Emma Grewal - The Christian Science Journal, Feb. 2008
I had never heard of Qatar, a place I now consider home, until three years ago when my dad got a job working for a company there. My mum, dad, and younger sister, Abigail, and I moved to Doha, the capital city of Qatar, from Dubai. Being born and brought up in Australia, and having also lived in India, I found moving to a country like Qatar a big change. When you’re used to seeing people in jeans and shirts, coming to an Islamic country like Qatar hits you most visually. Here a lot of the women wear a black abaya, a traditional form of Islamic dress worn over your clothes, and a lot of my girlfriends also wear a black headscarf, even to school, although wearing the scarf is a personal decision.
Located on the Persian Gulf, next to Saudi Arabia, Qatar is influenced by Islam, the predominant religion. Religion plays a big role in the lives of my Muslim friends. They pray five times a day, starting with the Morning Prayer at sunrise and then finishing their prayers at sundown. Not all of my friends abide by Islamic rules and traditions; however, a handful do. Although teens in Qatar are generally religious, they talk about many of the same things that other teens talk about around the world—from crushes to schoolwork to family life. We cover it all!
Being a Christian Scientist in Qatar is not that different from being a Christian Scientist most anywhere else. I’m able to practice my religion freely. People really seem to want to know how Christian Science is practiced, and I’ve had quite a few deep conversations about religion with friends at school. I always like these talks because people are so open about their religion, and we often find that we share similar beliefs. For example, my Muslim friends and I believe that there’s one God and that God is our Creator. I see God as an invisible presence that’s always with you and always helps you.
I think it’s important that people respect one another’s religion. If you tell someone that your religion is greater than theirs, you’ve lost their respect. A lot of people talk about their religion as though you must agree with it. I always approach my conversations about Christian Science with a simple, informative style because people respond much better that way. I explain that Christian Science teaches that God is good and that anyone can rely on prayer to God to heal. The nurses at school know I’m a Christian Scientist and were surprised when I first told them that I pray about all my health issues and that I haven’t ever had the need to take medicine. “But what happens if you know you’re going to die?” people sometimes ask me. I tell them that my decision to trust God is a matter of faith based on demonstration—meaning that I’ve had enough healings to know that prayer works in any situation.
There are lots of Christians in Qatar, but since my family were the only Christian Scientists in Doha when we moved here, my mum decided that we could hold “church” in our own home. And so, every Friday (which is the Arabic Sunday) my sister and I have Sunday School classes that my mum and dad teach. These classes are conducted much like Sunday School in other parts of the world. We bought a collection of Christian Science hymns on CD and play them to begin and end our “services.”
While I have never doubted Christian Science, I did go through a period when I did not believe it was vital to practice it. I felt a strong connection with God, and I felt I no longer needed Christian Science. I think the word egotistic described my attitude. I still prayed to God, but I was a bit cocky. I seemed to forget that it was Christian Science that enabled me to really understand and know God, and to see that God and I are one. At this time, my mother caught me up and showed how I had let myself be blinded to this fact. After thinking over the conversation with her, I realized that Christian Science got me to where I am today spiritually.
Two years ago I went to a Christian Science summer camp in America. It was my first time in America and away from my parents for a long period of time, and it was during those three weeks at camp that I really counted solely on God. At first, I felt a bit strange in a foreign land and a different culture. I was the kid from the Middle East.
One day I approached my counsellor about how I was feeling. She shared with me a wonderful thought that allowed me to thoroughly enjoy the rest of my time at camp. In big, bold handwriting she wrote on my hand, “Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true.” [The rest of the sentence, which comes from Science and Health, reads: “and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts” (p. 261).] These words were so powerful, and after really thinking about the meaning behind them, I felt uplifted. I realized that when you’re thinking about alienation, and not appreciating the opportunities given to you, then you’re not holding your thought to what is good and experiencing that goodness.
So, at camp I decided to keep in mind all the things that I could be grateful for—my friendships, the caring counsellors, and the great opportunities to try new activities. I lived by this gratitude for the rest of my time at camp and after. After this incident, I believe I really learned the meaning of walking hand in hand with God, because when you let yourself be filled with only good thoughts, you can feel your closeness with God. For the rest of my time at camp, I learned to really rely on God and tune out the little I or human ego in order to hear what God was telling me. That camp experience changed my life in a way, because I really understand now why I’m a Christian Scientist.
TCSJ
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