Interfaith Prayer Service for Ebola Relief in West Africa

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend this Interfaith Prayer service for Ebola Relief in Bethesda - a city in Maryland. Bethesda is about an hour or more from where I am living in the town of Poolesville - but still part of the same county (Montgomery County). (A County is the equivalent of a Shire). As part of the service Gonpo and I (Gonpo is one one of our wonderful monks) chanted a prayer for healing (he's got a strong deep voice). My lighter voice held. Phewwwww. Many others made an offering of Prayer or Poetry or Song - like the cadent Call to Prayer by Brother Rooknudeen Ali in the picture below. In between Alhaji Pap Susso playing on his beautiful 21 stringed Kora - an instrument that he traced all the way back to the 13th century. Reverend Joan Beilstein from the Episcopal (ie Anglican) Church read her moving original poem about the epidemic - and many others including Rabbi Batya Steinlauf spoke. The most inspiring speaker for me was Dr. Kolap Abimbola (third picture down) who really conveyed how decimating Ebola was for the West African community. He described how there was so much cultural obligation and requirement to have extended funeral rites for the dead - but this in turn increased exponentially - the risk of infection and death from Ebola.

And here's some more pictures of those who presented

And here is the Senior Health Care Officer Speaking about how they were monitoring those that had returned to the County from West Africa or had moved there - but that they were also dealing with discrimination against those recently from West Africa - in terms of housing or schooling...

And here's a few of Gonpo and the rest of us - including one of us flashing our 'Stop Ebola Now' bracelets!

Afterwards the local West African community offered us a feast. I dived into the fried plantains (similar to bananas but more earthy in taste). As one of the visiting Islamic chaplains conveyed to me - they have to be just so - not too green and not too ripe! And then fried just so. I had to keep trying one to check that they were just so! This was a lighter moment in an event about something that is so decimating to many in the world right now.

And if you're interested here's the program!