Association for Global New Thought & United Centers for Spiritual Living

Travel the Path of Connection

by Rev. Kathy Hearn

I returned Sunday night from a two week trip to the Middle East on the Abraham Path. My traveling companions were Rev. Molly Cameron (group co-leader), Revs. Janet Garvey-Stangvik (Napa) and Liz Mirante (soon to be Monterey, CA), Susann Stubbs from Mile Hi, attorneys Blake Harper (San Diego) and his brother Jon (Salt Lake City), Nathalie Stamoulis (a Louise Hay facilitator from Nice, France), Joe Murray (our Youth Community Leader) and Susana Wolds (my daughter.) Gail Simmons from Oxford in the UK who works for API was our guide, and Carmelina Ricciardello from Sicily was our guide-in-training. We were a happy, harmonious, joyful and mutually supportive group open to our many rich experiences of people, cultures, sites and food through southern Turkey and Syria.

The purpose of the Abraham Path Initiative is to create over time a pathway of cultural and responsible tourism, economic development for local people and sacred site restoration along the route that the prophet Abraham traveled when the voice of God commanded him to go forth from his native land and his father’s house. God’s promise to Abraham was “I will make of you a great nation... and all the people of the earth will bless themselves by you.” Known as the world’s first monotheist, Abraham is acknowledged as the father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He is a point of reconciliation and agreement among these three great faiths. All three of these religious traditions have stories about him that inspire people to this day with the Abrahamic values of hospitality and kindness to strangers.

We experienced these values in living demonstration each day on our journey – being constantly met by generous and open-hearted people who were interested in and curious about us, and who created meals for us and served us tea. We met Turks, Kurds, Syrians, Arabs, Christians, Muslims, scholars, guides, shopkeepers, adults, students and children. We visited Maaloula in Syria where Aramaic is still spoken. Thanks to Blake, we learned and spoke phrases in Turkish and Arabic. We toured Sanliurfa in southern Turkey, believed by some to be Abraham’s birthplace, and heard his early stories. We visited Harran where God’s voice spoke to him and he set forth on his path. We journeyed to Aleppo where it is said that Abraham milked his cow and gave the milk to the local people.

We sat in mosques, churches and even an ancient synagogue. We journeyed back in time, hiking to a hilltop site with images of the sun and moon goddesses carved in the rock. We visited Göbekli Tepe in Turkey, the oldest archeological site on earth (reaching back to at least 8500 BCE), with huge monoliths of stone standing around a large sacred center. We climbed the 350 steps to Deir Mar Musa (with at least 100 more up to the dormitory) in the hills of the Syrian desert where an old Roman watch tower and frescoed 11th century church have been restored and transformed into a monastery and retreat place for travelers. We hiked to villages and walked the ancient and beautiful streets and souk of Damascus. We played with children in the large open courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque and watched them running and sliding on its huge smooth marble floor.

We managed to be in Damascus when American forces bombed inside Syria’s borders and a large demonstration was held. We had moments of embarrassment about our country’s actions and thoughts for our own safety. We were met with nothing but kindness and care consistent with the Syrian tradition towards strangers. All along the way our two youngest travelers, Joe and Susana, attracted and delighted people of all ages and opened doors to our experience. Thanks to Rev. Janet for the suggestion that all traveling groups include young members!

I will close for now by saying that, once again, I experienced how important it is for Americans to travel – particularly to the Middle East. The impressions that our media give us about this region are one-sided and incomplete. They never capture the hospitality and generosity that characterize the huge majority of people here. It was important for one more group of us to break down and release our mental and emotional stereotypes about the Middle East and its people from first-hand experience of them.

Because we encountered open hearts, looked into kind eyes, felt the region, ate the food of the land, awakened to the sound of prayer and laughed with the children, we have been changed at the cellular level. We have each taken a step towards being citizens of the world with this journey. And, as our guide Gail Simmons reminded us, it was important for the people of the Middle East that we were there because they, too, were given the opportunity to break down and release stereotypes about Americans. “You have advanced the Abraham Path,” Gail said. Amen to that!