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People always say: life is nothing but a sum of moments. I suppose everyone has their own moments, either high or low, up or down, such as being born, first learning to walk, laughing hard, bursting into tears, being touched by a child’s smile, losing beloved ones…today I think I witnessed or experienced such a moment, because it is the first time that I have ever seen a chapel ceremony, even being a very brief one.
A heavy guy in black suit and long beard came in solemnly with a pack and I first thought he was a magician based on his dress. Then, two big silver candleholders were placed on a long cube desk. He carefully put two long candles on the holders and lit them up. Under it was a small red rug, which made it more revere and sacred. He then took out a small book with a deep blue cover, of which the feeling was like the Holy Bible but more like Hebrews.
All of a sudden, he soared in an amazingly beautiful voice. The melody was beyond imagination. Although I did not understand a word of it, I could still sense that it was just the sacred melody as if from angels. The other people around were all echoing to it and it seemed the time even stopped just to listen to the holy rhythm and pious prayer. I literally saw tears in somebody’s eyes.
After the chapel session, everyone took a cup of wine and a slice of bread from the priest’s hand and savor the taste of life their god has given to them. At that moment, the candle light, the priest in black, the teary woman, the wine and bread symbolizing human’s flesh and blood…all of these transformed into a sacred moment of my life as a eye witness, as if my body was frozen in awe and wonder. Pictures formed before my eyes-- the primitives, who wore the skin of the wild animals and ate raw meat, danced in a circle around the fire and worshipping the gods whom they believed were controlling the thunder, the rain, the flood, the harvest, the human lifethe interval is thousands and thousands of years, but the scene and the spirit still resembles to great extent. I wonder with the time flying and the world changing, there is probably something that remains within the human race.
Technically, it was not one of my moments but rather a sacred moment that I witnessed as a bystander since I am sort of an atheist. However, to know the fact that there is such a mysterious and sacred thing exists in the human world which is called religion and that it elevates the soul of the believers and somewhat makes the world a better place is simply astounding.
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