In a few hours I am going to be leaving from New York City with a group of 85 people from the Islamic Center at NYU and NYPD's Muslim Officers' Society. Our intention is to perform a pilgrimage, known as the Umrah, to the city of Mecca along the way we will also be visiting the city of Medina. My hope is to share my reflections with you daily once I get on the ground in Saudi Arabia.
The beauty of this journey is immense and I could sit for hours and hours writing about what I am feeling in anticipation of it. Mostly though my thoughts right now are geared toward being away from distraction and instead finding myself immersed in calmness. There is not a city that I have visited in the entire world that is more tranquil than Medina. The serenity that surrounds one from the moment he or she enters is unlike anything else. And there is not a city that I have visited that hosts a more diverse gathering of people than in Mecca. Any culture, language and skin color that you can think of is found there. It presents a great opportunity for reflection.
