Call to Prayer

If you’re not familiar with Islam, devout Muslims are required to pray 5 times a day. In most towns outside America, the call to prayer will sound from the mosque throughout the day at the various times. (I don’t know why this doesn’t happen so much in the States, but I lived down the street from an Islamic center for 7 years and never heard the call to prayer once. Maybe it’s on the radio there?) In most places, the call to prayer is an Arabic chant recording that is played over a loudspeaker to alert Muslims that it is time to pray.

I was wide awake at 5:30 this morning, I don't know why. Right after I woke up, the call to prayer from the mosque started. It was really loud, louder than it’s ever been. I have no idea what they're saying, but anyway, it was all I could hear, first thing in the morning. So I'm thinking about the Muslims who are praying, and all of that, just how lost they are. About 30 seconds after the call starts, it starts raining. It’s dry season. It’s not supposed to rain right now. There's this big metal awning over the window by my bed. It starts raining harder and harder and harder, and within 20 seconds the rain is so loud that I can't hear the call to prayer anymore.

I’m not sure why this little 3-minute event made such a big impact on me. It's like God was saying, “I'm not going to allow that to be heard, because it's not Who I really am. It's not what I want for My people- so I'm going to silence it.”

And that's how I woke up this morning!