It's raining outside, and I'm in that mood where my staff occurs for me alternately between annoying and needy. Still, I'm aware of how God has BLESSED my life, and for that I am grateful.
Although I need to establish some partnerships with folk who are willing and able to invest in this neighborhood. My concern is that we're not doing anything new and no one really wants to invest in maintaining the status quo.
In the time it took to write that sentence, my mind went to no less than a dozen different places. I don't for a minute claim ADHD; that's a crutch. I just have to learn to move the rest of my body as quickly as my mind moves.
******
Now it's about 1on Thursday morning. Channel surfing, waiting for the cramps to stop and the Ambien to kick in (this is the downside to the total body blitz). But the Robin byrd show on Channel 35 is mysteriously umscrambled. Robin Byrd is the NYC pseudo soft porn video maven. This show is called Men for Men (i think. Mostly it's just ads).
But i have two observations:
1) I love the human form, but this stylized prancing around and pandering to people's fetishes and proclivities is not vaguely sexy, stimulating, or exciting. It's stilted, silly, and sad.
2) Someone should tell Robin that it's not sexy if your eyes don't both point the same way.
There is now this guy with a VERY hairy basketball but doing pelvic thrusts. There's nothing vaguely erotic about this -- I'm trying to figure out if the people are narcissistic and really think they look good, or if they're drug addicted or in some other situation and are prostituting themselves.
Whatever. It's boring enough that I can feel the sleep kicking in...
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Korea, A New Lens
So I'm at work. My comptroller has called in sick, which is quite an inconvenience since I don't know how to cut checks and will need to before she comes back. This is part and parcel of running a non-profit -- you need to be able to do everything. For a long time, I'd considered the comptroller indispensible because of her financial expertise, but one always needs to plan for worst-case scenarios -- and here one has arrived. Thankfully, I've already kicked Plan B into action, and the agency will continue on.
While grading papers and moaning over the death of English grammar (side note: I'm also noticing more and more seminary students seeming to focus on grades rather than on actually learning the material. This is a sad commentary, IMHO, on the emerging trend in those who would lead churches. It's as if the interest is not in unlocking the Gospel or in learning more about Jesus, but in preaching that which they hold dear in their own hearts, with no examination, verification, or confirmation that it is anything other than their own personal thoughts). Anyway, while I'm going through all this, I'm waiting to hear if the Seminary will still sponsor a trip to Seoul, South Korea, and if there's any possibility I can be part of a delegation that goes there in May to preach and teach and represent the Seminary. Don't know if I'll get chosen since I'm only an Adjunct; I'm kinda thinking the current political unrest between North and South Korea might make the prospect a bit less attractive to people, but if I know my NYTS family, that will just make it MORE attractive.
So. While I have a lovely camera/laptop backpack, I find it's not really comfortable for changing lenses. Thanks to a suggestion from Don Edmands, whom I met on the Egypt trip, I've decided that instead of a 55mm (or maybe it's 55-70, I don't know) and a 70-210, I would like to have a 28-300. I'll give up a little bit in apertures, but the convenience I'll gain from the zoom will outweigh that, for me. I've bid on a couple on ebay, only to lose the bids by just a couple of dollars. I actually let one go that was used and I decided I didn't want, but then slept a new one I did want (it was silver and doesn't match my camera body, but the price was nice). I've contacted the seller to see if they'll re-list, but haven't yet heard back from them. The Tamron version of the lens sells new for as much as my camera did, but I like it and think I'll continue looking for it. I'm surprised that the only Cyber Monday sales I see on it are a $50.00 rebate that's been in effect for several months.
So that's where I am. My office is absolutely freezing (not sure why, since it was blasting hot on Wednesday), and I'm sitting here with a thick scarf wrapped around my head because I'm so cold. My life here, it seems, is all about money and budgets, so I should go get started.
While grading papers and moaning over the death of English grammar (side note: I'm also noticing more and more seminary students seeming to focus on grades rather than on actually learning the material. This is a sad commentary, IMHO, on the emerging trend in those who would lead churches. It's as if the interest is not in unlocking the Gospel or in learning more about Jesus, but in preaching that which they hold dear in their own hearts, with no examination, verification, or confirmation that it is anything other than their own personal thoughts). Anyway, while I'm going through all this, I'm waiting to hear if the Seminary will still sponsor a trip to Seoul, South Korea, and if there's any possibility I can be part of a delegation that goes there in May to preach and teach and represent the Seminary. Don't know if I'll get chosen since I'm only an Adjunct; I'm kinda thinking the current political unrest between North and South Korea might make the prospect a bit less attractive to people, but if I know my NYTS family, that will just make it MORE attractive.
So. While I have a lovely camera/laptop backpack, I find it's not really comfortable for changing lenses. Thanks to a suggestion from Don Edmands, whom I met on the Egypt trip, I've decided that instead of a 55mm (or maybe it's 55-70, I don't know) and a 70-210, I would like to have a 28-300. I'll give up a little bit in apertures, but the convenience I'll gain from the zoom will outweigh that, for me. I've bid on a couple on ebay, only to lose the bids by just a couple of dollars. I actually let one go that was used and I decided I didn't want, but then slept a new one I did want (it was silver and doesn't match my camera body, but the price was nice). I've contacted the seller to see if they'll re-list, but haven't yet heard back from them. The Tamron version of the lens sells new for as much as my camera did, but I like it and think I'll continue looking for it. I'm surprised that the only Cyber Monday sales I see on it are a $50.00 rebate that's been in effect for several months.
So that's where I am. My office is absolutely freezing (not sure why, since it was blasting hot on Wednesday), and I'm sitting here with a thick scarf wrapped around my head because I'm so cold. My life here, it seems, is all about money and budgets, so I should go get started.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
THANK YOU!!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I've just come back to my office afte a couple of hours going from site to site, sharing Thanksgiving with our different programs. It started yesterday, with our Scatter Site programs. We have 55 apartment units in various buildings throughout the City. The people who work in the program combined their resources and put on a great feast for the clients and their guests. It was my privilege to greet them before the meal, hear what they had to be thankful for, and to pray with them. I chose not to dine with them since I had to get back to work, but one of the staff members came by yesterday and brought me THREE PLATES of food.
Today I had two scheduled; one at 1 pm and one at 2 pm. The one at 1 pm was late getting started (Though beautifully decorated); I left there just at 2 pm and went to the second affair. This second one is in a home for people with mental health challenges. The Program Director served plates that were HUMONGOUS -- between that plate and yesterday's stuff, I have four of my five tupperware containers filled.
I still have to go to another event tonight. It's our residence for people living with a particular chronic manageable illness. Since I only have one tupperware container left, I hope there's not too too much food; I also don't know exactly where or how these containers are going to fit into my refrigerator.
Which isn't the biggest problem in the world. Did I mention that I started out the day at BJ's (go to BJ's during the day, btw -- we went before 10 this morning and encountered NO LINES) -- started out the day at BJ's spending about $60.00 on bottled water. Five cases of 24-oz bottles and one case of gallon bottles. I know it's not the most ecologically friendly thing to do, but at least I recycle. So what I started out saying was that if I can spend $60.00 on water and my worst complaint is too much food, how bad can it be?
I very much want to go to Korea in May. There's an NYTS program going. They're looking for a delegation of 10, starting with Boardmembers and profs; they're going to see if an Adjunct can be part of the delegation. That would be awesome. I've never been to Korea. I think I stopped in Taiwan and Taipei when en route to Kuala Lumpur, but have never been to Korea. I'm excited about the possibility.
It's 5 pm on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I'm already on tryptophane overload, but have to go hit one more house. God, I thank you so much for the blessings in my life -- I could have easily been one of our clients. instead, I'm the director of the program. My rent is paid, fridge and closets are full, soul is a witness: it's all good.
So if I can't do nothing else, just let me humble myself and take this moment out just to say "thank You." If my life should end today and not anther blessing come my way, all I'd need is one breath just to say "thank you." Thank you for life. Thank you for Health. thank you for peace, and the promises you've kept."
Fading fast. HAPPY AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING DAY TO EVERYONE!!!
Today I had two scheduled; one at 1 pm and one at 2 pm. The one at 1 pm was late getting started (Though beautifully decorated); I left there just at 2 pm and went to the second affair. This second one is in a home for people with mental health challenges. The Program Director served plates that were HUMONGOUS -- between that plate and yesterday's stuff, I have four of my five tupperware containers filled.
I still have to go to another event tonight. It's our residence for people living with a particular chronic manageable illness. Since I only have one tupperware container left, I hope there's not too too much food; I also don't know exactly where or how these containers are going to fit into my refrigerator.
Which isn't the biggest problem in the world. Did I mention that I started out the day at BJ's (go to BJ's during the day, btw -- we went before 10 this morning and encountered NO LINES) -- started out the day at BJ's spending about $60.00 on bottled water. Five cases of 24-oz bottles and one case of gallon bottles. I know it's not the most ecologically friendly thing to do, but at least I recycle. So what I started out saying was that if I can spend $60.00 on water and my worst complaint is too much food, how bad can it be?
I very much want to go to Korea in May. There's an NYTS program going. They're looking for a delegation of 10, starting with Boardmembers and profs; they're going to see if an Adjunct can be part of the delegation. That would be awesome. I've never been to Korea. I think I stopped in Taiwan and Taipei when en route to Kuala Lumpur, but have never been to Korea. I'm excited about the possibility.
It's 5 pm on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I'm already on tryptophane overload, but have to go hit one more house. God, I thank you so much for the blessings in my life -- I could have easily been one of our clients. instead, I'm the director of the program. My rent is paid, fridge and closets are full, soul is a witness: it's all good.
So if I can't do nothing else, just let me humble myself and take this moment out just to say "thank You." If my life should end today and not anther blessing come my way, all I'd need is one breath just to say "thank you." Thank you for life. Thank you for Health. thank you for peace, and the promises you've kept."
Fading fast. HAPPY AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING DAY TO EVERYONE!!!
Monday, November 22, 2010
This is probably a horrible thought,
but as I'm on the bus this morning I wonder if there's a correlation between the freefall in our economy, the rising prices of everything, the decline in customer service, and the explosion of unwed single parents?
I shouldn't say unwed single parents; I should say "people who have children with no reasonable idea of how they will support them, other than with government subsidies." Personally, I think that if you're not astute enough to connect the dots regarding finances and rearing children, that you shouldn't have them. But it's a free country, and financial security is not everyone's priority. OK, but why then should I have to pay for those children? I had to make decisions regarding the circumstances under which I wanted to reproduce; why should I have to pay, by way of increased taxes and costs, for those who were unwilling or unable to make those decisions? The reason I throw the decline of customer service in the mix is I believe people without parenting skills are rearing children who, in turn, have decreased performance and decreased expectations. The clueless teen behind the counter at McDonald's is an idiot not because he wants to be an idiot, but because he has no standard in his life for being anything other than an idiot.
That may seem mean to say, but I think it's meaner -- ultimately cruel -- to continue on in a society where people normalize irresponsible behavior. I think it's horrible that we have generations on welfare with no one saying "this is unacceptable behavior." If it gets said, people are immediately on the defensive; there is no time for self reflection or self examination, and the issue gets deflected off to the government, or society, or the racism of white people. While all those may be valid contributing factors, if there is no SELF examination, no SELF reflection, no admission that "hey, maybe continuing to make babies on a welfare income isn't a good idea;" or "since I'm on a welfare income, maybe I shouldn't create an atmosphere in which my kids think they need sneakers and leather jackets that cause hundreds of dollars each." -- without some admission that we've reached some apparent cultural and societal abyss, filled with behaviors that are contrary to our living full and complete lives -- without some sort of admission of the problem, it will just persist.
Then again, maybe it's just early Monday morning and I'm feeling bitchy. But I think we as humans are capable of so much more than we've demonstrated. I think we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and so often I think we don't hold up our end of the bargain -- I think we humans are living outside of our Covenant relationship with God. It's tiring, it's depressing -- I don't mean to complain, it's just that I've gotten a glimpse of something so much more marvelous, and I desire that for all humankind. Around me I see so much misery and suffering of various kinds, and it's all unneccessary. It's because we don't recognize who we are.
I just want to hear the Spirit saying that the Wait is Over, and it's God's Time. The Wait is Over, and the Sun is About to Shine... God, I'm ready to walk into my Season. I want the whole of creation to be ready to walk into our Season.
Let's see if I can insert Donald Lawrence's Seasons video here:
Chorus:
I feel seasons everywhere,
and I feel blessings in the air;
those seeds that you've sown,
It's time to come into your own, (seasons),
walk into your seasons.
Verse 1:
I know that you've invested alot,
the return has been slow, you throw up your hands
and say I give up, I just can't take it anymore;
but I hear the Spirit saying, “that it's your time
the wait is over, walk into your season”.
Verse 2:
I believe we're in a time
when God's gonna bless the saints,
those who have stayed, those who have prayed,
He's gonna fulfill the promise He made;
for I heard the Spirit say, “it's your time,
the wait is over, walk into your season”.
Chorus
Bridge:
You've survived the worst of times,
God was always on your side;
stake your claim,
write your name,
walk into this holy place.
(I hear the Spirit saying, that it's your time, the wait is over…)
Vamp 1:
The wait is over it's your time.
Vamp 2:
The wait is over.
Ending:
(I heard the Spirit say,
“that it's your time,
the wait it over),
walk into your season.
I shouldn't say unwed single parents; I should say "people who have children with no reasonable idea of how they will support them, other than with government subsidies." Personally, I think that if you're not astute enough to connect the dots regarding finances and rearing children, that you shouldn't have them. But it's a free country, and financial security is not everyone's priority. OK, but why then should I have to pay for those children? I had to make decisions regarding the circumstances under which I wanted to reproduce; why should I have to pay, by way of increased taxes and costs, for those who were unwilling or unable to make those decisions? The reason I throw the decline of customer service in the mix is I believe people without parenting skills are rearing children who, in turn, have decreased performance and decreased expectations. The clueless teen behind the counter at McDonald's is an idiot not because he wants to be an idiot, but because he has no standard in his life for being anything other than an idiot.
That may seem mean to say, but I think it's meaner -- ultimately cruel -- to continue on in a society where people normalize irresponsible behavior. I think it's horrible that we have generations on welfare with no one saying "this is unacceptable behavior." If it gets said, people are immediately on the defensive; there is no time for self reflection or self examination, and the issue gets deflected off to the government, or society, or the racism of white people. While all those may be valid contributing factors, if there is no SELF examination, no SELF reflection, no admission that "hey, maybe continuing to make babies on a welfare income isn't a good idea;" or "since I'm on a welfare income, maybe I shouldn't create an atmosphere in which my kids think they need sneakers and leather jackets that cause hundreds of dollars each." -- without some admission that we've reached some apparent cultural and societal abyss, filled with behaviors that are contrary to our living full and complete lives -- without some sort of admission of the problem, it will just persist.
Then again, maybe it's just early Monday morning and I'm feeling bitchy. But I think we as humans are capable of so much more than we've demonstrated. I think we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and so often I think we don't hold up our end of the bargain -- I think we humans are living outside of our Covenant relationship with God. It's tiring, it's depressing -- I don't mean to complain, it's just that I've gotten a glimpse of something so much more marvelous, and I desire that for all humankind. Around me I see so much misery and suffering of various kinds, and it's all unneccessary. It's because we don't recognize who we are.
I just want to hear the Spirit saying that the Wait is Over, and it's God's Time. The Wait is Over, and the Sun is About to Shine... God, I'm ready to walk into my Season. I want the whole of creation to be ready to walk into our Season.
Let's see if I can insert Donald Lawrence's Seasons video here:
Chorus:
I feel seasons everywhere,
and I feel blessings in the air;
those seeds that you've sown,
It's time to come into your own, (seasons),
walk into your seasons.
