The
Exercise
Yard

Well, here we are again

back at a Thruway for the Exercise Yard,

but this time we're at the start of Level 2.

Now we already know a bit about temptations,

and how humans need to remind themselves of the truth of the way that the world works.

We discovered lots of things about that in Level 1,

so if you don't remember going there it might be a good idea to check it out.

You know, one of the things that humans forget most easily

is that they change as they grow.

It should be obvious.

They start off as very little people

who can't even feed themselves or keep themselves clean.

Then as they grow older they learn all sorts of different things,

and understand the world in certain ways they share with those around them.

And as they get older,

the way they see and understand things

keeps changing.

Little kids don't think the same way as babies.

Teenagers don't think about the same things as kids.

Young adults don't see things the same way as teenagers,

and old people see and understand things in a different way again.

So every age has its own different temptations,

and different things that it needs to remember

to remind itself of the truth of how things are.

What is wonderful about the things that Muslims use as their regular reminders of the Truth

is that as a muslim grows and changes, their reminders change with them,

although to other people, it looks as though they stay the same.

Just like the Creation, those reminders spread as far as you can see,

and the closer you look at them the more that you can see.

The more that you use them the more they shape themselves to you,

and the more that you learn about them the more you see how much more there is to know.

It is always a journey into the unknown.

What does it mean to say the Shahada?

How, where, and why should we pray?

What's to be done with money?

How does Ramadhan move through the seasons?

Who built the Ka'aba, and what's it for?

What if we need to fight to survive?

Do we really need other people?

Can you get what you want by being gentle and forgiving?