have very obviously different belief systems. I was also aware of how little I know and how much I still have to learn about so many things.
But there is one thing I know with all my heart: God loves this man, whose name means shining brightly, with an intense, longing love – and wants to give me His heart for him and others like him.
Time to get up and move around a bit before my next flight. I wonder….who will sit down next to me this time? We’ll see:) Next stop – Tana!