Verse 1:
I know that you've invested alot,
the return has been slow, you throw up your hands
and say I give up, I just can't take it anymore;
but I hear the Spirit saying, “that it's your time
the wait is over, walk into your season”.
Verse 2:
I believe we're in a time
when God's gonna bless the saints,
those who have stayed, those who have prayed,
He's gonna fulfill the promise He made;
for I heard the Spirit say, “it's your time,
the wait is over, walk into your season”.
Chorus
Bridge:
You've survived the worst of times,
God was always on your side;
stake your claim,
write your name,
walk into this holy place.
(I hear the Spirit saying, that it's your time, the wait is over…)
Vamp 1:
The wait is over it's your time.
Vamp 2:
The wait is over.
Ending:
(I heard the Spirit say,
“that it's your time,
the wait it over),
walk into your season.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
It is well
Yesterday morning, Saturday November 20, I started the day by texting Steve and EJ. Steve came and picked me up and we went to Kelly Temple. I always thought COGIC didn't acknowledge female preachers (I went in collar not as fashion statement, but because of DeAnte). They repeatedly offered to seat me with clergy, and were much more accepting of me as a female cleric than I had imagined.
We agreed we were only going to the viewing. We walked in and there was a video screen over the casket with DeAnte preaching his heart out. That was good, because he's been out for like two weeks now. It's time to put my little brother in the ground. Part of the delay, I understand, was that COGIC had its annual conference in St. Louis (he was supposed to have been there) and they had to wait until it was over. They're having another homegoing celebration for him in NC next week. See you around the Throne, DeAnte!
So I came home, changed, and went to 72nd street. I was looking for a home depot there, but ended up in Best Buy where I got Donald Lawrence's latest (Steve had played the one about the King in You, and I had to have it). I also made my first trip into a Bed Bath and Beyond. I got a shower massage, but can see that without restraint I could end up spending a lot of time and money in that place.
On FB yesterday afternoon, I learned that Mrs. Woodard died. As a preacher, I share the Good News of the birth, life, death, resurrection and coming again of Jesus Christ. (thanks, Donnie). And while that is good news, and while God makes no mistakes, I still mourn the absence of Mrs. Woodard from this earth. I am grateful she is being welcomed into her new Home, and grateful that I had the opportunity to teach Bible to her and to see that she was interested and making progress. Still, I'll miss her. What a sweet and dear spirit.
I have seven more papers to grade. I can hardly bear reading them. Between the plagiarism, the pomposity and the perpetual confusion of historical data, I am just worn out.
I'm really struggling with a personal issue -- a feeling of betrayal by someone in whom I'd placed a great deal of trust. Since I don't trust easily, the sense of betrayal is particularly heightened. In general, I think you don't get to straddle a line then retroactively settle on one side of it. It's just like revisionist history. If you're not able to own up to things you've done, whether positive or negative, then how can they be acknowledged and rectified?
So last night I took a nice bubble bath. Bubble baths, chocolate, rest, and much prayer, meditation, and reflection will get me over. At the end of it all, I still give thanks to God!!
We agreed we were only going to the viewing. We walked in and there was a video screen over the casket with DeAnte preaching his heart out. That was good, because he's been out for like two weeks now. It's time to put my little brother in the ground. Part of the delay, I understand, was that COGIC had its annual conference in St. Louis (he was supposed to have been there) and they had to wait until it was over. They're having another homegoing celebration for him in NC next week. See you around the Throne, DeAnte!
So I came home, changed, and went to 72nd street. I was looking for a home depot there, but ended up in Best Buy where I got Donald Lawrence's latest (Steve had played the one about the King in You, and I had to have it). I also made my first trip into a Bed Bath and Beyond. I got a shower massage, but can see that without restraint I could end up spending a lot of time and money in that place.
On FB yesterday afternoon, I learned that Mrs. Woodard died. As a preacher, I share the Good News of the birth, life, death, resurrection and coming again of Jesus Christ. (thanks, Donnie). And while that is good news, and while God makes no mistakes, I still mourn the absence of Mrs. Woodard from this earth. I am grateful she is being welcomed into her new Home, and grateful that I had the opportunity to teach Bible to her and to see that she was interested and making progress. Still, I'll miss her. What a sweet and dear spirit.
I have seven more papers to grade. I can hardly bear reading them. Between the plagiarism, the pomposity and the perpetual confusion of historical data, I am just worn out.
I'm really struggling with a personal issue -- a feeling of betrayal by someone in whom I'd placed a great deal of trust. Since I don't trust easily, the sense of betrayal is particularly heightened. In general, I think you don't get to straddle a line then retroactively settle on one side of it. It's just like revisionist history. If you're not able to own up to things you've done, whether positive or negative, then how can they be acknowledged and rectified?
So last night I took a nice bubble bath. Bubble baths, chocolate, rest, and much prayer, meditation, and reflection will get me over. At the end of it all, I still give thanks to God!!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thursday, November 18
So I put a bunch of videos up on youtube (over there I'm godskid8256). I've written and taken pictures all my life. Were it not for overly conservative guidance counselors, it's something I would have pursued more formally. Gordon Parks was my idol before and during prep school.
Instead, I wandered through life, learning that I wasn't good at being the square peg jammed into the round hole (or vice-versa). Yeah, even when stoned out of my gourd I could often do better at things than people who loved them with a passion (I'm the person who took first year calculus in high school because I liked the pictures the equations made. When I tried to do it in college because I was dating an engineer, I failed at it miserably). Excellence is pretty much a personal habit. Or at least it was prior to the days of Kaplan, surgically-precise information gathering, and the internet and resulting information overload. Excellence is still a habit, it's just that there are now so many things to distract one from the normal execution of one's habits.
All of which leads me to wonder why I'm so abysmally bad with a videocamera. I get that I'm recording life and am not editing it, but my GOODNESS! There's lots of panning and unsteadiness -- sure I was using a pocket videocam and didn't bother to read the instruction manual, but still!
It's 1 pm, and I've done a day's work already. You can actually get nearly a day's work done between 7 and 10 am, which frees up the rest of your day to play den mother and traffic cop. I like getting stuff done. Which is great, because there's LOTS to do here.
Already looking at other trips back to the Middle East. I also need to start checking my portfolio a bit more closely; I think it would be cool to be retired and go on a trip every quarter or so. But that means you have to be able to finance it, which means I shoulda started yesterday.
Considering that I didn't have anything to say today, it looks like I've written enough. Check out my videos on Youtube. Pray that I'll get better with my little videocamera.
Instead, I wandered through life, learning that I wasn't good at being the square peg jammed into the round hole (or vice-versa). Yeah, even when stoned out of my gourd I could often do better at things than people who loved them with a passion (I'm the person who took first year calculus in high school because I liked the pictures the equations made. When I tried to do it in college because I was dating an engineer, I failed at it miserably). Excellence is pretty much a personal habit. Or at least it was prior to the days of Kaplan, surgically-precise information gathering, and the internet and resulting information overload. Excellence is still a habit, it's just that there are now so many things to distract one from the normal execution of one's habits.
All of which leads me to wonder why I'm so abysmally bad with a videocamera. I get that I'm recording life and am not editing it, but my GOODNESS! There's lots of panning and unsteadiness -- sure I was using a pocket videocam and didn't bother to read the instruction manual, but still!
It's 1 pm, and I've done a day's work already. You can actually get nearly a day's work done between 7 and 10 am, which frees up the rest of your day to play den mother and traffic cop. I like getting stuff done. Which is great, because there's LOTS to do here.
Already looking at other trips back to the Middle East. I also need to start checking my portfolio a bit more closely; I think it would be cool to be retired and go on a trip every quarter or so. But that means you have to be able to finance it, which means I shoulda started yesterday.
Considering that I didn't have anything to say today, it looks like I've written enough. Check out my videos on Youtube. Pray that I'll get better with my little videocamera.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
You can't make it up...
Got to the office before 8 this morning; it's 5:30 and I've accomplished little of what I set out to do. We change signatories on our bank accounts and suddenly all the account names change; every vendor in the South Bronx wants to sell us something (some guy actually came to the office today and brought chicken and beans. I wouldn't see him, cuz I'd just come back from DD where I succumbed to the stress with a gingerbread donut. Which, by the way, is just like everything else at DD -- sugar with a different name.) I have one person who requires two hours of supervision every other week and who, if told to walk down the block, would have to have instructions that said "Lift left foot approximately 6 inches off the ground. Swing left foot forward and place in front of you ...." I can't believe it!
I still feel like I'm living in Plato's Cave. So many times I wish I could live in those shadows -- whether created by me or by others -- I wish I could live in those shadows, because it's a bit more predictable there, and it's not as intense there. But once you've seen reality, even though it's more intense and more taxing and whatever, once you've seen reality there's no way you can go back to the shadow life.
So I guess I'll go home and grade papers. If it were possible to break my spirit, I think today could have done it.
Byron Cage's song, "Broken but Healed" comes to mind. I have to start with the last refrain, though, because that's what's important:
"God has healed, He has delivered.
He has mended my brokenness.
Gave me a miracle to fit my need;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, I have received.
I have received"
I don't like regular mimes, but I do like Gospel Mimes so here are some gospel mimes doing a routine to it:
And here are the lyrics:
So you enter into this building,
you brought your burdens, brought your pain.
I have a message for you today,
that when you leave here, you won't be the same.
So you tell me you've been to your physician,
look at you there's been no change in your condition.
Reach out and touch the Master's Throne,
there's healing for your mind, your body, and your soul.
God can heal, He can deliver.
He can mend your brokenness.
He has a miracle to fit your needs,
once you trust Him, you will receive.
God knows about your situation,
but with every test and every trial there is revelation,
that God is able to supply every one of your needs;
He's here to touch you, heal you, He'll set you free.
So by the time that you leave this building,
my prayer for everyone in here is that you'll have your healing.
Once God works a miracle to fit your need,
go tell the world, what you have received.
God has healed, He has delivered.
He has mended my brokenness.
Gave me a miracle to fit my need;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, I have received.
I have received.
And here's a video of Byron actually performing it:
I'm spozed to be in a meeting in Manhattan in 15 minutes, so guess I should get off the computer and head south now.
I still feel like I'm living in Plato's Cave. So many times I wish I could live in those shadows -- whether created by me or by others -- I wish I could live in those shadows, because it's a bit more predictable there, and it's not as intense there. But once you've seen reality, even though it's more intense and more taxing and whatever, once you've seen reality there's no way you can go back to the shadow life.
So I guess I'll go home and grade papers. If it were possible to break my spirit, I think today could have done it.
Byron Cage's song, "Broken but Healed" comes to mind. I have to start with the last refrain, though, because that's what's important:
"God has healed, He has delivered.
He has mended my brokenness.
Gave me a miracle to fit my need;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, I have received.
I have received"
I don't like regular mimes, but I do like Gospel Mimes so here are some gospel mimes doing a routine to it:
And here are the lyrics:
So you enter into this building,
you brought your burdens, brought your pain.
I have a message for you today,
that when you leave here, you won't be the same.
So you tell me you've been to your physician,
look at you there's been no change in your condition.
Reach out and touch the Master's Throne,
there's healing for your mind, your body, and your soul.
God can heal, He can deliver.
He can mend your brokenness.
He has a miracle to fit your needs,
once you trust Him, you will receive.
God knows about your situation,
but with every test and every trial there is revelation,
that God is able to supply every one of your needs;
He's here to touch you, heal you, He'll set you free.
So by the time that you leave this building,
my prayer for everyone in here is that you'll have your healing.
Once God works a miracle to fit your need,
go tell the world, what you have received.
God has healed, He has delivered.
He has mended my brokenness.
Gave me a miracle to fit my need;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, I have received.
I have received.
And here's a video of Byron actually performing it:
I'm spozed to be in a meeting in Manhattan in 15 minutes, so guess I should get off the computer and head south now.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus...
So I'm back in NYC. Tore a nail and have a band-aid on, which inhibits my ability to type. But anyway, I'm back at work and I'm AMAZED at what I see around me. I can't diss work online, even if I'm the boss, so I need to let it go. But I. Am. Soooo. Tired.
And I'm grading papers. Can't really speak freely on that, either.
What I can speak about is the persistent, enduring diarrhea I've experienced since the trip. It started in Jerusalem, where I just felt cold and achey. The trots started later. While I didn't lose any weight hiking Mt. Sinai or walking around Jerusalem, in the first four days at home I lost something like 8 pounds. That would not have been significant in my old body, but now represents a significant percentage of my body weight. But it's all good. (Question: Why does every one of my 44 employees think that my job is to respond to their immediate needs? Am I the Executive Director or am I the Den Mother?)
I'm only back a couple of days and feel as beat down as if I'd never left. There is a constant press of responsibilities, which is fine; the issue is that everyone thinks their immediate issue is somehow loftier or weightier than any other issue. It's like ours is a culture of immediate gratification, and no one can see the need for nor the benefit of slow, steady, SUSTAINED progress. Oh, well. Whatcha gonna do? Since my life is about the above, it's not like I can make any sudden moves (although God knows I want to. Sometimes I just want to bolt.).
Despite the possibility of having irreparably damaged a relationship with someone about whom I care deeply, I still assert that, for the most part, I've learned the difference between actions dictated by my emotions and those dictated by the facts of the present circumstances. Unfortunately, in this very politicized, totally undiscerning culture in which we live, many people are spin masters to the point their actual perceptions change to fit their concept of reality. (I think we go here to Plato's Forms theory, or, more appropriately, his story of The Cave.) Yes, that's it. We're all living in Plato's (or Socrates') Cave.
Well, prayerfully, not all of us. But there are enough people living in the cave, mistaking shadows for reality, that it makes it really frustrating to attempt to live in any reality different from the shadow one.
Which is why I just call on the name of Jesus. Sometimes, there's no other help you know. Sometimes, it doesn't do any good to weep, wail and moan. Sometimes, you just need Jesus. This is one of those times.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
The song by Fred Hammond that's playing says, "and so I cried, Jesus, I need You. Please don't pass me by. I cried out Jesus, I'm not ashamed. I need You in my life." I know I'm broken, but You can heal me, Jesus, Jesus. I'm calling You, I might not be worth much, but I'm still willing, Jesus, Jesus. ...
I know I'm broken, but You can heal me, Jesus, Jesus. I'm calling You, I might not be worth much, but I'm still willing, Jesus, Jesus ...
I'm calling You, Jesus, Jesus. I'm calling You, Jesus, Jesus....
And I'm grading papers. Can't really speak freely on that, either.
What I can speak about is the persistent, enduring diarrhea I've experienced since the trip. It started in Jerusalem, where I just felt cold and achey. The trots started later. While I didn't lose any weight hiking Mt. Sinai or walking around Jerusalem, in the first four days at home I lost something like 8 pounds. That would not have been significant in my old body, but now represents a significant percentage of my body weight. But it's all good. (Question: Why does every one of my 44 employees think that my job is to respond to their immediate needs? Am I the Executive Director or am I the Den Mother?)
I'm only back a couple of days and feel as beat down as if I'd never left. There is a constant press of responsibilities, which is fine; the issue is that everyone thinks their immediate issue is somehow loftier or weightier than any other issue. It's like ours is a culture of immediate gratification, and no one can see the need for nor the benefit of slow, steady, SUSTAINED progress. Oh, well. Whatcha gonna do? Since my life is about the above, it's not like I can make any sudden moves (although God knows I want to. Sometimes I just want to bolt.).
Despite the possibility of having irreparably damaged a relationship with someone about whom I care deeply, I still assert that, for the most part, I've learned the difference between actions dictated by my emotions and those dictated by the facts of the present circumstances. Unfortunately, in this very politicized, totally undiscerning culture in which we live, many people are spin masters to the point their actual perceptions change to fit their concept of reality. (I think we go here to Plato's Forms theory, or, more appropriately, his story of The Cave.) Yes, that's it. We're all living in Plato's (or Socrates') Cave.
