Airport Chapels

I have been visiting airport chapels since my ‘Road Warrior’ days as a professional speaker. Because chapels have represented healing and comfort to me since childhood, I have looked for chapels to visit in airports as well.
“As a traveler, I am always pleasantly surprised whenever I find one; most often, the space is tucked away and fairly difficult to locate. But once there, I sit down, breathe in the holy air and thank my God for a respite from the hustle of travel.
“I realize that my own journeys are not unlike those of early pilgrims.
“When I sit in an airport chapel, I often do not see the antiseptic seats or the few potted plants that brighten the space. I see instead sojourners from the past of every stripe imaginable; I consider how grateful I am for the safety of having ‘made it this far.’
“I think back to all the travelers before me who welcomed a moment’s peace in their busy day exactly as I do in that moment. I imagine how connected to my fellow travelers I am.
“I observe a woman praying her rosary before boarding her next flight. Another time, I see a Muslim, leading his son in tow, and finding a prayer rug to fold himself upon, facing Mecca and the kaaba.
“Whenever I visit an airport chapel, I first always look for the visible signs of multi-faith worship or prayer.
“Not all chapels are truly inclusive. Recently, I read a note in the chapel guest book from a fellow traveler at Chicago Midway: ‘Why have you no menorah, at least, for the Jewish faithful traveling?’”
If Kansas City's airport is to recognize the spiritual diversity of the Heartland and to be truly international, it should join other major airports by dedicating a space for what I think of is “time to get still.”
Said friend and KC Star columnist Vern Barnet, "I do not want government taxing us to support religious activities, but faith and secular groups could rent and furnish a space welcoming all who travel, making their trip more meaningful as we realize that we are all pilgrims on this planet, as the planet itself whirls through space with our lives unfolding." I thoroughly agree.