In almost all major religions, there abounds the undertone of the spiritual battle that takes place inside someone regarding the succumbation to sin or earthly desires and the like. Also ever present in the soul's journey through life is the search for a prize; an ultimate Truth, especially in the early Middle Ages when religions where beginning to mature and take power in society. Though the doctrine theoretically differs greatly, Christian and Islamic faith as one body contextually share the same ideals and foci on the issues pertaining to the soul. This is made evident when analyzing the works of Christian mystic, Margery Kempe, and Sufi poet, Jalal al-Din Rumi, who despite the difference in gender and culture, shed light on the meaning of Truth through acts and words of devotion and love for a common God. .
Margery Kempe, who did not consider herself a mystic, led a normal life until a traumatic event thrust her into a life-long sojourn for truth and holiness. This event yielded a strikingly emotional union between herself and God, which sometimes consisted of visions that she was speaking with Jesus Christ. Kempe refers to Jesus as her lover in The Book of Margery Kempe, an autobiography which was written later in her life. Kempe's devotion encompassed her life so even to the point that she asked her husband to take a vow of chastity with her. Jalal al-Din Rumi, a member of the mystic sect of Muslims called Sufi, wrote several poems in his lifetime. Sufis placed a large emphasis on the sensory aspects of worship: music, poetry and dance. .
Earthly pleasure is seen by many religions as no more than a vice; a wall in between oneself and God. Therefore, the only reasonable path to an Answer would be to eliminate desire and clear the pathway toward Truth. In "Exmpty the Glass of Desire", Rumi urges his readers to "empty the glass of desire so that you won't be disgraced" (Fiero, 54).