Well, prayerfully, not all of us. But there are enough people living in the cave, mistaking shadows for reality, that it makes it really frustrating to attempt to live in any reality different from the shadow one.
Which is why I just call on the name of Jesus. Sometimes, there's no other help you know. Sometimes, it doesn't do any good to weep, wail and moan. Sometimes, you just need Jesus. This is one of those times.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
The song by Fred Hammond that's playing says, "and so I cried, Jesus, I need You. Please don't pass me by. I cried out Jesus, I'm not ashamed. I need You in my life." I know I'm broken, but You can heal me, Jesus, Jesus. I'm calling You, I might not be worth much, but I'm still willing, Jesus, Jesus. ...
I know I'm broken, but You can heal me, Jesus, Jesus. I'm calling You, I might not be worth much, but I'm still willing, Jesus, Jesus ...
I'm calling You, Jesus, Jesus. I'm calling You, Jesus, Jesus....
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Back to the Grind
It's Sunday, November 14, and I'm back to the grind. I'm in church, but not worshipping; I wanted to update this blog and now need to grade papers. I'm just not feeling the worship service. We do need to be in prayer for our Senior Bishop, Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr. He's been under the weather lately.
So I've been flat on my back since Thursday morning. The stomach stuff that started in Jerusalem has not ended. My weight stayed pretty constant on the whole trip; since my return home (four days), I've dropped nearly seven pounds. It's great, but I don't think this is the way to do it. I have no energy, can't stand the thought of my protein shakes, and am covered with sweat. Interestingly, I did feel good enough to go to my water aerobics class yesterday morning, but that wiped me out for the whole rest of the day. I think I should probably take this week off from the gym. That will be hard for me, but I think I need to rest.
While I was delirious, I had the strangest dreams! One of them I still remember: I was in Cairo, had rented a car (did I write about how weird Cairo traffic is? No stop lights, no stop signs?) So I had rented a car in Cairo and despite being lost, was zipping around the country doing all kinds of things. I was a little lost, but found my way back. Then I don't remember exactly what happened,but I went back to the store where I had started and didn't see my car. I walked around the neighborhood and never saw the car. While I was walking around, I saw a couple of HUMONGOUS animals -- at first I thought they were elephants, but they turned out to be giant camels -- they had people on top of them, and following them was a HUGE bulldozer type of machine that was pushing up mounds of garbage. The garbage was as big as the the humongous animals, and I had to run fast to not get swallowed up by it.
There was probably more, but that's all I remember now.
Charlie's here talking to me now.
So I've been flat on my back since Thursday morning. The stomach stuff that started in Jerusalem has not ended. My weight stayed pretty constant on the whole trip; since my return home (four days), I've dropped nearly seven pounds. It's great, but I don't think this is the way to do it. I have no energy, can't stand the thought of my protein shakes, and am covered with sweat. Interestingly, I did feel good enough to go to my water aerobics class yesterday morning, but that wiped me out for the whole rest of the day. I think I should probably take this week off from the gym. That will be hard for me, but I think I need to rest.
While I was delirious, I had the strangest dreams! One of them I still remember: I was in Cairo, had rented a car (did I write about how weird Cairo traffic is? No stop lights, no stop signs?) So I had rented a car in Cairo and despite being lost, was zipping around the country doing all kinds of things. I was a little lost, but found my way back. Then I don't remember exactly what happened,but I went back to the store where I had started and didn't see my car. I walked around the neighborhood and never saw the car. While I was walking around, I saw a couple of HUMONGOUS animals -- at first I thought they were elephants, but they turned out to be giant camels -- they had people on top of them, and following them was a HUGE bulldozer type of machine that was pushing up mounds of garbage. The garbage was as big as the the humongous animals, and I had to run fast to not get swallowed up by it.
There was probably more, but that's all I remember now.
Charlie's here talking to me now.
November 10: Headed Home
So on the way to the Allenby Bridge, Peter tells us that Israeli security will ask questsions at the airport. He tells us just to tell them the truth. He lets us kinow they'll examine us extra carefully for staying in Bethylehem and not somewhere in West Jerusalem. So after arriving 20 minutes late and bickering over the prearranged fare, the driver finally is taking us to the airport (I didn't realize that Israel had only one airport, which is in Tel Aviv.). The cabbie tries to tell us to tell the Security checkpoint that we're coming from Jerusalem -- he says it will be easier.
We decide we prefer to go with the truth. Now they've stopped this guy at every possible checkpoint, and it's pretty clear they're doing it because he is Palestinian. The stop us at the security checkpoint before the airport (yea, on the highway headed to the airport), and they snatch his ID, and tell us to come over because they want to talk to us. Some little boy comes up to me and asks "where are you coming from?" I don't think twice before answering "New York. We're going home!" The guy then says "they are your friends?" I say "we were on a tour." And they let us go. I was so glad to be headed stateside that the location in Israel was of no consequence to me. Just get me HOME!!!
So at the airport, we had to have our luggage scanned BEFORE we could get to the ticket counter. They opened up my laptop and sent it through some machine, and they marked one of my bags for followup. I went to the counter. Without even opening the bag, the guy goes, "you bought mud and salt from the Dead Sea?" I told him yes. He asked me where I got it from. I told him I didn't remember, at some place where we stopped on the Dead Sea (which was actually a lie. I got it at Johnny's in Bethlehem, but since I was intent on taking it home, and since it was in the same packaging as the ones on the Dead Sea, I was not about to tell him I got it from a Palestinian shop). He asked me if anyone steered me to it or picked it out for me. I told him I saw it on the shelf, put it in my bag, and paid for it. He let me go.
After that, we had to go through customs and regular gate security -- I forget in what order. But we got to the airport 3.5 hours early, and it took us a good three hours to get through security. While I understand Israel's preoccupation with security, I can't help but think that, as payback for the Holocaust, they've turned into a nation that mimics some of the worst attributes of the Nazis. I know some of y'all are going to be mad at me for saying that, but it's what I think. Go back to the discussion from the guys in Jerusalem, about how Israel uses the Holocaust as both a shield and a sword.
What's especially disturbing to me is seeing the number of dark-skinned pepole they stop, or when you see that they stop you and don't really check anything, or when you give them your passport and they don't even look at it. I've also noticed that if you make eye contact with cute guys and give them that "I'm flirting with you but I really shouldn't be" look, things generally go easier (another tactic is admiring their bodies when you know they're looking at you but they don't know you know). If you openly flirt with them, they'll shut down, but if you feign interest in a way not obvious to them, they are complimented. Everywhere you go, men are still men.
So I'm on the flight as I write this, really upset to be stuck in a middle seat. I'm even more upset because 1) it's a DL flight, I'm a DL frequent flier and they know my preferences; 2) I tried to select my seat in advance and the stupid iphone app wouldn't let me. I BIG MINUS SIGN for delta, even though the guy beside me is fairly cute and seems nice enough. I'm happy the person with the window seat hasn't shown up yet, but they say it's a full flight.....
*****************************
That was the end of what I wrote on the plane. The guy beside me did show up and sprawled all over the seat as he slept all the way to NYC. We got home without incident. And even though I've had this stomach illness since Jerusalem, I'm thrilled to have gone, and can't wait til my next trip back!!!
We decide we prefer to go with the truth. Now they've stopped this guy at every possible checkpoint, and it's pretty clear they're doing it because he is Palestinian. The stop us at the security checkpoint before the airport (yea, on the highway headed to the airport), and they snatch his ID, and tell us to come over because they want to talk to us. Some little boy comes up to me and asks "where are you coming from?" I don't think twice before answering "New York. We're going home!" The guy then says "they are your friends?" I say "we were on a tour." And they let us go. I was so glad to be headed stateside that the location in Israel was of no consequence to me. Just get me HOME!!!
So at the airport, we had to have our luggage scanned BEFORE we could get to the ticket counter. They opened up my laptop and sent it through some machine, and they marked one of my bags for followup. I went to the counter. Without even opening the bag, the guy goes, "you bought mud and salt from the Dead Sea?" I told him yes. He asked me where I got it from. I told him I didn't remember, at some place where we stopped on the Dead Sea (which was actually a lie. I got it at Johnny's in Bethlehem, but since I was intent on taking it home, and since it was in the same packaging as the ones on the Dead Sea, I was not about to tell him I got it from a Palestinian shop). He asked me if anyone steered me to it or picked it out for me. I told him I saw it on the shelf, put it in my bag, and paid for it. He let me go.
After that, we had to go through customs and regular gate security -- I forget in what order. But we got to the airport 3.5 hours early, and it took us a good three hours to get through security. While I understand Israel's preoccupation with security, I can't help but think that, as payback for the Holocaust, they've turned into a nation that mimics some of the worst attributes of the Nazis. I know some of y'all are going to be mad at me for saying that, but it's what I think. Go back to the discussion from the guys in Jerusalem, about how Israel uses the Holocaust as both a shield and a sword.
What's especially disturbing to me is seeing the number of dark-skinned pepole they stop, or when you see that they stop you and don't really check anything, or when you give them your passport and they don't even look at it. I've also noticed that if you make eye contact with cute guys and give them that "I'm flirting with you but I really shouldn't be" look, things generally go easier (another tactic is admiring their bodies when you know they're looking at you but they don't know you know). If you openly flirt with them, they'll shut down, but if you feign interest in a way not obvious to them, they are complimented. Everywhere you go, men are still men.
So I'm on the flight as I write this, really upset to be stuck in a middle seat. I'm even more upset because 1) it's a DL flight, I'm a DL frequent flier and they know my preferences; 2) I tried to select my seat in advance and the stupid iphone app wouldn't let me. I BIG MINUS SIGN for delta, even though the guy beside me is fairly cute and seems nice enough. I'm happy the person with the window seat hasn't shown up yet, but they say it's a full flight.....
*****************************
That was the end of what I wrote on the plane. The guy beside me did show up and sprawled all over the seat as he slept all the way to NYC. We got home without incident. And even though I've had this stomach illness since Jerusalem, I'm thrilled to have gone, and can't wait til my next trip back!!!
Wednesday, November 10: Communion, Masada, Qumran, Wadi Qelt
For those of you who are reading, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post. I took notes, but it I don't post them to the blog, they tend to get lost. Anyway, we stared the day in the garden of Gethsemane, doing Communion. some say the trees in the Garden are actual witnesses to the Crucifixion, but Josephus and Tacitus, our Roman Historian, tell us that someone razed the entire are for 14 furlongs, which extends beyond the Garden of Gethsemane. Still, there are some VERY OLD trees in the Garden.
1Cor 11: Here is where Paul tells the disciples that he's passing on that which he has received. He's passing on something he received not by hearsay, but by Jesus Christ (which is a hard one for me, since Paul didn't walk the earth at the time of JC. So just where did you get this stuff you're passing on, Pablo? Anyway, I Cor 23 are where e find the words of institution. So we bless and share the bread and wine, we sing a couple of songs, we get our photo ops, and we come down off the mount of olives.
As we head to Masada, we're going to be on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem. There are like two old Roman Roads left, and this one, near Wadi Qelt, is the one like the road used by the Good Samaritan.
We're driving our folk down to the allenby Bridge crossing; on the way back, we'll stop at Wadi Qelt. We'll get good views of the desert from Wadiu Qelt.
Right NOW, we're on the East side of the Mount of Olives. Allezzeria is a modern-day Bethany --- /Alezzeria comes from Alazeron, the burial plot for Lazarus. So Jesus comes up this road, then got=es UP the mount of olives, and then descends into Jerusalem.
On the road to Masada, we're passing by illegal Israeli settlements. We're on Pope Paul VI road, which is the modernized version of the old 'Roman Road. Seeing the stumps of olive trees destroyed ty the Israeli army settlers is heartbreaking.
Now we are qt the "Inn of the Good Samaritan," While it is not historically verified, it IS on the road.
QUMRAN
The significance of Qumran is that the dead seas scrolls were discovered here in 1948? Whenever they were discovered, we know that they were produced here between 150 bc and the time of Jesus. These scrolls, the NAg Hammadi Library, Masada, and King Tut's tomb are considered the most amazing archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century.
What this discovery did was to push back the dating of our existing scrolls by about 1,000 years. Before the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest scrolls were thought to be from the 10th Century. These (Dead Seas Scrolls) show our readings of the existing scrolls were accurate.
Most people referred to the people living here as Essenes. Josephus and Pliny the Elder make reference to people living on the North Shore of the Dead Sea, who had withdrawn from society. The texts, however, don't bear this out. Now (in the 21st Century) we call them Covenanteers. They were not from the priestly caste, yet they took it upon themselves to perform some priestly functions. Because of this, they were considered to be improperly usurping authority. From their point of view, they referred to the High Priest in Jerusalem as the Teacher of Wickedness. They referred to their own High Priest as the Teacher of Righteousness.
In 68AD, members of the community became aware of the approaching Roman legions. They took their documents and put them in pots in the caves. As mentioned before, the scrolls are important to help scholars "fix the text" and show that our readings have not been that far off.
After that, we went to the Allenby Bridge Crossing and watched our comrades head on to Jordan, while we headed back up to Bethlehem. We stopped at Wadi Qelt, and I finally got to take my camel photos.
All the photos from the day can be seen here:
1Cor 11: Here is where Paul tells the disciples that he's passing on that which he has received. He's passing on something he received not by hearsay, but by Jesus Christ (which is a hard one for me, since Paul didn't walk the earth at the time of JC. So just where did you get this stuff you're passing on, Pablo? Anyway, I Cor 23 are where e find the words of institution. So we bless and share the bread and wine, we sing a couple of songs, we get our photo ops, and we come down off the mount of olives.
As we head to Masada, we're going to be on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem. There are like two old Roman Roads left, and this one, near Wadi Qelt, is the one like the road used by the Good Samaritan.
We're driving our folk down to the allenby Bridge crossing; on the way back, we'll stop at Wadi Qelt. We'll get good views of the desert from Wadiu Qelt.
Right NOW, we're on the East side of the Mount of Olives. Allezzeria is a modern-day Bethany --- /Alezzeria comes from Alazeron, the burial plot for Lazarus. So Jesus comes up this road, then got=es UP the mount of olives, and then descends into Jerusalem.
On the road to Masada, we're passing by illegal Israeli settlements. We're on Pope Paul VI road, which is the modernized version of the old 'Roman Road. Seeing the stumps of olive trees destroyed ty the Israeli army settlers is heartbreaking.
Now we are qt the "Inn of the Good Samaritan," While it is not historically verified, it IS on the road.
QUMRAN
The significance of Qumran is that the dead seas scrolls were discovered here in 1948? Whenever they were discovered, we know that they were produced here between 150 bc and the time of Jesus. These scrolls, the NAg Hammadi Library, Masada, and King Tut's tomb are considered the most amazing archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century.
What this discovery did was to push back the dating of our existing scrolls by about 1,000 years. Before the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest scrolls were thought to be from the 10th Century. These (Dead Seas Scrolls) show our readings of the existing scrolls were accurate.
Most people referred to the people living here as Essenes. Josephus and Pliny the Elder make reference to people living on the North Shore of the Dead Sea, who had withdrawn from society. The texts, however, don't bear this out. Now (in the 21st Century) we call them Covenanteers. They were not from the priestly caste, yet they took it upon themselves to perform some priestly functions. Because of this, they were considered to be improperly usurping authority. From their point of view, they referred to the High Priest in Jerusalem as the Teacher of Wickedness. They referred to their own High Priest as the Teacher of Righteousness.
In 68AD, members of the community became aware of the approaching Roman legions. They took their documents and put them in pots in the caves. As mentioned before, the scrolls are important to help scholars "fix the text" and show that our readings have not been that far off.
After that, we went to the Allenby Bridge Crossing and watched our comrades head on to Jordan, while we headed back up to Bethlehem. We stopped at Wadi Qelt, and I finally got to take my camel photos.
