If you were to look for God on Gannon’s campus, where would you find him?
The easy answer would be to stand outside of the Waldron Campus Center and point to the statue of Jesus that all of us see before we head to lunch.
Perhaps you would mention one of the several churches within walking distance of campus.
But really, where do you find God on this campus?
If you don’t have an idea beyond those I have just talked about, or haven’t thought about it a whole lot, then you’re reading the right column!
I recently visited the Interfaith Prayer Space located in the southeastern corner of the third floor of the Zurn Science Center and I was surprised at what I found.
As a student of the humanities subjects, I’ve spent most of my time in Palumbo and I never had a reason to walk around Zurn before, so I barely knew this room existed.
I had heard about it at some point and sort of shrugged it off, but when I was asked to write this column, I knew that this would be the first place I would go to.
You might ask, “What about this room made it so special?”
When I stepped into the room, the first thing I noticed was the stillness it had.
Of course, it was expected because I was the only person in this area, which was a little smaller than my bedroom.
However, it was still a bit of a shock.
For me, to go from the buzz and activity of our daily routine to the sudden, uninterrupted silence of a small prayer space was a surprising feeling, but a pleasant one nonetheless.
The room has a tiled floor with a compass imprinted on the tiles to point the way for any Muslim students who face east toward Mecca when they pray.
There were even prayer rugs with cool patterns in the room to accommodate daily prayer.
I personally liked the look of the royal blue one.
There were benches on which anyone could sit, and either gaze at the beautiful blue sky out of the window or close their eyes and enter more fully into the silence.
I ended up doing both, but my quiet meditation was a great experience because of the peace and serenity it brought me.
Spending time there refreshed my senses and sent me into the rest of my day with a renewed sense of purpose and joy.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Interfaith Prayer Space and I’m planning on going back again.
For anyone who doesn’t have a class in Zurn, I still encourage you to check it out.
Maybe you could bring a Bible, a Qur’an, or any religious text and simply read.
Bring a friend, and have a deep spiritual conversation.
For those students who are in Zurn quite a lot, stop in and spend a little time there in between classes.
All it takes is five minutes to enter into the silence.
Try it out.
NATHAN DEMAREST
