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Hospitality in Religious Rituals: The Eucharist vs. Hajj
Introduction
The Eucharist is a ritual in Christianity that is believed to have been instituted by Jesus during the “Last Supper” by giving wine and bread to his disciples at a Passover meal. Jesus directed his disciples to always celebrate the Passover in his memory. He described the cup of wine as “a new covenant in his blood” and the bread as his “body.” On the other hand, the Hajj refers to the Islamic pilgrimage that all Muslims are expected to make to the city of Mecca at least once in their lives and to depend on their financial position and health. The focus of this essay is to analyze how these rituals from the two Abrahamic religions (Christianity and Islam) shape the worldview and character of believers by comparing Rowan William’s chapter of “The Eucharist” in his book Being Christian to the chapter “Mecca” in The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
Summary of Writings
In The Eucharist chapter, Williams describes the Lords’ sharing table as a place for hospitality, a place where everybody is welcome. Christians are people who live their lives knowing that they are guests at the Lord’s table, or that they are wanted and welcomed: “In the Holy Communion, Jesus Christ tells us that he wants our Company” (Williams 41). The author proceeds to explain in the chapter that wherever Jesus went, he created generosity and that his generosity was indiscriminative (Williams 42). At the table, for instance, Jesus was a symbol of a new reality that was just about to be shaped by the cross and his resurrection. The generosity that Jesus treated his disciples with (including Judas Iscariot) is a symbol that Christians should also be hospitable to others and that they should invite other people to the Lord’s Table. Nevertheless, Williams asserts that the Eucharist is meaningless without belief in the resurrection; without belief in the resurrection, the table becomes a place for memorial service and sadness rather than joy. And just as Jesus invites us to the table, we are also given the opportunity to invite other people so that we make our communities and lives welcoming to those in need of fellowship and solidarity.
When speaking of hospitality, Williams makes reference to the story of the tax collector and the story of Zacchaeus. He also makes reference to Jesus’s appearance to his disciples after the resurrection; upon the appearance, Jesus asked his disciples if they would give him food. All that participate in the Eucharist are perceived as being guest in God’s house, and that the purpose of the Eucharist is to seek forgiveness for wrongdoings. Williams describes the Eucharist as the world’s center where people repent their sins, where people welcome others and where the holy spirit motivates participants to make the world a better place.
The chapter Mecca begins with the meaning of the term itself “The pilgrimage to Mecca, known as Hajj, is a religious obligation that every orthodox Muslim fulfills, if humanly able, at least once in his or her lifetime” (Malcolm et al. 201). Malcolm proceeds to explain the love and the support he received from Muslims during his trip to the holy city. At Frankfurt, for example, he explains that he was surprised by the hospitality he received from different stores and shops, even when he did not buy anything ((Malcolm et al. 202). He walked into different stores with a Muslim brother and looked more at items that they did not even intend to by, and they would be greeted even by people they had never met before. Malcolm compared the treatment he received in Frankfurt to the treatment black people get in America by saying: “In America, you walk in a store and spend a hundred dollars, and leave, and you’re still a stranger. Both you and the clerks act as though you’re doing each other a favor” (Malcolm et al. 202-203). The Muslim brother that was in his company explained that they were both Muslims, and he experienced something different being considered Muslim than to be a Negro (Malcolm et al. 203).
Malcolm was shocked by the humane treatment he received from Muslims, and there was always help whenever he needed it. When he bumped into Dr. Omar Azzam – the white Muslim – on his trip, he was shaken by the hospitality he received from him. When he went to his house, he was treated with a degree of respect he would never expect from a white man. But upon his encounter with Dr. Omar, he began to have a different opinion about white people. Wherever he went, he was treated with hospitality, love for the Muslim faith, and brotherly love. When he finally reached Mecca, he marveled at its beauty, and he prayed more than he had ever prayed. There were pilgrims from all races, celebrating brotherhood and unity he never expected would ever exist.
Comparing the two Texts
The two texts above bring out unwavering hospitality. Williams, for example, uses the hospitality of Jesus during the Eucharist is a call to all Christians to be hospitable to others. Similarly, Malcolm narrates different ways in which strangers welcomed him during his trip to Mecca, and he explains that he never expected people of different colors to treat each other as brothers. There is also the element of repentance, which is evident from the two texts, although in different ways. It was during the Eucharist that Jesus hinted on his betrayal by Judas, although he did not reveal his identity. As Christians celebrate the Eucharist, therefore, they are reminded that they are all potential “betrayers” or “sinners,” and they are called to repent their evils. Malcolm’s repentance during his meeting is, however, brought out by his experience of the ritual. Before he embarked on his journey, he never imagined that people of different races could treat each other with hospitality and respect, and he never expected whites to treat blacks with any dignity. But when he was treated with respect and brotherly love by Dr. Omar Azzam – the white Muslim – he began to have a different view of white people. When he reached Mecca, he marveled at the sight of people of different and many colors, and he began to believe that people of different races can actually coexist. This change of heart and thoughts and believes that Malcolm encountered is what can be likened to repentance in Christianity.
But despite the above commonalities between the two texts, there is one clear difference that comes out when comparing the two texts above. When Williams discusses hospitality in chapter Eucharist, he seems to be talking from a spiritual point of view. Christians inviting other people to the Lord’s Table can easily be interpreted to mean winning converts into Christianity. Malcolm, on the contrary, seems to be approaching the issue in a tangible way, as evidenced by his use of the term “brotherhood.” His wish is that people of different races, colors, languages, religions, etc. will one day be able to live together as brothers.
The above two rituals not only influence people’s worldviews and beliefs, but they can also shape the character of those that participate in them. Even though the two rituals differ in the way they are celebrated or conducted, they both have the potential to change people’s mindsets so that they can commit to making the world hospitable to all. They instill the belief that people should be loving, caring, and hospitable to others. The Eucharist calls upon people to be hospitable to all people (even sinners), just as Jesus was hospitable to the 12 disciples (including Judas Iscariot). The Hajj, on the other hand, encourages people to treat each other as brothers.
Conclusion
The focus of this essay was to compare two religious rituals – the Hajj and the Eucharist – and to examine hospitality lessons from the two. As evidenced by the above discussions, religious rituals can have a significant influence on the way people treat one another in the community. The Eucharist – celebrated by Christians – calls upon people to be hospitable to others and show them love and caring. The Hajj, on the other hand, calls upon people to considers themselves as brothers and sisters, regardless of their races, languages, cultures, skin colors, etc.
Works Cited
Malcolm, X., et al. The autobiography of Malcolm X. 1965.
Williams, Rowan. Being Christian: Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2014.