All the photos from the day can be seen here:
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday, November 9 - JERUSALEM
Today we go to Jerusalem! First things first, though. I have to give a big shout out to my friend Deante Pierre Wilson. Deante lived with me for a while when he was just moving to NYC. He was raised in the CME Church, but left if for COGIC. I got a text early this morning telling me that Deante had passed away. I don’t know the circumstances, but as I said on his FB page, “Dude, when I told you to come with me to Jerusalem, I didn’t mean like this…” I’m sure my young brother is exploring this sacred city with me today.
So we’ll enter through the Moroccan gate, then go up to Hara mesh Sharif, then up through the Northern Gate to St. Anne’s church and the pools of Bethsaida, then on to the Lithostratos, then to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I really want to go in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to see the hill called Golgotha, because I missed that last time.
About 2 pm, we’ll leave through the Jaffa Gate and go to Bill Dockerty’s office at the St. Yves Catholic Relief Peace Society. At 4 we have an appointment in Tentour with Gershon Baskin, an Israeli who founded the Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information. Tonight, instead of eating at the hotel, we’ll eat at a local restaurant called the Tent, about 150 yards from the hotel. This is a really ambitious day, and I’m not feeling good.
So. The dome of the Rock is where Abraham was about to sacrifice either Isaac or Ishmael, depending on whether you’re Judeo-Christian or Muslim. It’s also, in the Islamic tradition, where Mohammad ascended to heaven. The El-Aqsa Mosque, nearby, represents Mohammed’s furthest point of travel on earth.
We’re here in Jerusalem, walking in the footsteps of Jesus, walking where Jesus walked, but the question is, where and how would Jesus walk today?
I am really sick, possibly because I made my protein shake with table water last night. They say you can drink the tap water in Israel, but I’ve NEVER been sick like this. I’m hot and cold, I have a monster headache, I’m lethargic, achy, and have no energy. I also think I might puke. I’m sitting in a corner writing while everyone else stands and talks about I don’t know what, because I don’t feel good and am not listening.
We’re leaving the Dome of the Rock and going to St. Anne’s Church, by the pools of Bethsaida. That’s where the sound echoes so nicely. There are lots of Muslim widows begging here at the Dome of the Rock.
So we made our way through the temple mount. It was Muslim prayer time, so we had to leave. We went to the pools of Bethsaida. Peter had Bible study with the passage from John 5. I only came in on the tail end of it, when he explained how Jesus ad not aversion to dealing with people in pagan temples.
We then went into the Cathedral of St. Anne. I don’t know who she was, but as I said before, the acoustics here are great. Last year, an African group sang before us. They were awesome. We sang Holy, Holy, Holy and a couple of other songs.
By this time, I was really faded, and had lagged behind the rest of the group, but Don stayed with me. We called Peter and he directed us to the Lithostratos, which you enter under the arch that says Ecce Homo. You go into a convent.
Inside, Peter was telling us about the geography of the Old City. I am SOOOOOO tired. A lady from the convent interrupted Peter’s presentation to let us know they have materials in English.
My head is KILLING me, my “light” pack suddenly weighs a ton, but I’m here and I’m giving God GLORY!!! I think what made me sick was making the protein shake with tap water. I saw a black man from Texas. The group was kinda wondering why we were speaking to each other, so we had a discussion about how there aren’t so many black people in Israel. There are actually a decent number; I saw both more black Israelis, black American tourists, and black people from other countries than I saw the last time.
We went up on the top of the Sisters of Sinai Convent, several stories above ground. The cool thing about SBS is that Peter knows people and can get you into places the general public can’t get into. We got a marvelous, 360-degree view of Jerusalem. In addition to being a great photo op, it was really cool when the Muslim prayer calls went off. I videoed it. We’ll see how that comes out.
Mark Twain visited here in 1867, and this convent was just under construction then. Peter is telling us all about the history of the convent. Google it if you’re interested. Now he’s talking about the paving stones in the Passion Area helping us to contextualize the story of Jesus. Here is a link to last year’s blog on the Lithostratos.
So back downstairs, we saw photos and diagrams of the Temple Mount Complex, including the Forum Antonia, which was the holding cell for Jesus during His passion. We will go from there to the Western Wall, and Peter is showing us what was originally in the complex and what’s left. A forum (simply an open courtyard or market place) is what he showed us. They put in paving stones to make the forum. In John, when Pilate brings Jesus out and says “Look at the man,” that is commemorated by the arch Ecce Homo (remember we went through it to get to the convent?). Even though archeological evidence tells us it was built 100 years later, by Hadrian.
After that, we talked about “The game of the King.” Again, look at last year’s blog on the subject. With knowledge of the game, it’s easy to imagine the guards were playing that game with Jesus.
Still in the Lithostratos (which means Stone Street). This was referenced in John 19, where it tells us that Pilate takes Jesus out onto a Stone Street. Then we read Mark 15, starting at the 16th verse and going along to where they crucified Him.
We came from St. Anne’s and started along the Via Dolorosa.
We got into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I TOUCHED THE SPOT WHERE THE CROSS WAS!!!, but the crabby Greek Orthodox priest wouldn’t let us take pictures. I also touched (again) the slab His body was laid on, though I didn’t get any pics doing it this time. I didn’t go to the Empty Tomb again; the lines were too long, and I wasn’t feeling good, for starters.
Another part of the reason I didn’t go to the Empty Tomb is that my hip has started to bother me when I stand for too long. But I think the real reason is that this has become a production line tourist establishment. Last year we came in February and there was a completely different atmosphere. This year it’s November, apparently high season, it’s really crowded, and it seems like they just want to put tourists through. There’s so many tourists, so it’s understandable, but the downside is that you get no time to pray, meditate, and reverence the spot. I wonder if we’ll be rude and pushy and cutting in line when we go to Heaven? If it’s more rude and crowded than this, I don’t know……
3 pm: Our meeting with Bill Dockerty from the St. Yves Catholic Relief Peace Society. Bill tells us that to understand the issues in the Middle East, one needs first to understand the role religion plays in the lives of the people. It is quite different than in the States. Here, whether Christian, Muslim, or Jew, professing believers seem to really believe and to try to live their faith. Perhaps it’s because it’s in the desert and the whole desert spirituality thing, but it’s like people’s sense of spirituality really does pervade every aspect of their daily lives. After the first week of December, when it’s live, go to www.saintyves.org.il for more info.
Last year, the Israeli nut job, Haggain ben Aretz, (link to last year’s blog) had said Palestinians had three choices. They could:
1) Be here with no rights, as second-class citizens
2) Leave; or
3) Stay and be killed.
Again, go to www.saintyves.org.il and download Bill Dockerty’s papers.
The internal debate in Israel I s not about security and The Wall. That’s what they sell to the outside world. The internal debate in Israel is about demographics. If you’re going to have a Jewish state, then non-Jews will have to be expelled.,
What’s going on in Israel is, quite simply, ethnic cleansing. I cannot bear it that my tax dollars support this. The modern nation of Israel is not the same as the PEOPLE Israel. The modern nation of Israel, in my experience, is a racist place where if you’re not Jewish, you don’t belong. While there are darker-skinned Jews here, I wonder how long it will be after they expel the Palestinians that they’ll expel the Sephardic Jews? Israel seems to be about repopulating this area with Ashkenazim – it’s ethnic cleansing. There’s a big push to destroy Palestinian homes and to expel Palestinians. They are also pushing to build more of what’s known in Hebrew as Hafrodah, or settlements. The idea is to divide and conquer. Palestinian developments are separated by roads that can only be used by Israelis. Israelis can detain Palestinians WITHOUT CHARGES for 5, 6, even 7 years. Israeli settlements are not DISPUTED, they are OCCUPIED. Like the nut job said last year, some Israelis think Israel’s borders extend from the Mediterranean to the Jordan.
Palestinians living here have not been allowed to build for forty years. Israelis will take Palestinian ID cards on trumped-up charges. There’s a 35-foot high wall surrounding Bethlehem, you have to stop and have armed guards mount your bus – it’s just ridiculous. It is, effectively, Apartheid. For the US to continue to support this government when they do not even respect the US is anathema. We, the American people, need to get over the fear of being called “anti-Semites” (after all, Palestinians are Semitic, too) and take our stand for peace and justice.
Israel treats the world like mushrooms. It keeps us in the dark and feeds us a lot of BS.
I’m to check out a book called “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.” Don’t remember the author. During Bill’s talk, I heard him describe piracy, illegal occupation, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid, all committed by Israel. There’s a website to check out. It’s called www.ifamericansknew.org
Next we went on to meet Gershon Baskin, the founder of the Israeli-Palestinian Center for Research and Information. By this time, I was pretty faded, so don’t know how much of his stuff I got. He started talking about geopolitics. We are in Tantur (which means Hilltop in Arabic). Traditionally, this is the site where Mary and Joseph slept on the night before Jesus’ birth. We are technically not in Israel, but in the Vatican. IPCRI is an ecumenical institute for Christians, Arabs, and Jews to get to know each other. It is administered by Notre Dame, and its mission is to get Christians from all over the world talking to one another.
The tower outside is left over from the Order of the Knights of Malta. It used to be a pedestrian walkway, until The Wall was built.
Here at IPCRI, they’re running a microcosm of the Arab-Israeli conflict. This has become a meeting place for Israelis and Palestinians. They’ve been here on an interim basis since 2001, and they are in favor of a two-state solution.
At the end of the day, the US has to mediate an agreement in this conflict, complete with terms, conditions, and consequences. Why the US? Because we’re funding Israel, for one; because we’re Israel’s only real ally in the International Community for two; and because, for better or for worse, taking a stand for what is morally right and just is what we Americans do. Baskin said that a majority of Israelis and Palestinians want peace, but no longer believe it’s possible. The moderate response does not work. We have to impose a solution.
Israel is covered by a US umbrella. The US needs to stop covering Israel until Israel does what the US wants. In a world community where Israel is increasingly unpopular, the US needs to cut its losses and stop supporting Israel.
That’s all for now. I know it’s sketchy, but I feel like crap and there was a LOT to process today…..
Here are the day's photos:
So we’ll enter through the Moroccan gate, then go up to Hara mesh Sharif, then up through the Northern Gate to St. Anne’s church and the pools of Bethsaida, then on to the Lithostratos, then to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I really want to go in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to see the hill called Golgotha, because I missed that last time.
About 2 pm, we’ll leave through the Jaffa Gate and go to Bill Dockerty’s office at the St. Yves Catholic Relief Peace Society. At 4 we have an appointment in Tentour with Gershon Baskin, an Israeli who founded the Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information. Tonight, instead of eating at the hotel, we’ll eat at a local restaurant called the Tent, about 150 yards from the hotel. This is a really ambitious day, and I’m not feeling good.
So. The dome of the Rock is where Abraham was about to sacrifice either Isaac or Ishmael, depending on whether you’re Judeo-Christian or Muslim. It’s also, in the Islamic tradition, where Mohammad ascended to heaven. The El-Aqsa Mosque, nearby, represents Mohammed’s furthest point of travel on earth.
We’re here in Jerusalem, walking in the footsteps of Jesus, walking where Jesus walked, but the question is, where and how would Jesus walk today?
I am really sick, possibly because I made my protein shake with table water last night. They say you can drink the tap water in Israel, but I’ve NEVER been sick like this. I’m hot and cold, I have a monster headache, I’m lethargic, achy, and have no energy. I also think I might puke. I’m sitting in a corner writing while everyone else stands and talks about I don’t know what, because I don’t feel good and am not listening.
We’re leaving the Dome of the Rock and going to St. Anne’s Church, by the pools of Bethsaida. That’s where the sound echoes so nicely. There are lots of Muslim widows begging here at the Dome of the Rock.
So we made our way through the temple mount. It was Muslim prayer time, so we had to leave. We went to the pools of Bethsaida. Peter had Bible study with the passage from John 5. I only came in on the tail end of it, when he explained how Jesus ad not aversion to dealing with people in pagan temples.
We then went into the Cathedral of St. Anne. I don’t know who she was, but as I said before, the acoustics here are great. Last year, an African group sang before us. They were awesome. We sang Holy, Holy, Holy and a couple of other songs.
By this time, I was really faded, and had lagged behind the rest of the group, but Don stayed with me. We called Peter and he directed us to the Lithostratos, which you enter under the arch that says Ecce Homo. You go into a convent.
Inside, Peter was telling us about the geography of the Old City. I am SOOOOOO tired. A lady from the convent interrupted Peter’s presentation to let us know they have materials in English.
My head is KILLING me, my “light” pack suddenly weighs a ton, but I’m here and I’m giving God GLORY!!! I think what made me sick was making the protein shake with tap water. I saw a black man from Texas. The group was kinda wondering why we were speaking to each other, so we had a discussion about how there aren’t so many black people in Israel. There are actually a decent number; I saw both more black Israelis, black American tourists, and black people from other countries than I saw the last time.
We went up on the top of the Sisters of Sinai Convent, several stories above ground. The cool thing about SBS is that Peter knows people and can get you into places the general public can’t get into. We got a marvelous, 360-degree view of Jerusalem. In addition to being a great photo op, it was really cool when the Muslim prayer calls went off. I videoed it. We’ll see how that comes out.
Mark Twain visited here in 1867, and this convent was just under construction then. Peter is telling us all about the history of the convent. Google it if you’re interested. Now he’s talking about the paving stones in the Passion Area helping us to contextualize the story of Jesus. Here is a link to last year’s blog on the Lithostratos.
So back downstairs, we saw photos and diagrams of the Temple Mount Complex, including the Forum Antonia, which was the holding cell for Jesus during His passion. We will go from there to the Western Wall, and Peter is showing us what was originally in the complex and what’s left. A forum (simply an open courtyard or market place) is what he showed us. They put in paving stones to make the forum. In John, when Pilate brings Jesus out and says “Look at the man,” that is commemorated by the arch Ecce Homo (remember we went through it to get to the convent?). Even though archeological evidence tells us it was built 100 years later, by Hadrian.
After that, we talked about “The game of the King.” Again, look at last year’s blog on the subject. With knowledge of the game, it’s easy to imagine the guards were playing that game with Jesus.
Still in the Lithostratos (which means Stone Street). This was referenced in John 19, where it tells us that Pilate takes Jesus out onto a Stone Street. Then we read Mark 15, starting at the 16th verse and going along to where they crucified Him.
We came from St. Anne’s and started along the Via Dolorosa.
We got into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I TOUCHED THE SPOT WHERE THE CROSS WAS!!!, but the crabby Greek Orthodox priest wouldn’t let us take pictures. I also touched (again) the slab His body was laid on, though I didn’t get any pics doing it this time. I didn’t go to the Empty Tomb again; the lines were too long, and I wasn’t feeling good, for starters.
Another part of the reason I didn’t go to the Empty Tomb is that my hip has started to bother me when I stand for too long. But I think the real reason is that this has become a production line tourist establishment. Last year we came in February and there was a completely different atmosphere. This year it’s November, apparently high season, it’s really crowded, and it seems like they just want to put tourists through. There’s so many tourists, so it’s understandable, but the downside is that you get no time to pray, meditate, and reverence the spot. I wonder if we’ll be rude and pushy and cutting in line when we go to Heaven? If it’s more rude and crowded than this, I don’t know……
3 pm: Our meeting with Bill Dockerty from the St. Yves Catholic Relief Peace Society. Bill tells us that to understand the issues in the Middle East, one needs first to understand the role religion plays in the lives of the people. It is quite different than in the States. Here, whether Christian, Muslim, or Jew, professing believers seem to really believe and to try to live their faith. Perhaps it’s because it’s in the desert and the whole desert spirituality thing, but it’s like people’s sense of spirituality really does pervade every aspect of their daily lives. After the first week of December, when it’s live, go to www.saintyves.org.il for more info.
Last year, the Israeli nut job, Haggain ben Aretz, (link to last year’s blog) had said Palestinians had three choices. They could:
1) Be here with no rights, as second-class citizens
2) Leave; or
3) Stay and be killed.
