For most of us, our Christian spirit and kindness towards others is alive and thriving – until, that is, someone sits in our pew or parks in our spot. On Sunday June 16, I’m sorry to say that our Christian spirit was sorely tested. When I arrived at church at 9:40 AM, our parking lot was crammed full of cars – every parking spot was taken, in our lot and in the lot next door (formerly belonging to the Masons). The passageway between the two lots was blocked with cars, as was the passage between our building and the retirement home behind. What was going on? Had these scores of people suddenly seen the light and decided to join us at church that morning? I didn’t think so.
Before long, other Graceview folks started showing up – choir members arriving early, our Music Director Kento, and our guest minister Rev. Jan Hieminga and his wife Lynne.
With nowhere to put any of our cars, we double parked behind the rows of parked cars and gathered on the lawn to discuss what to do next. Where did all these people come from, and what made them think they had the right to commandeer our parking lot on a Sunday morning, leaving no space for our own church people? We were surprised and angry, and uncertain about how to proceed with our church service when our people couldn’t get near the church for the traffic.
We asked one of the many people heading to Centennial Park what was happening, and learned that there was a special prayer service being held in the park that morning for the Muslim community who were celebrating Eid-al-Adha.
One of two main Islamic holidays, it began this year on Sunday June 16 and lasted until Wednesday, June 19. Called the Feast of Sacrifice, it commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God. We are all familiar with this story – the Judeo-Christian version describes this as Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his other son, Isaac. An important prayer related to the event was being held outdoors in Centennial Park due to the capacity crowd expected. The parking lots in the park were full and cars were parked allalong the park roads.
There was a police car, with lights flashing, stationed near the park, possibly to keep control and to offer any necessary assistance. It had been rumoured that it was the police who told the hordes of people that they could use Graceview’s parking lot. If this is true, he may have been assured by the Muslim group that their prayer service would be very short and they would be gone by the time we needed the lot. They had to put their cars somewhere, and the officer, possibly overwhelmed by the sheer numbers, may have felt there was no other option.
Time was marching on and more and more of our congregants were arriving, some parking on the grass and others on Renforth, illegally blocking the bike lane. By 10:30 we were on the verge of simply leaving our cars wherever they were parked, even if blocking others, and going inside to proceed with our church service as usual. But suddenly people from the park were returning to their cars and we realized that the Muslim prayer service had ended. It was a chaotic zoo for the next half hour while we moved our cars to let others out, wiggling them around other cars that were blocking the way and gradually pulling into parking spots as they became empty. Some of our people found themselves turned into traffic wardens, standing in the road directing traffic and trying to ensure everyone’s safety. Our service that morning was delayed by 35 minutes as the mess outside got sorted out and our equanimity was restored.
On that morning God gave us an unexpected opportunity to show understanding, patience, and Christian kindness. Yes, it would have been better had we known the situation in advance and been able to accommodate our Muslim friends by perhaps moving our service to a half hour later, but that was not the case. Despite our initial upset and frustration, did we rise to the opportunity presented in the best way possible? I think we tried to. It was a reminder to look for ways to do good, to show compassion, and to remember the greatest commandment, to “love your neighbour as yourself”.
I learned later that one of our congregants, who is no longer young, upon arriving at the church and finding nowhere to put her car, decided that this was her church, and she wasn’t going to let a little chaos prevent her from attending it. She drove home, parked her car, and walked the 1.2 km. from her home back to the church. That’s determination for you! I do hope someone was kind enough to drive her home after the service…