Crossing borders…

Posted on by

Another 24 hours, and I will be in an airport, through security (hopefully) and beginning the journey back home. I am trying to pack some small jars of sunshine in my luggage. We obviously still need it back home. Some time then to pause and reflect on this Micah68 mission and ministry trip – and I guess ‘crossing borders’ is a phrase that comes to mind. Several physical borders / checkpoints have been crossed between UK, Israel, Palestine, Israel, Jordan and Israel again – some easier than others to cross – and I still have the one back to UK to negotiate.

But I guess that is the point – crossing borders can surprise, challenge, frustrate and educate. The key borders are the ones between people – the language, food, attitudes, religion, culture. These are some of the boundary points we live by, and occasionally put up as our defence – a border that need to be approached and crossed if we are to make a proper encounter with others and not just sit within our protected, bounded zone of being. Certainly as Christian an issue I have to take seriously if I really believe in ‘sharing God’s love in word and deed’.

Last night I sat amongst old friends who I first worked with as teenagers on a youth camp back in the 1990’s. Now successful, beautiful and talented young adults we together watched, listened and enjoyed the performance of Miriam Toukan – one of their own peer group, who is achieving great success locally and nationally as a singer. (See 17th June blog for her contemporary work, and also listen to the Micah68 website music which was one of her first singles). It felt a privilege to sit with Ala’a and Mateel, watching Miriam sing songs by Fairuz (check out www.fairuzonline.com for some insight into this Lebanese Christian legendary singer) backed by the excellent Karawan Theatre and Choir – a group based in the small village of Ibillin where they all come from. I still (to my shame) don’t understand the language – but to sit with many from the village who had come to support, and be greeted by old friends – and encounter new ones (a guy from Ibillin who has lived in Preston and Southport, and is now in Salford!) was well worth the crossing.

The last song sung by Miriam was a famous one by Fairuz – ‘Bayti ana Baytak’. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzNq5fX-c5U for one of the many versions). It is a prayer offered by the poor, and the heart of the song is the cry to God ‘Don’t leave me alone, don’t forget me, you are the Sun of the People’. The Sun is symbolic of God who can be seen everywhere, and one of the names for Jesus in  Arabic is ‘Shams al a’dl’ which means ‘Son of Justice’. The poor cry to God to shine the justice of Jesus on them. It was greeted with rapturous applause. Not a bad song towards the end of a Micah trip with an emphasis on crossing borders and ‘acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly’.

Salaam, Shalom, Peace

Ahlan wa sahlan – welcome back to Ibillin….

Posted on by

So here we are, back in Ibillin (northern Galilee) where the mission and ministry across the Middle East sorted of all started for me back in the mid 1990’s. Still the usual elements of craziness, and the need to be ready for changes of plan (that’s if plans were ever made) – and the views across the village from Sohil’s balcony are the same, as are the ice cream and endless coffee. And of course I arrive in wedding season (July is popular). So where to tonight?….yep down the road to a local house for evening one of the week long wedding celebrations for Rasha’s sister. Could be another dancing opportunity……the 3rd of the trip.

Just had coffee with Rasha – someone I first met in 1997 when involved in a youth camp, and she was remembering the impact of those years when as a young teenager some volunteers from the UK came over, and one of them (Anne) stayed in her house with her family. Amazing the impact that any of us can make on someones life if we would just get close enough.

Anyway, back to my English lesson – Bashar (12) and Franswa (14) – two of Sohil’s lads are needing to know more about why the English football team is so bad, and yet has some of the best players. Struggling to explain this in any language to be honest………….

The streets of (in)difference

Posted on by

A tough crossing back from Jordan to Israel/Palestine yesterday…..too long waiting for a Jordanian border crossing bus on one side, and then delibrately chaotic passport control on the Israeli side wasted 3 hours of life in 43 degree heat. Lovely. But back in Nazareth, and readying today for the next stage of the trip – a transfer to Ibillin, where the friendships and ministry all started back in the mid ’90’s. Sohil Haj and the Mafia (his sons) are on the way to collect me even as I type!

Jostling through the old city of Nazareth, through the souk in the glaring sun on my way for a drink in Tishreen (trendy coffee shop frequented by young trendy Nazarenes…hence why I fitted in quite well) – and seeing coachloads of tourists pile out of bus 11 from the Haifa cruise ship, produced the following thoughts yesterday. Forgive the poor prose…I am working on poetry!

