Humbled by Hospitality at the Sikh Temple

When we left today to tour the city of Johor Bahru, I had no idea how humbling of a day it would turn out to be. What was planned as a simple cultural tour of the city turned out to be a very thought-provoking day for our group, especially me.

We toured a section of the city known as the Harmony District, a part of the bustling city that boasted a Chinese Temple, Hindu Temple, and Sikh Temple in very close proximity. I was not expecting to be welcomed into these holy places, but quite the opposite happened. We were met with welcoming hosts who were willing to passionately explain their religion and beliefs to a group of Americans from nearly 9,000 miles away.

The most meaningful experience of my trip thus far happened in a Sikh temple. Until about 8 hours ago, I had never heard of the Sikh religion, but it is the 5th largest religion in the world. It is considered a very young religion with its roots traced to the 1400s. Setting some context, we were on a walking tour with a guide and she was planning to just show us the temple herself (which is permitted). However, there was an engagement prayer taking place when we arrived, so we were turned away since we were a large group. This gentleman saw our group and said if we would wait 30 minutes, he would be happy to help. We visited a nearby Hindu Temple (which contained some beautiful idols, paintings, and traditions).

The gentleman pictured in our photos was a Youth Leader at the Sikh temple (more about Sikhism) and provided us with genuine hospitality and welcoming comments. We had to have our heads covered (males and females) to enter the temple, so we pulled out our scarves and the Malaysian students helped us cover our heads. The engagement prayer was coming to a close, so we sat outside the prayer room, but watched through glass windows. At the conclusion ceremony, the priests came out to our group and provided us with the sweet paste they handed out during the ceremony, which was not expected. (Still need to do more research about the significance of this paste and why it is given). He then invited us into the prayer room (after we washed our feet and hands) and explained more about the altar and holy book that they worship.

After viewing the prayer room, he welcomed us downstairs to the fellowship hall to enjoy a meal. The Sikh Temples are open places where individuals of all genders, occupations, and monetary status are welcome. Anyone is welcome to stay in the temple during times of hardship and food is always available, no questions asked. Volunteers just show up to help prepare food and wash dishes (they don't make a schedule--they depend upon service and people doing the right thing and taking their turn). We did not feel comfortable eating a meal since we had intruded enough on this gentleman's time, so we enjoyed some tea (and apparently took the wrong kind of tea).

I was just blown away by this experience as I had time to reflect on the bus ride home. What would we (as Americans) have done if a group of 25 Muslims/Hindus/Sikhs in head coverings showed up to our church and asked for a tour to see how we worship? I can tell you that I would have certainly thought twice and tried to explain how I didn't have time or make an excuse that they weren't permitted to see our church. And, if I did give them a tour, what would I have said about Lutheranism? Would I have been able to talk an hour about the history of our religion and share with complete confidence about our core beliefs? I remember learning about the tenants of Lutheranism during our confirmation classes, but how much could I articulate to a group of strangers?

I doubt I will ever forget today because today I realized a powerful thing. Our Malaysian friends wear clothing very different from us and to some Americans, they view this type of clothing as that of terrorists. However, today I realized that I no longer see my friends wearing a hijab, but rather as a person with a name, face, and personality. It brings tears to my eyes at how welcoming these people are to us and how much we misunderstand their religion and what it stands for. The basic tenant of Islam, Hinduism, and Sikhism is compassion and understanding of others--but NOT HATE.

The story of the Good Samaritan instantly came to my mind today and I will carry the moral of this story with me often. "Go and do the same as the good Samaritan."