A reserved and quiet place where the faithful of all religions can retire to pray: the initiative is not that of some religious group, but of a large shopping mall at Braehead, near Glasgow, which has placed a space for meditation at the service of its customers. So, amid supermarket trolleys, special offers and shelves full of merchandise, those who want a pause for reflection can do so. The host of the prayer centre is Elisabeth Spence, who has already played this role in another chain of big stores in Glasgow. Pastor of the Church of Scotland, Spence is one of six pastors who work full time in the world of Scottish work. “Everyone is welcome to come – she says – to pray or simply to rest. The faithful who use the prayer room also include the staff of the shopping mall who also approach the pastor for marriages and funerals”. The religious confessions have also reacted positively to the initiative. Shafi Kausar, secretary of the Islamic Centre of Glasgow, declared that Muslims who pray several times each day will make good use of it, while a spokesman of the Scottish Catholic Church noted that “a space of tranquillity in our hectic life is more than ever necessary”.