The streets of (in)difference

Glazed and glare; did I see you there – or was I distracted by the shiny new souvenir, the cry of the (too) loudspeaker, the endless photo opportunity, the tour guide’s sharp instruction to take care, the IPad moment, the text coming in (causing me to move my fingers instinctively to make my connection with those a thousand miles away)?

Glare and glazed; was I so phased – I missed the poverty incoveniently laid out at my feet, the haunted eyes of the broken, the grubby handed, the staining dirt, the stark injustice, the lack of choice and crying pain?

I glaze and I glare – as I pilgrim on the streets of (in)difference, snatching at Jesus.

IW – Tishreen, Nazareth, 14/7/12

Handala and meanings of Home

Posted on by

Just back from Souk Jara (a pre-Ramadan open market just off 1st Circle, Rainbow Street, Amman for those who know), where I had a good chat with a really nice Palestinian couple selling some trendy pottery (too heavy) and some handpainted Handala cartoons and Mahmoud Darwish poetry (lighter – and so I bought a small one). They still describe themselves as refugees, although they have lived in Jordan all their lives. It led to an interesting conversation about ‘homeland’ and ‘home’.

Handala is a famous cartoon figure in the Middle East drawn by cartoonist Naji Al-Ali (go search for examples!). In every cartoon Handala’s back is turned to the world and he is watching the action in the cartoon, inviting the viewer to do the same. Sometimes he takes part in the action in the cartoon, but generally looks on. Handala means ‘medicinal bitter desert fruit’ in Arabic. Handala was born ten years old and remains ten years old, the age Naji Al-Ali was when he was expelled from his village in 1948. Two out of every three Palestinians were expelled from their homes when Israel was established in that year. They have not been allowed home and so remain refugees.

Darwish’s poetry complements this aching observation of life in the Middle East for those calling themselves refugees. He writes not just for Palestine, but for all refugees – as Naji Al-Ali drew for all marginalised people. Check out http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-come-from-there/ for one of Darwish’s poems to get the idea.

So, here I am travelling, listening, talking, praying and supporting where I can – which I love and feel God has called me to do. But I travel not as a refugee….and I go back to my homeland in the UK next week – and then to the places, family and friends I call ‘home’ in the north of England. In the words of Darwish ‘I come from there’, and although as a Christian I know known the scripture ‘we have no abiding city’, I also know the rootedness of earthly ‘home’.

A brief chat on a sunny, crowded market street with some lovely people still aching for ‘home’. Maybe something to reflect on…….

Swans, hearts, Mansaf and camels (of course)

Posted on by

OK, so how did a swan and a large heart get onto my bed whilst I’ve been out? Yes, it’s amazing what hotel staff can do with bath towels and bedspreads nowadays! Anybody got any other random towelling origami stories?

Had a great day down in the Jordan Valley at the Jofeh Center (www.jofehcenter.org) with Yousef Rizik and the amazing staff and volunteers. Amal – a star member of the staff – provided a special meal of Mansaf (the traditional Jordanian celebration dish – lamb cooked in jameed – a sauce of fermented dried yogurt – and served with rice, almonds and pine nuts with spicy baharat on top). This is a great honour as Mansaf is the greatest symbol in the Jordanian culture for generosity, and is not an everyday meal. But that’s what I keep finding down in the Valley – generous people trying to change their own situations, and those of the disabled children and marginalised women down there.

Wa’ed, another of the key staff at the Center was doing an amazing job co-ordinating a kids summer camp, which seemed to be on the subject of transport….roads, cars, planes, trains were everywhere. Anyway, everyone was having a great time – the Shaun the Sheep Youtube clip (spot the transport link??) went down well…as did the dancing (yes, more random dancing from Ian to the strange delight of the staff and children… mmmmm).

A tour around the workshops, and I was able to share that due to a generous gift in recent days Micah68 will be able to send the target money for the scroll saws (see the 2012 project on http://www.micah6-8.org.uk/jordan.html). So now we plan for 2013 – and the supplying of some industrial sewing machines.

But could I escape Yousef’s insistent pushing of Christmas trees, silk purses, olive wood angels and of course, the camels?  Of course not, and so I have a small bag full to take back to Israel, and then get home to the UK. “These will be good for you to sell at Christmas Ian…….tell your friends about us, and the goods we are making to help the poor and marginalised down here”. Yes I will Yousef, yes I will…..