The beauty of Lebanon, from Tarek El Khatib's blog, rambling and blabbering
Don’t worry, I haven’t gone off my rocker. Bear with me. I’m just being more open than you might be used to.
This post consists of a short letter from me to God, and a reply to a comment made by my new Muslim friend across the world in Lebanon, Tyk.
This is a real letter to God. I am sending this message to God, and making it public. I hope He doesn’t object.
To my readers, I’m not claiming any closer connection to God than you have. I’m not Pat Robertson. I’m not a religious nut, nor a Jesus freak. I’m just like you, talking to God, but in public. To my atheist, agnostic, and Wiccan friends, I really just intend to get in touch with the forces of good in the universe. Think of it that way.
I realize this is somewhat grandiose. I don’t think that I’m so special as to merit grandiosity. I just feel the topics we discuss are that grandiose. We talk about life and death issues, and issues of moral clarity, and goodness and evil. These really are grandiose topics, worthy of grandiosity. So, it’s not me that is important here, but what we talk about.
To you Muslims in the world, I’m am making this reply to a comment to invite you to begin taking part in an important dialogue with your fellow travelers in our journey of life on earth.
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Dear God,
I am doing my best down here to live a good life as You direct me. I am trying to listen to You, but it’s hard sometimes to know what You are telling me. I ask You to open my heart and my mind and let me hear what You are really saying. Bless my friend Tyk, and all Muslims, and let them listen to You also. Tell us what to do. Help us decide for ourselves how we can communicate to bring peace to the world.
To my Readers: Don’t think this means I’m no longer a hard ass. I still am.
I keep defining myself. This is one more definition. I am a hard line conservative on some issues, a hard line progressive on others; a deeply religious guy, but New Age and inclusive of all religions; a Republican, an Independent, a Libertarian, and a little Democratic; a seeker of truth; an all-around good guy, and, hopefully, a force for good.
Republicans can feel comfortable with most of my views. Democrats can open their hearts and minds by listening to me. Progressives can join me in urging reform. We are not all on the same side, but we are making the same journey through life at the same time. We all have the same God or Universe. We all live on earth and breathe the same air. We kill each other and we become friends. We help define the lives we lead, and thereby help define life on this planet.
We are not the be-all and end-all, but we do matter. We count. What we think and do affects our world.
My new Muslim friend from Beirut, Lebanon, Tyk, Tarek El Khatib, 23, from the blog rambling and blabbering, describes himself as “just your average guy trying to make it.” His website is a great contribution to the blogosphere. He is a very nice guy, fun-loving, intelligent, and with some definite views on Islam, Israel, and the world. We disagree perhaps on some things, but agree on others.
Tyk,
Nice to hear from you. I'm glad you're still with us. You said:
I wrote a huge comment, but then a pop up erased it.. So I'm just going to write the jist of it...
Hey Rock, how goes it?
Tyk, I consider you to be important to the world (am I exaggerating?), being an intelligent, well-spoken Muslim, and we need this, and Muslims need this—so I am grateful for your readership and your comments. I know you will reach inside and realize that you are talking to the whole world and what we say here can have an effect on people's lives.
I deeply respect you. I realize too that you’re a fun kind of guy. This is fine. Your blog has a charming flavor to it, and you should keep it that way.
This is actually one of the posts where I agree with a lot of what you said.. Truth, I think, can sometimes be white or black (stealing is wrong, the sky is blue, gravity pulls things towards earth) but most of the time it's a combination of both.. Ok so CNN will give me the liberal point of view and FOX will give me the conservative point of view; it is the job of my brain and common sense to make the truth out of it.. Unfortunately we tend to be biased ourselves towards the people who say what we want to hear...
I am honored you got it, exactly as I meant it to be gotten. You said it even better than I. You're right, CNN gives the liberal point of view, and FOX the conservative. One isn't necessarily better than the other, (except, of course, FOX tells the truth, just half-kidding!) and we need to hear both. But, you're right too, we are biased and hear what we want to hear.
But the thing is, you tend to be a hardliner about your conservative views.
Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm just as hard line, though, on my liberal views, if you notice. Still, I promise to try to be open. I'm not very open, though, as you have seen, about the Israeli question. On that issue you and I will just have to respectfully disagree. I will listen to your side of things, though, and your side of things on this issue is important to hear. I won't denigrate you for how you see things, but we'll probably never agree on these.
I wish I had commented on some of the previous posts you made, but I swear I've been swarmed with work, but I'll be commenting some more, and more often!
That will be great. I look forward to it. Plus, I really do want you to write a few guest posts. You being in Lebanon and being Muslim gives you a unique perspective. Plus, you have an audience on my blog that will appreciate hearing how you see and feel about things.
Just by being open enough to visit this blog gives you cache, I believe, and you can have some effect on the opinions people have about Muslims and their side of the issues.
Yes, I am dead set on my opinions. On the other hand I, like you I'm sure, try to listen to God. For clarification, the God I listen to isn't necessarily Christian, nor Jewish, nor Muslim. He is just God. I choose to believe He does exist, and I try to listen to Him. So, if He talks to me through you, or through anyone else in my life, I will be respectful and humble, and try to learn.
I am not above you, not smarter than you, not better than you. I am, like you, just trying to be a good person and live a good life. I've been given some talent by God for insight and writing ability, so I want to use it for the good of the world. I sense you are a good person, so I invite you to help me do God's work. Not in a stuffy way. You can still be the fun-loving guy you are. But in a way that does honor truth.
You've already done that by being open to at least communicate with my audience and me. Thanks.
Take care.
Rock
Here are some more wonderful pictures of Lebanon, "taken" from Tyk’s blog, rambling and blabbering. Go to his site for more great stuff, and enjoy the beauty of Lebanon below!
What a gorgeous country! Let's bring peace to this land blessed by God with such beauty.
(*Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.)
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