Today was amazing!! I am excited about what I learned but also completely exhausted from taking in so much new information. To begin, the people at all three houses of worship were, as I expected, extremely kind and welcoming. The pride on their faces as they shared their faith with us was a theme throughout. I learned there are vast differences between the two Hindu temples we visited and a great difference in the centralization/lack of centralization in each. To begin, I was overwhelmed trying to learn about each God we encountered at the first temple, but was more relaxed just enjoying the experience once we arrived at the second. The architecture at both was breathtaking and made me feel as if I'd traveled outside of the United States. How great that they are close by and can be experienced by my friends and family!
The Sikh Gurdwara was my favorite visit today. Breaking bread together is common practice in my Catholic religion and family culture. I truly felt I was being welcomed into the Sikhs' home through the ritual of eating with them. The video shown was straight forward and answered some basic questions I had about the Sikh religion. I particularly look forward to tomorrow's discussion with the Sikh representative. Visiting this particular house of worship made last night's reading more understandable.
I was particularly moved by my talk with a Sikh about the "Remember 1984(?)" banners in the meeting hall along with the disturbing picture of their temple on fire. He explained how thousand(s) of men, woman, and children were killed by the Indian government in an attempt to destroy the Sikh religion and that he is still upset that the government has never apologized. The pain on his face was real and it reminded me of the how much has been destroyed in the name of religion.
Applying today's visits to my essential question, I feel I can better understand my students when they speak of their families' beliefs, behaviors, and belongings, such celebrating the Festival of Lights, and that I can make them feel valued when I explain my experience. of exploring their religions. While I still do not feel qualified to teach about either of the two religions we investigated today, I'm confident that I have a base understanding of Hindu and Sikh religions.
In summary, I'm grateful for today's experience. The world is a much bigger place than the small circles I travel in.
The Sikh Gurdwara was my favorite visit today. Breaking bread together is common practice in my Catholic religion and family culture. I truly felt I was being welcomed into the Sikhs' home through the ritual of eating with them. The video shown was straight forward and answered some basic questions I had about the Sikh religion. I particularly look forward to tomorrow's discussion with the Sikh representative. Visiting this particular house of worship made last night's reading more understandable.
I was particularly moved by my talk with a Sikh about the "Remember 1984(?)" banners in the meeting hall along with the disturbing picture of their temple on fire. He explained how thousand(s) of men, woman, and children were killed by the Indian government in an attempt to destroy the Sikh religion and that he is still upset that the government has never apologized. The pain on his face was real and it reminded me of the how much has been destroyed in the name of religion.
Applying today's visits to my essential question, I feel I can better understand my students when they speak of their families' beliefs, behaviors, and belongings, such celebrating the Festival of Lights, and that I can make them feel valued when I explain my experience. of exploring their religions. While I still do not feel qualified to teach about either of the two religions we investigated today, I'm confident that I have a base understanding of Hindu and Sikh religions.
In summary, I'm grateful for today's experience. The world is a much bigger place than the small circles I travel in.