Again, go to www.saintyves.org.il and download Bill Dockerty’s papers.
The internal debate in Israel I s not about security and The Wall. That’s what they sell to the outside world. The internal debate in Israel is about demographics. If you’re going to have a Jewish state, then non-Jews will have to be expelled.,
What’s going on in Israel is, quite simply, ethnic cleansing. I cannot bear it that my tax dollars support this. The modern nation of Israel is not the same as the PEOPLE Israel. The modern nation of Israel, in my experience, is a racist place where if you’re not Jewish, you don’t belong. While there are darker-skinned Jews here, I wonder how long it will be after they expel the Palestinians that they’ll expel the Sephardic Jews? Israel seems to be about repopulating this area with Ashkenazim – it’s ethnic cleansing. There’s a big push to destroy Palestinian homes and to expel Palestinians. They are also pushing to build more of what’s known in Hebrew as Hafrodah, or settlements. The idea is to divide and conquer. Palestinian developments are separated by roads that can only be used by Israelis. Israelis can detain Palestinians WITHOUT CHARGES for 5, 6, even 7 years. Israeli settlements are not DISPUTED, they are OCCUPIED. Like the nut job said last year, some Israelis think Israel’s borders extend from the Mediterranean to the Jordan.
Palestinians living here have not been allowed to build for forty years. Israelis will take Palestinian ID cards on trumped-up charges. There’s a 35-foot high wall surrounding Bethlehem, you have to stop and have armed guards mount your bus – it’s just ridiculous. It is, effectively, Apartheid. For the US to continue to support this government when they do not even respect the US is anathema. We, the American people, need to get over the fear of being called “anti-Semites” (after all, Palestinians are Semitic, too) and take our stand for peace and justice.
Israel treats the world like mushrooms. It keeps us in the dark and feeds us a lot of BS.
I’m to check out a book called “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.” Don’t remember the author. During Bill’s talk, I heard him describe piracy, illegal occupation, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid, all committed by Israel. There’s a website to check out. It’s called www.ifamericansknew.org
Next we went on to meet Gershon Baskin, the founder of the Israeli-Palestinian Center for Research and Information. By this time, I was pretty faded, so don’t know how much of his stuff I got. He started talking about geopolitics. We are in Tantur (which means Hilltop in Arabic). Traditionally, this is the site where Mary and Joseph slept on the night before Jesus’ birth. We are technically not in Israel, but in the Vatican. IPCRI is an ecumenical institute for Christians, Arabs, and Jews to get to know each other. It is administered by Notre Dame, and its mission is to get Christians from all over the world talking to one another.
The tower outside is left over from the Order of the Knights of Malta. It used to be a pedestrian walkway, until The Wall was built.
Here at IPCRI, they’re running a microcosm of the Arab-Israeli conflict. This has become a meeting place for Israelis and Palestinians. They’ve been here on an interim basis since 2001, and they are in favor of a two-state solution.
At the end of the day, the US has to mediate an agreement in this conflict, complete with terms, conditions, and consequences. Why the US? Because we’re funding Israel, for one; because we’re Israel’s only real ally in the International Community for two; and because, for better or for worse, taking a stand for what is morally right and just is what we Americans do. Baskin said that a majority of Israelis and Palestinians want peace, but no longer believe it’s possible. The moderate response does not work. We have to impose a solution.
Israel is covered by a US umbrella. The US needs to stop covering Israel until Israel does what the US wants. In a world community where Israel is increasingly unpopular, the US needs to cut its losses and stop supporting Israel.
That’s all for now. I know it’s sketchy, but I feel like crap and there was a LOT to process today…..
Here are the day's photos:
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday, November 8 - background and context
Today we're looking at the background and context of Jesus' birth. We started our day with a visit to the church of the Nativity. The first temple was built by Solomon and destroyed in 586 BC. After the Exile, was the return (the period covered in Ezra and Nehemiah). Today we're going to look at the Second temple period. We're going from the Church of the Nativity to the Second Temple Model to the Mount of Olives.
We started our story with Matthew 2, the story of the Magi. The common themes we identified were dreams, supernatural guidance, traveling, and prophecy being fulfilled. From the birth story in Matthew, we can discern that there were three Herods: Antipas, The Great, and Archilaeus. There are actually about 40 different Herods in recorded history. This rule over Judea and Galilee is the backdrop for the Nativity Story. Herod the Great built the Herodian.
So we chatted, and then we did a walking tour of the church of the Nativity. After that, and a brief tour of the Orthodox church that was the site of Jerome's cell, we went off to the Herodian.
At the Herodian, we were at the foot of the Palace fortress complex. There is a place with columns that we're sure was a swimming pool. It would have been plastered around outside and covered with mosaic. Near the pool are the administrative offices.
One of the things we discussed is that, in addition to "Son of God" being a political title, the use of the term "gospel" is to announce the birth of a king. We looked at political writings used to announce one of the Caesars(?) and then looked at the language in one of the Gospels. They were identical. The Greek word Evangeliion was used to mean the Birth of a King.
From the Mount of Olives, Jesus could easily have seen Herod's workers building the Herodian. He could have seen Herod command them to take down one mountain and put all the excess dirt onto another mountain. This puts the phrase "faith to move mountains" into a new light. Jesus' use of "faith that can move mountains" MIGHT refer to Herod's moving the dirt to make the top of the Herodian higher than any surrounding structure. "Faith to move mountains" doesn't mean magic, it means effort, coordination and determination in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
Matthew 2 has reference to "the house" or "his house." That could be Jesus' house. Peter was telling us all the reasons why Jesus was not a peasant, including the language he used towards the Pharisees (this also applies to the language Paul used towards the Corinthians). This language suggests an intimate relationship, not necessarily an adversarial one.
We tried to go to the Orthodox Shepherd's field in Beit Sahur, but it was closed. So we went out of Bethlehem and to the Mount of Olives. From the Mount of Olives, we went to the Israel Museumm and saw the Second Temple Mount model. We also saw the Shrine of the Book, the Israel Museum's exhibit of copies of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
For lunch we went to some place where we had Schwarma, hummus, and falafel. It was great!! Then we went to a mall to look for some aspirin. I got some granola bars.
We went to the Shepherd's Field, the same one from last year. Along the way, it occurred to me that in life, you get choices. You can see everything painted with the same broad strokes, categorizing or compartmentalizing things so you can attach value (or lack thereof) to them, OR you can deconstruct things so much they completely lose their (or any) meaning. Reality and life exist somewhere in between.
This has been really sketchy because I'm really tired, and just trying to jot down my notes. I don't even have enough steam at this point to put in any personal observations -- I just hope that when I finally have time to upload the pictures, that things will start to make sense. But I want to close here with a quote. I don't know whose it is, but I saw it on that horrible wall that surrounds Bethlehem. It says "Any existence deprived of freedom is a kind of death." -Graffitti from The Wall.
It seems to me that the people of this area are all dying a kind of death. Over the last couple of weeks, I've seen lots of similarities in the genesis of many Near Eastern religions. This does nothing to negate or diminish the reality of the Gospel story, in my mind. But it does tend to make me think twice about any religious tradition that would have exclusion or exclusivity as part of its foundational tenets. It makes me think that such movements have elements of cultism where there should be elements of faith.
My thoughts aren't coming out the way I want them to, and I'm going to bed. Tomorrow we do Jerusalem, then we'll do communion in the Garden of Gethsemane on Wednesday, and then on Thursday, I think, we'll leave for home. I'm sorry I didn't go to Jordan this time; will have to do that next trip.
Here's a link to the photos
We started our story with Matthew 2, the story of the Magi. The common themes we identified were dreams, supernatural guidance, traveling, and prophecy being fulfilled. From the birth story in Matthew, we can discern that there were three Herods: Antipas, The Great, and Archilaeus. There are actually about 40 different Herods in recorded history. This rule over Judea and Galilee is the backdrop for the Nativity Story. Herod the Great built the Herodian.
So we chatted, and then we did a walking tour of the church of the Nativity. After that, and a brief tour of the Orthodox church that was the site of Jerome's cell, we went off to the Herodian.
At the Herodian, we were at the foot of the Palace fortress complex. There is a place with columns that we're sure was a swimming pool. It would have been plastered around outside and covered with mosaic. Near the pool are the administrative offices.
One of the things we discussed is that, in addition to "Son of God" being a political title, the use of the term "gospel" is to announce the birth of a king. We looked at political writings used to announce one of the Caesars(?) and then looked at the language in one of the Gospels. They were identical. The Greek word Evangeliion was used to mean the Birth of a King.
From the Mount of Olives, Jesus could easily have seen Herod's workers building the Herodian. He could have seen Herod command them to take down one mountain and put all the excess dirt onto another mountain. This puts the phrase "faith to move mountains" into a new light. Jesus' use of "faith that can move mountains" MIGHT refer to Herod's moving the dirt to make the top of the Herodian higher than any surrounding structure. "Faith to move mountains" doesn't mean magic, it means effort, coordination and determination in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
Matthew 2 has reference to "the house" or "his house." That could be Jesus' house. Peter was telling us all the reasons why Jesus was not a peasant, including the language he used towards the Pharisees (this also applies to the language Paul used towards the Corinthians). This language suggests an intimate relationship, not necessarily an adversarial one.
We tried to go to the Orthodox Shepherd's field in Beit Sahur, but it was closed. So we went out of Bethlehem and to the Mount of Olives. From the Mount of Olives, we went to the Israel Museumm and saw the Second Temple Mount model. We also saw the Shrine of the Book, the Israel Museum's exhibit of copies of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
For lunch we went to some place where we had Schwarma, hummus, and falafel. It was great!! Then we went to a mall to look for some aspirin. I got some granola bars.
We went to the Shepherd's Field, the same one from last year. Along the way, it occurred to me that in life, you get choices. You can see everything painted with the same broad strokes, categorizing or compartmentalizing things so you can attach value (or lack thereof) to them, OR you can deconstruct things so much they completely lose their (or any) meaning. Reality and life exist somewhere in between.
This has been really sketchy because I'm really tired, and just trying to jot down my notes. I don't even have enough steam at this point to put in any personal observations -- I just hope that when I finally have time to upload the pictures, that things will start to make sense. But I want to close here with a quote. I don't know whose it is, but I saw it on that horrible wall that surrounds Bethlehem. It says "Any existence deprived of freedom is a kind of death." -Graffitti from The Wall.
It seems to me that the people of this area are all dying a kind of death. Over the last couple of weeks, I've seen lots of similarities in the genesis of many Near Eastern religions. This does nothing to negate or diminish the reality of the Gospel story, in my mind. But it does tend to make me think twice about any religious tradition that would have exclusion or exclusivity as part of its foundational tenets. It makes me think that such movements have elements of cultism where there should be elements of faith.
My thoughts aren't coming out the way I want them to, and I'm going to bed. Tomorrow we do Jerusalem, then we'll do communion in the Garden of Gethsemane on Wednesday, and then on Thursday, I think, we'll leave for home. I'm sorry I didn't go to Jordan this time; will have to do that next trip.
Here's a link to the photos
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sunday, November 7: On to the Promised Land
Today we left Egypt for Israel. Leaving St. Katherine’s, we first passed by the site of the traditional encampment of the Israelites around the foot of the mountain. After that, we stopped for some scenic pictures of St. Katherine’s Mountain and Mount Sinai. Then we stopped at Wadi something, that was a site of some event from the Exodus. It wasn’t clear to me what the event was or where in the Bible it occurred. Then we stopped (or maybe this was the place Peter was talking about) at a place where Bedouins sell those alabaster egg thingies. I forget what they’re called, but we picked up a bunch of ones they hadn’t chosen to sell. I picked up one about half the size of a softball, but it was too big for my liking so I gave it away. I have several small ones.
At this point, we were about an hour from the Israeli border. Somehow, my Vodaphone coverage ended outside St. Katherine’s; I now have Eginil, which has no data service.
We went through one checkpoint where the guards told our driver that there needed to be two drivers if you were going over a certain distance. Our driver, Ibrahim, tried to tell them that we made stops, but they didn’t understand, so he had to go inside with our armed guard. It all got straightened out.
Driving along, we finally hit the coast of the Red Sea. We were at Nuweuiba Port, and could see Saudi Arabia in the distance. I made a mental note to put diving the Red Sea (or at least snorkeling it) on my bucket list, as well as climbing all the way to the summit of Mt. Sinai.
Winding our way to Israel, we had the sea on one side and mountains on the other. There was opulence, including resort hotels, on one side, and poverty, including Bedouin tent villages, on the other. My thoughts as I entered were in John 17:25. I pray for peace in Jerusalem; I pray that all who witness and profess to believe may take action.
I want to make note here of the many Egyptian men I saw with marks on their foreheads. They looked like dark-skinned people get when diabetes is beginning to set in (or they’ve been sleeping with CPAPs – a darkened spot in the middle of the forehead. I asked about it and was told this mark comes from the mosques, and it’s a sign that they’re very religious and/or conservative. In my mind, I liken it to the Jewish guys who wear their prayers strapped to their foreheads.
Now we’re in Tobya. There are a gazillion hotels here, and we can see the border. Going through Israeli customs is always a pain. I had to take off both my knee braces, and they opened my luggage and opened the bag inside the bag, to take out my item with air freshener and feminine hygiene sprays (they rescanned that) and then went through it to find my power block, which they re-scanned. I will never complain about too much security in the Middle East; I just notice that when I showed the Egyptian guy my knee braces, he waved me through, while the Israelis made me take them off.
Pharoah’s Island has a palace built b y Salahadin. In Egypt, when they call things “Pharoah,” if just means they’re impressive. It’s like in Israel, when they call thing’s “Solomon’s.” It doesn’t mean things are built by that person, it just means someone thought they were impressive. I guess it’s like calling pizza “Ray’s” in NYC.
Anyhow. After Israeli customs, we were to go to Eilat and Wadi Araba. Our intention was to hit both the Dead Sea and Masada. Wadi Araba is part of the Afro-Syrian Rift, also known as the Dead Sea Valley, part of which is the Jordan Valley,. You can see the Transjordan Mountains, known biblicaly as the mountains of Edom and the mountains of Moab. It’s interesting to see that the Israelites didn’t go the easiest way back to Canaan, they went the hardest way. The reason is that they were repelled by a series of fortresses protecting the Negev. So they went back through the Transjordan Mountains (Edom and Moab). Exodus and Numbers tells about the Israelites seeking permission to go through Edom and Moab – they travelled through the King’s Highway to go to Jordan.
From where we are, we can see the Israeli/Jordanian border. I’m sorry I’m not going to Jordan this time. We’re seeing lots of acacia trees (They’re the ones with the flat tops); we’ll see more date palms as we go along.,
So we’re driving from Eilat through Wadi Araba. I’m listening to Elton John and Leon Russel, “You’re Never too Old to Hold Somebody” on their “The Union” CD. I need to find the lyrics and copy them down here.
We stopped at an interesting little Israeli service/grocery mart. We got expensive meals, there was Ben and Jerry’s (which some people got), there was soda, milk, relatively CLEAN TOILETS, candies, sweets – a pleasant change. I got an Israeli magnet for someone who’s not Christian, since this will likely be my only opportunity to get something without a Christian theme. We started looking at our maps, noting that in Israel, it’s illegal to publish a map differentiating between Israel , the West Bank, and the Golan. In Israel, it’s illegal to call them anything other than Israel, even though that condition does not exist as a reality in the international community – everywhere else, they’re illegally occupied territories. We talked about the bias of mapmaking. We didn’t talk about how similar brainwashing a whole country is to the conditions which caused the creation of this country.
We did talk about identifying Israel as a PEOPLE and not a PLACE, although later on we also talked about how, in some religious traditions, God intersects human history in a sacred Place or Space. It’s a little hard for Protestants to wrap our heads around, because we believe that God intersects human history in the Person of Jesus Christ. But we talked about this, and about how Hadrian had named the region Palestine (from the Philistines, who were its enemies). We talked about the fact that there is no nomenclature that is acceptable to everyone.
