Take off Your Shoes

One of the first things we did after arriving in Damascus was to visit two mosques: the Umayyad Mosque and the Shiite Mosque.

The Umayyad Mosque is a Sunni mosque that, according to the brochure, is the most famous Islamic mosque. Its claim to fame is keeping both John the Baptist's head and three strands of Mohammed's hair in the center shrine. We didn't attempt to check on these claims.

As you can see, we were required to wear appropriate attire to enter the mosque. We also removed our shoes at the door to show respect. Personally, I felt like Obi Wan Kanobe or perhaps a woman on Star Trek. I truly felt out of place.

Inside the mosque we sat on the floor and prayed for a bit. The verse that came to me out of Exodus was when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and said, "Take off your shoes, for the ground on which you walk is holy ground." Damascus has much history that makes it a holy place. I felt the release of control once again, especially for this period of rest and true listening to what God wants to speak. No burning bushes yet, but I'll keep you posted.

The Shiite Mosque is where we saw mostly Iranians on pilgramage to this holy place for them. They

wailed at the shrine, crying for blessings. They then threw items of clothing or pictures of loved ones on the shrine in order for them to receive blessings as well.

As you can see, it was beautiful on the inside. Do you recognize that person in the chador?