This chapter begins in an unlikely zendo – in a condominium in Jersey City, an unfashionable neighbourhood that lacks the glitz and naked power of downtown Manhattan on the other side of the Hudson river. The pace of life here is slower, the surroundings more prosaic, the religiosity less whacky. All the more intriguing to find in such an area a place dedicated to a traditional religious practice. Zen Buddhist centres can reflect the carefully cultivated simplicity of a Japanese garden or embody the wisdom reflected in masterpieces of calligraphy. To a great extent that is to do with atmosphere, with creating an aesthetic of place which provides the right conditions for meditation. This particular zendo is a bare room decorated with a few flowers, the odd joss stick and a large head of the Buddha standing on a table. Around the walls black mats and cushions are laid out. A temple gong stands ready to mark the periods of meditation. Only the view out the window and the sounds from off the street remind me that this is Main Street, USA.

A group of local people gather here early each morning to meditate in silence for a couple of hours. The basic form of the meditation follows a pattern set by the tradition of centuries, sitting meditation or zazen, broken by kinhin or walking meditation, and ending with the chanting of the bodhisattva vows in Japanese. Religiously the members of the group are mixed, but ‘religious affiliation isn’t an issue’, I was told by one of them. What quickly becomes clear is that this is no religious hybrid, a pick ’n’ mix affair for a few disaffected spiritual nomads. The practice is rooted firmly in the ritual and formalities of the Japanese Zen tradition. I will return to this theme at the end of the chapter, for, despite this cultural form (or maybe because of it), people from different faith traditions find something that, through the power of mindfulness, enables them to sharpen their individual commitments. I have been asking a question about interreligious learning, about how the sense of self grows through dialogue with the other. If, however, Christian life is about communicating a deeply felt truth – and not just contemplating it in some secure spiritual fastness – then any cross-religious practice, from study to conversation to meditation, must raise a further question. What does this say about God?