We talked about how 20% of Israel’s population is non-Jewish, and of that 20%, 70% are Arabs. We talked about Arab Jews, Palestinian Jews, Jewish people living in Palestine, Iran, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, etc – 70% of the Jewish population in Israel traces its roots to an Arab country. Those are the Sephardim. The Ashkenazis come from Europe. We went on and on about birthrates and population densities. I guess you could look it up if you were really interested.
We were going to the part of the Dead Sea associated with Sodom and Gomorrah. We stopped at Har Sodom, Mount Sodom, and took pictures of Lot’s Wife. We went for a dip in the Dead Sea, HAD A CAPPUCCINO!!!, went to Johnnie’s where I sated my shopping demon, and came to the Golden Palace or Golden Palms hotel to find no internet service. It’s 11:30 at night and breakfast is at 7 am, so I’m going to bed. This may take on more form later, but I wanted to give myself a reminder of what the day was like. It’s hard to write in the bus, which is VERY cramped, so I jot down notes when I can. Problem is, you want to do as much as you can in a day so you get in very late. I’m usually too tired to do any more writing.
Tonight we did go out for a walk. Some people wanted to go to an ATM; I wanted something sweet (as I try to get back to high-protein/no carbs, the carb demon has reared its ugly head.) At the first ATM we went to, some guys who didn’t speak English came up to me and started talking. They were just chatting away in Arabic, I was speaking English, and we were completely NOT understanding each other. But the fellowship was rich. The guy has nine children, with two on the way (or else seven with two on the way; I wasn’t really clear). And the little boy wanted to take a picture with me. They thought I was either Ethiopian or Canadian or something. Clearly, black folk are a rarity in Israel, too…..
At this point, we were about an hour from the Israeli border. Somehow, my Vodaphone coverage ended outside St. Katherine’s; I now have Eginil, which has no data service.
We went through one checkpoint where the guards told our driver that there needed to be two drivers if you were going over a certain distance. Our driver, Ibrahim, tried to tell them that we made stops, but they didn’t understand, so he had to go inside with our armed guard. It all got straightened out.
Driving along, we finally hit the coast of the Red Sea. We were at Nuweuiba Port, and could see Saudi Arabia in the distance. I made a mental note to put diving the Red Sea (or at least snorkeling it) on my bucket list, as well as climbing all the way to the summit of Mt. Sinai.
Winding our way to Israel, we had the sea on one side and mountains on the other. There was opulence, including resort hotels, on one side, and poverty, including Bedouin tent villages, on the other. My thoughts as I entered were in John 17:25. I pray for peace in Jerusalem; I pray that all who witness and profess to believe may take action.
I want to make note here of the many Egyptian men I saw with marks on their foreheads. They looked like dark-skinned people get when diabetes is beginning to set in (or they’ve been sleeping with CPAPs – a darkened spot in the middle of the forehead. I asked about it and was told this mark comes from the mosques, and it’s a sign that they’re very religious and/or conservative. In my mind, I liken it to the Jewish guys who wear their prayers strapped to their foreheads.
Now we’re in Tobya. There are a gazillion hotels here, and we can see the border. Going through Israeli customs is always a pain. I had to take off both my knee braces, and they opened my luggage and opened the bag inside the bag, to take out my item with air freshener and feminine hygiene sprays (they rescanned that) and then went through it to find my power block, which they re-scanned. I will never complain about too much security in the Middle East; I just notice that when I showed the Egyptian guy my knee braces, he waved me through, while the Israelis made me take them off.
Pharoah’s Island has a palace built b y Salahadin. In Egypt, when they call things “Pharoah,” if just means they’re impressive. It’s like in Israel, when they call thing’s “Solomon’s.” It doesn’t mean things are built by that person, it just means someone thought they were impressive. I guess it’s like calling pizza “Ray’s” in NYC.
Anyhow. After Israeli customs, we were to go to Eilat and Wadi Araba. Our intention was to hit both the Dead Sea and Masada. Wadi Araba is part of the Afro-Syrian Rift, also known as the Dead Sea Valley, part of which is the Jordan Valley,. You can see the Transjordan Mountains, known biblicaly as the mountains of Edom and the mountains of Moab. It’s interesting to see that the Israelites didn’t go the easiest way back to Canaan, they went the hardest way. The reason is that they were repelled by a series of fortresses protecting the Negev. So they went back through the Transjordan Mountains (Edom and Moab). Exodus and Numbers tells about the Israelites seeking permission to go through Edom and Moab – they travelled through the King’s Highway to go to Jordan.
From where we are, we can see the Israeli/Jordanian border. I’m sorry I’m not going to Jordan this time. We’re seeing lots of acacia trees (They’re the ones with the flat tops); we’ll see more date palms as we go along.,
So we’re driving from Eilat through Wadi Araba. I’m listening to Elton John and Leon Russel, “You’re Never too Old to Hold Somebody” on their “The Union” CD. I need to find the lyrics and copy them down here.
We stopped at an interesting little Israeli service/grocery mart. We got expensive meals, there was Ben and Jerry’s (which some people got), there was soda, milk, relatively CLEAN TOILETS, candies, sweets – a pleasant change. I got an Israeli magnet for someone who’s not Christian, since this will likely be my only opportunity to get something without a Christian theme. We started looking at our maps, noting that in Israel, it’s illegal to publish a map differentiating between Israel , the West Bank, and the Golan. In Israel, it’s illegal to call them anything other than Israel, even though that condition does not exist as a reality in the international community – everywhere else, they’re illegally occupied territories. We talked about the bias of mapmaking. We didn’t talk about how similar brainwashing a whole country is to the conditions which caused the creation of this country.
We did talk about identifying Israel as a PEOPLE and not a PLACE, although later on we also talked about how, in some religious traditions, God intersects human history in a sacred Place or Space. It’s a little hard for Protestants to wrap our heads around, because we believe that God intersects human history in the Person of Jesus Christ. But we talked about this, and about how Hadrian had named the region Palestine (from the Philistines, who were its enemies). We talked about the fact that there is no nomenclature that is acceptable to everyone.
We talked about how 20% of Israel’s population is non-Jewish, and of that 20%, 70% are Arabs. We talked about Arab Jews, Palestinian Jews, Jewish people living in Palestine, Iran, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, etc – 70% of the Jewish population in Israel traces its roots to an Arab country. Those are the Sephardim. The Ashkenazis come from Europe. We went on and on about birthrates and population densities. I guess you could look it up if you were really interested.
We were going to the part of the Dead Sea associated with Sodom and Gomorrah. We stopped at Har Sodom, Mount Sodom, and took pictures of Lot’s Wife. We went for a dip in the Dead Sea, HAD A CAPPUCCINO!!!, went to Johnnie’s where I sated my shopping demon, and came to the Golden Palace or Golden Palms hotel to find no internet service. It’s 11:30 at night and breakfast is at 7 am, so I’m going to bed. This may take on more form later, but I wanted to give myself a reminder of what the day was like. It’s hard to write in the bus, which is VERY cramped, so I jot down notes when I can. Problem is, you want to do as much as you can in a day so you get in very late. I’m usually too tired to do any more writing.
Tonight we did go out for a walk. Some people wanted to go to an ATM; I wanted something sweet (as I try to get back to high-protein/no carbs, the carb demon has reared its ugly head.) At the first ATM we went to, some guys who didn’t speak English came up to me and started talking. They were just chatting away in Arabic, I was speaking English, and we were completely NOT understanding each other. But the fellowship was rich. The guy has nine children, with two on the way (or else seven with two on the way; I wasn’t really clear). And the little boy wanted to take a picture with me. They thought I was either Ethiopian or Canadian or something. Clearly, black folk are a rarity in Israel, too…..
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Today I climbed Mt. Sinai!!
Today I climbed Mt. Sinai!
I didn’t make it all the way to the top, but I made it up some of the steps. There’s a long hiking path, then at the top, there’s 752 steps. Had they been real steps, perhaps I could have made it, but these were rocks so rugged they made the rough cobblestones of Jerusalem’s Via Dolorosa seem like smooth, polished marble by comparison. My desire was strong enough that I would have crawled up, but my concern was that I wouldn’t have been able to have gotten down before sunset. I wasn’t steady enough on my feet to even try to risk it. And I think that was the right decision for me, because we came down and went to a Greek Orthodox liturgy in St. Katherine’s monastery. It was a lovely Orthodox service, I suppose, but we STOOD for an hour, after having climbed Mt. Sinai for several hours. But my point is that when we came out of the liturgy, the sun was beginning to set. It would have taken us another 45 minutes or so to go up those steps, and even more to come down – which would have put us back at St. Katherine’s after sunset. I stumbled enough in the daylight, and actually gave a group of Japanese tourists a bit of a scare when I stumbled once. Either it was uneven rocks, or rocks in the road, or shifting sand… and then there was the camel dung everywhere…
But it was an AWESOME experience! A couple of times I got to be alone, and that was REALLY nice. It’s just a big huge world with no one there. Occasionally you’ll pass a Bedouin rest stop, but that’s about it.
There are no words to sum up the day. We just climbed Mt. Sinai and then went to a Greek Orthodox service. The Orthodox liturgies have been preserved throughout the centuries, so there is that full body worship with sight and sound and smells and bodily movement. While I believe worship needs a participatory element (more than just having someone shake incense at you), I do appreciate that the Orthodox services were designed to present a Gospel worship experience (with a high Christology) to people who were often illiterate. So there had to be other ways to completely engage them besides the written word, or even besides the spoken word, if that got too complicated. I think many modern congregations could probably learn a bit from that – from the idea that one needs to present the gospel message to the congregation in a way that fully engages them. I say that because sitting in this service reminded me of some church services I’ve been in, where there’s just a bunch of people up front doing stuff, sorta at you – you’re allowed to jump in from time to time if you know where and what to do – but if you DON’T, then you’re kinda lost, as is the point of the worship service.
My feet and knees are KILLING ME. I’ve got my feet up now, but both the feet and the knees took a beating. It’s only 3 miles up and 3 miles back down, but it’s an incline the whole way, and the air is constantly getting thinner. Of the 14 people in our group, only 3 actually reached the summit, and they were one guy who does this regularly, one guy who’s retired military, and a woman who has LOTS of excess energy. It’s quite a tough climb. If I go next year, I will skip the morning tour of the monastery and just start hiking up. St. Katherine’s Monastery is only open to the public for a couple of hours each day, so we started the day by going in and looking at all the icons. I did get a picture of the burning bush, which was kinda cool. Didn’t get a chance to get close enough to it to see if it would really burn, but…
So that meant we didn’t start til 10 or 11. With an extra hour or two, I like to think I could have made it to the top. I probably wouldn’t be able to do anything else, but I like to think I could have made it. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to try again. Dropping 30 pounds and doing more cardio wouldn’t hurt, but I know a tennis player who says it’s a difficult climb, too. Still, I know I don’t have to ride a camel up. I just need to take all day…
But I climbed Mt. Sinai today, and that’s a wonderful thing!
Sent some clothes to the laundry; they should be back after dinner. Will head to dinner, and then pack. Tomorrow we head for Israel.
Here's a link to pictures from Mt. Sinai
I didn’t make it all the way to the top, but I made it up some of the steps. There’s a long hiking path, then at the top, there’s 752 steps. Had they been real steps, perhaps I could have made it, but these were rocks so rugged they made the rough cobblestones of Jerusalem’s Via Dolorosa seem like smooth, polished marble by comparison. My desire was strong enough that I would have crawled up, but my concern was that I wouldn’t have been able to have gotten down before sunset. I wasn’t steady enough on my feet to even try to risk it. And I think that was the right decision for me, because we came down and went to a Greek Orthodox liturgy in St. Katherine’s monastery. It was a lovely Orthodox service, I suppose, but we STOOD for an hour, after having climbed Mt. Sinai for several hours. But my point is that when we came out of the liturgy, the sun was beginning to set. It would have taken us another 45 minutes or so to go up those steps, and even more to come down – which would have put us back at St. Katherine’s after sunset. I stumbled enough in the daylight, and actually gave a group of Japanese tourists a bit of a scare when I stumbled once. Either it was uneven rocks, or rocks in the road, or shifting sand… and then there was the camel dung everywhere…
But it was an AWESOME experience! A couple of times I got to be alone, and that was REALLY nice. It’s just a big huge world with no one there. Occasionally you’ll pass a Bedouin rest stop, but that’s about it.
There are no words to sum up the day. We just climbed Mt. Sinai and then went to a Greek Orthodox service. The Orthodox liturgies have been preserved throughout the centuries, so there is that full body worship with sight and sound and smells and bodily movement. While I believe worship needs a participatory element (more than just having someone shake incense at you), I do appreciate that the Orthodox services were designed to present a Gospel worship experience (with a high Christology) to people who were often illiterate. So there had to be other ways to completely engage them besides the written word, or even besides the spoken word, if that got too complicated. I think many modern congregations could probably learn a bit from that – from the idea that one needs to present the gospel message to the congregation in a way that fully engages them. I say that because sitting in this service reminded me of some church services I’ve been in, where there’s just a bunch of people up front doing stuff, sorta at you – you’re allowed to jump in from time to time if you know where and what to do – but if you DON’T, then you’re kinda lost, as is the point of the worship service.
My feet and knees are KILLING ME. I’ve got my feet up now, but both the feet and the knees took a beating. It’s only 3 miles up and 3 miles back down, but it’s an incline the whole way, and the air is constantly getting thinner. Of the 14 people in our group, only 3 actually reached the summit, and they were one guy who does this regularly, one guy who’s retired military, and a woman who has LOTS of excess energy. It’s quite a tough climb. If I go next year, I will skip the morning tour of the monastery and just start hiking up. St. Katherine’s Monastery is only open to the public for a couple of hours each day, so we started the day by going in and looking at all the icons. I did get a picture of the burning bush, which was kinda cool. Didn’t get a chance to get close enough to it to see if it would really burn, but…
So that meant we didn’t start til 10 or 11. With an extra hour or two, I like to think I could have made it to the top. I probably wouldn’t be able to do anything else, but I like to think I could have made it. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to try again. Dropping 30 pounds and doing more cardio wouldn’t hurt, but I know a tennis player who says it’s a difficult climb, too. Still, I know I don’t have to ride a camel up. I just need to take all day…
But I climbed Mt. Sinai today, and that’s a wonderful thing!
Sent some clothes to the laundry; they should be back after dinner. Will head to dinner, and then pack. Tomorrow we head for Israel.
Here's a link to pictures from Mt. Sinai
Friday, November 5, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
So we stared the morning devotion with Genesis 21:1-14, the story of Sarah and Hagar. Sue Forsyth led. She told us the story, then I read the Scripture, and she ended it with a poem by Ann Weems (not related to Renita). We are headed to Sinai. First we’ll go to the Suez Canal, then we’ll take a tunnel under it, and then we’ll be in the Sinai Peninsula. Travel from here to Suez is called the Eastern Desert. Sahara is the Arabic word for desert. On the west of Egypt is the Sahara desert (yes, the desert desert), and in the East is the Eastern Desert. Wonder if we could call it the Eastern Sahara?
We’ve talked about several points of contact between the Old Testament and Ancient Egypt. We talked about them yesterday, but want to highlight: - the idea that political leaders are intimately related to the deities (this is also reflected in the names of the gods. For instance, Ramses means Child of the god Ra). In ancient Egyption, “mses” means “Child,” Moses meant Child; Ramses meant Child of God. It was widely understood that political rulers were related to gods like children were related to parents. This concept continued on at least through the time of Napoleon.
We Christians understand Jesus to be the son of God, but in Ancient Egypt, the meaning would be that he was a Political Ruler. The Bible IS Political. Jesus WAS Political. “Son of God” was a political label. As we’ve studied, we’ve seen the texts and theology of the Scriptures showed that they reflected the cultures around them.
