Ramadan while sheltering in place

Muslims will fast the first day of Ramadan tomorrow and, in the time of social distancing and sheltering in place, most are bemoaning the fact that they will be unable to participate in communal worship and religious/social activities that add so much to the sense of spirituality and community. Especially those who are minority in their locale, new to the faith, and elderly. I don’t want to discount any of these feelings as I certainly feel the same way but upon reflection I found myself contemplating something I read before and I paraphrase below

“The word Ramadan in Arabic comes from a root word that refers to someone who walks on an earth that has become so hot from the sun beating down on it all day. It symbolizes the way in which fasting burns off one’s sins.”

Walking on a sun scorched earth is an act that requires patience. An act that requires belief and faith in the final destination; a soul that is purer than it was when it took the journey, a person who is closer to God than he/she was when they put aside the desires of their body in response to a higher call.

The sun is perhaps a little stronger and the earth might be a little hotter this Ramadan but the journey is still ours to take.

I wish you all a blessed and spiritually filled Ramadan