We’re now heading East. We’ll make one stop before the Suez Canal, then after the Suez we’ll head south into Sinai, then East again. Our stop will be at Ain Musa, the Springs of Moses, where Moses sweetened the water for the people of Israel. (Ex. 15:22-25). We’ll also go to Wadi Feiran(?), where Aaron held up Moses’ arms while they fought the Amalakits.
Ex comes from the Greek Out, while Odos comes from the Greek for Road, so the book of Exodus is about a WAY OUT. The burning bush is associated with St. Catherine’s monastery, where we’re going. Whether supported with independently verifiable archaeological data or not, the Exodus story helps give a group identification to the people called “Israelites. “ It’s important to remember that Israel was a PEOPLE, and not a PLACE.
Some of us Christians believe that Jesus will return after all Jewish people return to Israel (identification with place), but there is a whole ‘nother line of thinking that identifies being Jewish as being in Diaspora. To be Jewish is to be in Exile for some; for others, to be Jewish is to return to Israel. Our definition of Jewish has evolved in diaspora.
Tomorrow we’ll climb Mt. Sinai. The desert plays a prominent place in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Desert Spirituality is where our focus will be (and now I’m doubly glad for all the years I spent in AZ!) Tomorrow evening, we hope to have evening vespers at the Monastery.
My notes here are all garbled cuz I was falling asleep (we were riding in a bus through the desert listening to a lecture. Either the ride or the desert or a lecture could have put me to sleep; all of them together, as much as I was interested, I didn’t have a chance), but I think Peter was saying there are three theories about the Exodus:
1) That the story is symbolic;
2) That there was not one Exodus but many exodi; or
3) That the Exodus story is a metaphor for a political and social rebellion.
Then again, maybe it wasn’t a one or the other thing, but maybe what happened was a series of events or a combination of the above. The point is that what we can independently verify does not line up completely with the Biblical texts, and as we study the texts deeper, we come to understand that the meaning is not always what appears at first reading.
Anyway. In Exodus 15:22-25, there is the story of the springs of Marah. We stopped there (like many things associated with the Bible, we stopped in one of the places it’s supposed to be), in view of the Suez Canal which is at the northernmost tip of the Red Sea.
I have to say a word here about poverty and begging. I know we’re in Africa, but it breaks my heart to see so many kids begging. They, like the vendors who try to hustle you, come with what seems to be an expectation that you’ll give them something. And while it breaks my heart to see them, I know that giving them money is not the answer because that only encourages them. It’s heart-wrenching, though. Even though you know they’re playing on your emotions, it’s heart-wrenching to see unkempt, grubby little kids come up and bat their lashes and pimp out their childhood innocence for dollars. It’s a damn shame, is what it is.
The next time I was conscious, they were in a conversation about how Israel got control of the Sinai and the Golan Heights during the 6-day war. They also got the West Bank. This offended the national pride of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. The Israelis won with American-made tanks, which had longer range than the Soviet-made Jordanian tanks.
By about three-ish, we were heading east. We’d stopped at some rest stop. Pia had gotten sick and we’d had to pull over, so we then pulled into the next rest stop. Ann Christian, I think, gave me a wet wipe, but we were surprised to find toilet paper in the stalls. I used the wet wipe to clean the toilet seat. I have reneged on my vow to never go to the bathroom outside the States again, so I’m trying to make it manageable. It’s not horrible, but it’s not home, either. So we were at sea level. We have 100 KM to go, but will climb to 1 mile high, so the trip will take about two hours. We’ll go through Wadi Feiran, where Aaron held up Moses’ arms. A wadi, btw, is just a valley or a gorge. That led to a whole conversation on flooding. I think I went back to sleep.
Then Peter read excerpts from the Precepts of the Prefect. We were looking at how it was similar to the Wisdom literature, specifically Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The point was to show how much Ancient Near Eastern Literature has similar themes, structures, and story lines, and even uses similar examples. I thought of Bernard and many first-year seminarians during this exercise.
We talked for a bit about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi writings. We talked about how they didn’t get canonized. We talked about the Nag Hammadi writings being Gnostic writings, and how Gnostic ideology presumes the physical world can erode / be at variance with the spiritual world. The Body is seen as the prison of the soul. In order to escape, the initiate has to learn special secrets. (Gnosis, or knowledge). When the prison sell is opened, the Spirit then can escape. We talked about Gnosticism as an outshoot of Platonism, and how Plato thought that only IDEAS are real.
My notes say we were in Wadi Feiran, but I don’t remember it. It’s an oasis. An Oasis is a place with an underground water supply. People dig holes to the wells instead of collecting water. It’s ideal for acacia trees (and my notes say we saw a lot of them, though I don’t remember. Hope I took pictures).
Then Peter pretty much gave our first semester Church History lectures up to the time of Constantine. Constantine’s mom, Helena, commissioned St. Catherine’s Church as well as the Church of the Holy Scepulchre in Bethlehem. We talked about Constantine not having been Christian, and having joined church and empire, having called councils, and having forced some decisions not for religious reasons but to unite his empire.
So we got to St. Catherine’s village. My room looks right onto the main plaza bazaar, and I’m too tired to even take pictures. The place is packed – every room is full – and some people will be setting out in the middle of the night to climb. We had a great buffet dinner of beef, chicken, salad, HUMMUS, fish, and a bunch of other stuff. We talked, we ate, and around 8:30 retired to our rooms. We go to climb tomorrow.
There’s SO much I’m not putting in here. If you’re Christian, Christian-curious, from any of the other Abrahamic faiths, of the African Diaspora, or just interested in peace and justice in our world and interested in what you can do to make a difference, then I’d encourage you to Google the Society for Biblical Studies, look up Peter Miano, and book yourself on one of the trips. It’ll change your life. I do hope our CME Church can get some folk together to make a pilgrimage together.
No pictures tonite; internet access is $10.00 per hour. Maybe tomorrow, after Mt. Sinai.
We’ve talked about several points of contact between the Old Testament and Ancient Egypt. We talked about them yesterday, but want to highlight: - the idea that political leaders are intimately related to the deities (this is also reflected in the names of the gods. For instance, Ramses means Child of the god Ra). In ancient Egyption, “mses” means “Child,” Moses meant Child; Ramses meant Child of God. It was widely understood that political rulers were related to gods like children were related to parents. This concept continued on at least through the time of Napoleon.
We Christians understand Jesus to be the son of God, but in Ancient Egypt, the meaning would be that he was a Political Ruler. The Bible IS Political. Jesus WAS Political. “Son of God” was a political label. As we’ve studied, we’ve seen the texts and theology of the Scriptures showed that they reflected the cultures around them.
We’re now heading East. We’ll make one stop before the Suez Canal, then after the Suez we’ll head south into Sinai, then East again. Our stop will be at Ain Musa, the Springs of Moses, where Moses sweetened the water for the people of Israel. (Ex. 15:22-25). We’ll also go to Wadi Feiran(?), where Aaron held up Moses’ arms while they fought the Amalakits.
Ex comes from the Greek Out, while Odos comes from the Greek for Road, so the book of Exodus is about a WAY OUT. The burning bush is associated with St. Catherine’s monastery, where we’re going. Whether supported with independently verifiable archaeological data or not, the Exodus story helps give a group identification to the people called “Israelites. “ It’s important to remember that Israel was a PEOPLE, and not a PLACE.
Some of us Christians believe that Jesus will return after all Jewish people return to Israel (identification with place), but there is a whole ‘nother line of thinking that identifies being Jewish as being in Diaspora. To be Jewish is to be in Exile for some; for others, to be Jewish is to return to Israel. Our definition of Jewish has evolved in diaspora.
Tomorrow we’ll climb Mt. Sinai. The desert plays a prominent place in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Desert Spirituality is where our focus will be (and now I’m doubly glad for all the years I spent in AZ!) Tomorrow evening, we hope to have evening vespers at the Monastery.
My notes here are all garbled cuz I was falling asleep (we were riding in a bus through the desert listening to a lecture. Either the ride or the desert or a lecture could have put me to sleep; all of them together, as much as I was interested, I didn’t have a chance), but I think Peter was saying there are three theories about the Exodus:
1) That the story is symbolic;
2) That there was not one Exodus but many exodi; or
3) That the Exodus story is a metaphor for a political and social rebellion.
Then again, maybe it wasn’t a one or the other thing, but maybe what happened was a series of events or a combination of the above. The point is that what we can independently verify does not line up completely with the Biblical texts, and as we study the texts deeper, we come to understand that the meaning is not always what appears at first reading.
Anyway. In Exodus 15:22-25, there is the story of the springs of Marah. We stopped there (like many things associated with the Bible, we stopped in one of the places it’s supposed to be), in view of the Suez Canal which is at the northernmost tip of the Red Sea.
I have to say a word here about poverty and begging. I know we’re in Africa, but it breaks my heart to see so many kids begging. They, like the vendors who try to hustle you, come with what seems to be an expectation that you’ll give them something. And while it breaks my heart to see them, I know that giving them money is not the answer because that only encourages them. It’s heart-wrenching, though. Even though you know they’re playing on your emotions, it’s heart-wrenching to see unkempt, grubby little kids come up and bat their lashes and pimp out their childhood innocence for dollars. It’s a damn shame, is what it is.
The next time I was conscious, they were in a conversation about how Israel got control of the Sinai and the Golan Heights during the 6-day war. They also got the West Bank. This offended the national pride of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. The Israelis won with American-made tanks, which had longer range than the Soviet-made Jordanian tanks.
By about three-ish, we were heading east. We’d stopped at some rest stop. Pia had gotten sick and we’d had to pull over, so we then pulled into the next rest stop. Ann Christian, I think, gave me a wet wipe, but we were surprised to find toilet paper in the stalls. I used the wet wipe to clean the toilet seat. I have reneged on my vow to never go to the bathroom outside the States again, so I’m trying to make it manageable. It’s not horrible, but it’s not home, either. So we were at sea level. We have 100 KM to go, but will climb to 1 mile high, so the trip will take about two hours. We’ll go through Wadi Feiran, where Aaron held up Moses’ arms. A wadi, btw, is just a valley or a gorge. That led to a whole conversation on flooding. I think I went back to sleep.
Then Peter read excerpts from the Precepts of the Prefect. We were looking at how it was similar to the Wisdom literature, specifically Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The point was to show how much Ancient Near Eastern Literature has similar themes, structures, and story lines, and even uses similar examples. I thought of Bernard and many first-year seminarians during this exercise.
We talked for a bit about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi writings. We talked about how they didn’t get canonized. We talked about the Nag Hammadi writings being Gnostic writings, and how Gnostic ideology presumes the physical world can erode / be at variance with the spiritual world. The Body is seen as the prison of the soul. In order to escape, the initiate has to learn special secrets. (Gnosis, or knowledge). When the prison sell is opened, the Spirit then can escape. We talked about Gnosticism as an outshoot of Platonism, and how Plato thought that only IDEAS are real.
My notes say we were in Wadi Feiran, but I don’t remember it. It’s an oasis. An Oasis is a place with an underground water supply. People dig holes to the wells instead of collecting water. It’s ideal for acacia trees (and my notes say we saw a lot of them, though I don’t remember. Hope I took pictures).
Then Peter pretty much gave our first semester Church History lectures up to the time of Constantine. Constantine’s mom, Helena, commissioned St. Catherine’s Church as well as the Church of the Holy Scepulchre in Bethlehem. We talked about Constantine not having been Christian, and having joined church and empire, having called councils, and having forced some decisions not for religious reasons but to unite his empire.
So we got to St. Catherine’s village. My room looks right onto the main plaza bazaar, and I’m too tired to even take pictures. The place is packed – every room is full – and some people will be setting out in the middle of the night to climb. We had a great buffet dinner of beef, chicken, salad, HUMMUS, fish, and a bunch of other stuff. We talked, we ate, and around 8:30 retired to our rooms. We go to climb tomorrow.
There’s SO much I’m not putting in here. If you’re Christian, Christian-curious, from any of the other Abrahamic faiths, of the African Diaspora, or just interested in peace and justice in our world and interested in what you can do to make a difference, then I’d encourage you to Google the Society for Biblical Studies, look up Peter Miano, and book yourself on one of the trips. It’ll change your life. I do hope our CME Church can get some folk together to make a pilgrimage together.
No pictures tonite; internet access is $10.00 per hour. Maybe tomorrow, after Mt. Sinai.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
I think today is Thursday...
Definitely getting into the information overload stage. Started out early this morning. I did devotion, on the Exodus experience, talking about how this trip is a journey that will lead us on an exodus from old ways of looking at and understanding the texts, and into a journey that hopefully will have us continuing to walk closer with Jesus.
So we started out the day going to Saqquara, an important Egyptian burial ground. They told us we'd see a bunch of Pyramids, among them the Step pyramid (cuz it's built in stages and not smooth. Google any of the pyramid names for more information; I'm not going to re-write it all here.)
Peter thinks we don't have enough data to independently verify everything in the Old Testament; I actually thought we did. Peter thinks there is no archaeological data to show the migration of the Hebrew people into Israel, that our only source for that story is the Bible. The issue with the Biblical accounts of history, of course, is that they may not match 100% to what can be independently verified outside the Bible (and this is important if you want to spread the Word to skeptical people who do not believe the Bible to be authoritative). We all know that Biblical accounts can be biased and that texts change with each transmission.
So in our explorations here in Egypt we've looked at a few things. One of the things we've seen is how the religious atmosphere of Ancient Egypt is (or was) like the religious atmosphere of the Old Testament. Specifically, the concepts of life after death, and the soul surviving Earth, are concepts that predate our Judeo Christian roots and originated in Egypt. We could look at the ancient Israelites who spent time in Egypt and make some inferences about where they got those ideas, but that's another discussion.
The whole idea of God as One originated in Egypt. That was with Amenhotep IV, otherwise known as Akhenatun, who instituted the worship of one God. It's important to note that the ancient Israelites were not completely monotheistic -- they acknowledged and believed in other Gods, they just believed that The One God was better. I'm reminded of the whole showdown with Baal. There would have been no contest if they hadn't believed in other gods.
As mentioned before, we might want to consider the possibility that Egyptian culture influenced the Israelites. Akhenatun was in power from about 1350 - 1320 Before Christ. while Peter says this was earlier than the Exodus, I see the Exodus being about 1450 BC, or a thousand years before Akhenatun. So I have to do some more research on that one.
The Hapiru people might be the predecessors to the ancient Hebrews. Whenever we see references to Israel outside the canonical text, it's important to know who the people were. It's important to know that the references to Israel refer to a PEOPLE Israel.
We've looked at the possible influence of Egyptian culture on Israelite Scriptures. Another common idea between Egyptian and Israelite cultures is the whole idea of God in Three, as expressed in Father, Mother, and Child. That's how the Egyptians commonly portrayed their deities.
Hwt-ka-Ptah (home of the soul) got distorted to Hikuptah, which in Latin and Greek got distorted to Aegyptos which in "Middle English somehow got distorted to Coptic which got distorted to Egypt. It's the same root word, but has gone through different meanings in different languages.
So first we went to the Red Pyramid. We climbed a bunch of steps (you'll see the picture), then down a long incline, bent over because it was too short to stand in (we ended up just going down it backwards, sort of like descending a ladder), then had to walk bent over, then went a short distance into the first chamber, then into the two preliminary chambers before the burial chamber. Then we went up 3 or 4 flights to look over into the funerary pit. There was a STRONG, STINKY smell that couldn't be disguised by the copious amounts of ammonia they tried to cover it up. I had to come out of there SO quickly -- I took the "stairs" the ladder-like little walkway that we'd had to come down backwards -- I took the ladder thingie out really quickly, gasping for air and sweating and panting the whole way. I think I was the first one of the group who went down to come out. Maybe I'm borderline claustrophobic or something, I don't know. But I went into a pyramid today, and I got a good cardio workout. Now all we have to do is invent a pyramid machine, something that works you like steps but lets you use your whole body like a ladder, and is on an incline....
Then my mind kinda turns to jelly. I think we went to the step pyramid, which is built in stages, or steps. After that we went to the Bent pyramid. The Bent pyramid is the only pyramid in Egypt with parts of the original casing still preserved. You can see why it's called the Bent pyramid.
After that we stopped, sat in the shade of the pyramids, and ate the lunches we brought. Then we went to the Muhammad Ali Mosque, and to the el-Khalili Khan Bazaar, where vendors were shouting "Brown Sugar" and "Obama" and "how can I take your money from you today?" I did manage to get 16 papyrus scrolls for $40.00, so that will be good for gifts. If they don't disintegrate or fall apart....
We leave early tomorrow for Sinai. I still have to get some stamps for postcards, and have a coupla things to pack. Peter thought we should go into town tonight, but if I can get to be before 11, that will be a victory.
It's all good. Tiring, but all good. I'm really happy I'm here. Would love a burger, though....
Here's the link to photos from today:
So we started out the day going to Saqquara, an important Egyptian burial ground. They told us we'd see a bunch of Pyramids, among them the Step pyramid (cuz it's built in stages and not smooth. Google any of the pyramid names for more information; I'm not going to re-write it all here.)
Peter thinks we don't have enough data to independently verify everything in the Old Testament; I actually thought we did. Peter thinks there is no archaeological data to show the migration of the Hebrew people into Israel, that our only source for that story is the Bible. The issue with the Biblical accounts of history, of course, is that they may not match 100% to what can be independently verified outside the Bible (and this is important if you want to spread the Word to skeptical people who do not believe the Bible to be authoritative). We all know that Biblical accounts can be biased and that texts change with each transmission.
So in our explorations here in Egypt we've looked at a few things. One of the things we've seen is how the religious atmosphere of Ancient Egypt is (or was) like the religious atmosphere of the Old Testament. Specifically, the concepts of life after death, and the soul surviving Earth, are concepts that predate our Judeo Christian roots and originated in Egypt. We could look at the ancient Israelites who spent time in Egypt and make some inferences about where they got those ideas, but that's another discussion.
The whole idea of God as One originated in Egypt. That was with Amenhotep IV, otherwise known as Akhenatun, who instituted the worship of one God. It's important to note that the ancient Israelites were not completely monotheistic -- they acknowledged and believed in other Gods, they just believed that The One God was better. I'm reminded of the whole showdown with Baal. There would have been no contest if they hadn't believed in other gods.
As mentioned before, we might want to consider the possibility that Egyptian culture influenced the Israelites. Akhenatun was in power from about 1350 - 1320 Before Christ. while Peter says this was earlier than the Exodus, I see the Exodus being about 1450 BC, or a thousand years before Akhenatun. So I have to do some more research on that one.
The Hapiru people might be the predecessors to the ancient Hebrews. Whenever we see references to Israel outside the canonical text, it's important to know who the people were. It's important to know that the references to Israel refer to a PEOPLE Israel.
We've looked at the possible influence of Egyptian culture on Israelite Scriptures. Another common idea between Egyptian and Israelite cultures is the whole idea of God in Three, as expressed in Father, Mother, and Child. That's how the Egyptians commonly portrayed their deities.
Hwt-ka-Ptah (home of the soul) got distorted to Hikuptah, which in Latin and Greek got distorted to Aegyptos which in "Middle English somehow got distorted to Coptic which got distorted to Egypt. It's the same root word, but has gone through different meanings in different languages.
So first we went to the Red Pyramid. We climbed a bunch of steps (you'll see the picture), then down a long incline, bent over because it was too short to stand in (we ended up just going down it backwards, sort of like descending a ladder), then had to walk bent over, then went a short distance into the first chamber, then into the two preliminary chambers before the burial chamber. Then we went up 3 or 4 flights to look over into the funerary pit. There was a STRONG, STINKY smell that couldn't be disguised by the copious amounts of ammonia they tried to cover it up. I had to come out of there SO quickly -- I took the "stairs" the ladder-like little walkway that we'd had to come down backwards -- I took the ladder thingie out really quickly, gasping for air and sweating and panting the whole way. I think I was the first one of the group who went down to come out. Maybe I'm borderline claustrophobic or something, I don't know. But I went into a pyramid today, and I got a good cardio workout. Now all we have to do is invent a pyramid machine, something that works you like steps but lets you use your whole body like a ladder, and is on an incline....
Then my mind kinda turns to jelly. I think we went to the step pyramid, which is built in stages, or steps. After that we went to the Bent pyramid. The Bent pyramid is the only pyramid in Egypt with parts of the original casing still preserved. You can see why it's called the Bent pyramid.
After that we stopped, sat in the shade of the pyramids, and ate the lunches we brought. Then we went to the Muhammad Ali Mosque, and to the el-Khalili Khan Bazaar, where vendors were shouting "Brown Sugar" and "Obama" and "how can I take your money from you today?" I did manage to get 16 papyrus scrolls for $40.00, so that will be good for gifts. If they don't disintegrate or fall apart....
We leave early tomorrow for Sinai. I still have to get some stamps for postcards, and have a coupla things to pack. Peter thought we should go into town tonight, but if I can get to be before 11, that will be a victory.
It's all good. Tiring, but all good. I'm really happy I'm here. Would love a burger, though....
Here's the link to photos from today:
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Another Day in Cairo
So I'm posting from my iPhone because the internet connection in my room is slow and I'm trying to upload pics on the lobby computer (which will take an hour), and when I try to blog, everything's in Arabic.
We started the day with a trip to the Egyptian museum. All Egyptian tours are required to have an armed guard. Ours sat beside me. His name was Eid.
We started the day discussing the infancy narrative in gospels of Matthew and Luke. Through them, we began to look at Egypt as a place of liberation, not oppression. Basically, we just took a look at the story from an Egyptian point of view.
We went on to the Egyptian museum, with our very knowledgeable guide, Walid.
Sorry, museums aren't my thing -- they're ok, but not when there are THOUSANDS of people waiting to get in, there are tour guides in a dozen different languages, the floors are hard, and there are people constantly pushing up against you. I think Cairo is one of the most densely populated cities in the world; something like 82 million Egyptians, with 20+ million living in Cairo? Too many folk for me.
So in the Egyptian museum, we looked at the various gods and the possible influence of Israelite or Canaanite culture on them. We saw evidence of when Abraham could have been in Egypt. Ahkenatun was the only king who lived in a stone palace (the others had focused not on their surroundings in this world, but in the world to come. Ahkenatun also normalized the concept of one God instead of many; he is known as he father of one God and one people: has multi ethnic characteristics. Had Marfan's syndrome.
In the afternoon, we visited the Pyramids and the Sphinx. AWESOME!! The link to my photos is below. One of our group got lost so we spent half the afternoon looking for her and didn't get to go to the bazaar. When we got back to the hotel, she was there. She had taken a cab back. We met tonite before dinner, which was the salad, some fried fish, some green soup, some pureed something, either butternut squash or sweet potatoes, and grilled veggies and a fruit salad. Tomorrow we're gonna brown bag our lunches as we head down to Saqqua amd the Step Pyramids.
I have to do devotion tomorrow morning. That should be interesting. Way more to write, but it's tough from the iphone. will edit this to include a link to the photos.
Tired, but lovin it!!
Here's the link to today's photos:
We started the day with a trip to the Egyptian museum. All Egyptian tours are required to have an armed guard. Ours sat beside me. His name was Eid.
We started the day discussing the infancy narrative in gospels of Matthew and Luke. Through them, we began to look at Egypt as a place of liberation, not oppression. Basically, we just took a look at the story from an Egyptian point of view.
We went on to the Egyptian museum, with our very knowledgeable guide, Walid.
Sorry, museums aren't my thing -- they're ok, but not when there are THOUSANDS of people waiting to get in, there are tour guides in a dozen different languages, the floors are hard, and there are people constantly pushing up against you. I think Cairo is one of the most densely populated cities in the world; something like 82 million Egyptians, with 20+ million living in Cairo? Too many folk for me.
So in the Egyptian museum, we looked at the various gods and the possible influence of Israelite or Canaanite culture on them. We saw evidence of when Abraham could have been in Egypt. Ahkenatun was the only king who lived in a stone palace (the others had focused not on their surroundings in this world, but in the world to come. Ahkenatun also normalized the concept of one God instead of many; he is known as he father of one God and one people: has multi ethnic characteristics. Had Marfan's syndrome.
In the afternoon, we visited the Pyramids and the Sphinx. AWESOME!! The link to my photos is below. One of our group got lost so we spent half the afternoon looking for her and didn't get to go to the bazaar. When we got back to the hotel, she was there. She had taken a cab back. We met tonite before dinner, which was the salad, some fried fish, some green soup, some pureed something, either butternut squash or sweet potatoes, and grilled veggies and a fruit salad. Tomorrow we're gonna brown bag our lunches as we head down to Saqqua amd the Step Pyramids.
I have to do devotion tomorrow morning. That should be interesting. Way more to write, but it's tough from the iphone. will edit this to include a link to the photos.
Tired, but lovin it!!
Here's the link to today's photos:
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
It's 11:30 pm here in Cairo
5:30 in NYC.
Most of us have arrived; we had dinner together in the hotel restaurant. It was a salad of chopped tomatoes, cukes and onions, some horrible supposedly cream of chicken soup, some really overdone sliced beef, roasted potatoes, and veggies, and something that may have been an Egyptian form of tapioca pudding with golden raisins in it.
After dinner, we went to walk along the river (geography buff here didn't realize we were walking along the Nile, because I didn't realie the Nile flowed through Cairo). Crossing the street in Cairo is amazing. There are no stoplights or stop signs, and only some bus drivers will stop for you. Otherwise, it's like a game of chicken. Not for the faint of heart.
We went to some place called Bim Bon or something. The group, I think, wanted drinks, but this place didn't serve alcohol. Most folk got some kind of smoothie; I wanted a tonic water. I think Peter got some babaganoush; there wasn't any hummous, so I got some calamari. Was surprised to see them come in strips instead of rings, and they were served with tartar sauce. There was apparantly some confusion about the tonic water. The menu said tonic soda, and they had to clarify that. Then the guy came back and tried to have a conversation about it, but neither of us understood the other. I thought he was going off to get my tonic water. Long story short, at the end of the night I got a club soda.
On the walk back, we went past a bunch of sheep or goats in front of a halal slaughterhouse. I was gonna take a picture, but the guy wanted a dollar. I know I coulda taken it anyway, but decided that instead I'd post about how everybody in the world is just out to get your dollars.
People like to play the "I don't have change" game, and that's fine; I just won't do business with you. There's a little bodega beside the hotel; I got a bag of chips, 2 yogurts, and a 1.5 liter bottle of water for 6 Egyptian pounds, or just over 1 dollar. (There's 5.7 Egyptian Pounds to the dollar right now). Compare that to the $1.00 per bottle we paid the driver for the 16 ounce bottles on the way here. We did that because the guide told us it was cheaper to buy from the driver than in the hotel.
The shop in the lobby sells oils. I actually want to get some oil and alabaster; there was a scent called Cleopatra that really spoke to me. Not sure how I'm going to lug it all through Egypt and Israel, though. We're suppozed to go to the bazaar tomorrow. There will be an opportunity to buy lots of stuff. I brought dollars instead of opting for the ATM; people seem to be giving me a fair exchange rate so far (except for the not having change issue), so I think I'll stick with that.
One of the things that happens for me is the overcommercialization of tourism just turns me off. If everyone on every corner is simply trying to make a buck, it sorta takes the allure away and makes me not want to spend any money. I want some papyrii and some souvenirs from the Sphinx and the pyramids, but I'm here less than a day and just Soooo not feeling that hustle thing.
I met some guy in the store who started talking to me. He wanted to give me his business card, he said, so would I just come around the corner with him. I walked a minute with him, but one block became another and another -- I wasn't afraid for my safety so much (even though I had my camera out with me) as I was just resentful at somebody trying to play me. So I turned around and came back to the hotel. Too bad. I coulda used a hookup for shopping. I mean, you know you're gonna get played a little bit, but come on, Dude -- what, I'm spozed to walk into a strange neighborhood with you? I know I'm an American and all, but we're still from the African diaspora. Get real.
I'm listening to CNN and wondering how the elections will go. I got that, and some cartoon channel that has some cartoons in English. There's a Bloomberg Channel and a Pentagon channel. There's also an Al-Jazeera channel, that I hear is in English.
Should be an interesting few days.
Pics from today are here:
Tomorrow we're off to the pyramids and the Egyptian Museum.
Most of us have arrived; we had dinner together in the hotel restaurant. It was a salad of chopped tomatoes, cukes and onions, some horrible supposedly cream of chicken soup, some really overdone sliced beef, roasted potatoes, and veggies, and something that may have been an Egyptian form of tapioca pudding with golden raisins in it.
After dinner, we went to walk along the river (geography buff here didn't realize we were walking along the Nile, because I didn't realie the Nile flowed through Cairo). Crossing the street in Cairo is amazing. There are no stoplights or stop signs, and only some bus drivers will stop for you. Otherwise, it's like a game of chicken. Not for the faint of heart.
We went to some place called Bim Bon or something. The group, I think, wanted drinks, but this place didn't serve alcohol. Most folk got some kind of smoothie; I wanted a tonic water. I think Peter got some babaganoush; there wasn't any hummous, so I got some calamari. Was surprised to see them come in strips instead of rings, and they were served with tartar sauce. There was apparantly some confusion about the tonic water. The menu said tonic soda, and they had to clarify that. Then the guy came back and tried to have a conversation about it, but neither of us understood the other. I thought he was going off to get my tonic water. Long story short, at the end of the night I got a club soda.
On the walk back, we went past a bunch of sheep or goats in front of a halal slaughterhouse. I was gonna take a picture, but the guy wanted a dollar. I know I coulda taken it anyway, but decided that instead I'd post about how everybody in the world is just out to get your dollars.
People like to play the "I don't have change" game, and that's fine; I just won't do business with you. There's a little bodega beside the hotel; I got a bag of chips, 2 yogurts, and a 1.5 liter bottle of water for 6 Egyptian pounds, or just over 1 dollar. (There's 5.7 Egyptian Pounds to the dollar right now). Compare that to the $1.00 per bottle we paid the driver for the 16 ounce bottles on the way here. We did that because the guide told us it was cheaper to buy from the driver than in the hotel.
The shop in the lobby sells oils. I actually want to get some oil and alabaster; there was a scent called Cleopatra that really spoke to me. Not sure how I'm going to lug it all through Egypt and Israel, though. We're suppozed to go to the bazaar tomorrow. There will be an opportunity to buy lots of stuff. I brought dollars instead of opting for the ATM; people seem to be giving me a fair exchange rate so far (except for the not having change issue), so I think I'll stick with that.
One of the things that happens for me is the overcommercialization of tourism just turns me off. If everyone on every corner is simply trying to make a buck, it sorta takes the allure away and makes me not want to spend any money. I want some papyrii and some souvenirs from the Sphinx and the pyramids, but I'm here less than a day and just Soooo not feeling that hustle thing.
I met some guy in the store who started talking to me. He wanted to give me his business card, he said, so would I just come around the corner with him. I walked a minute with him, but one block became another and another -- I wasn't afraid for my safety so much (even though I had my camera out with me) as I was just resentful at somebody trying to play me. So I turned around and came back to the hotel. Too bad. I coulda used a hookup for shopping. I mean, you know you're gonna get played a little bit, but come on, Dude -- what, I'm spozed to walk into a strange neighborhood with you? I know I'm an American and all, but we're still from the African diaspora. Get real.
I'm listening to CNN and wondering how the elections will go. I got that, and some cartoon channel that has some cartoons in English. There's a Bloomberg Channel and a Pentagon channel. There's also an Al-Jazeera channel, that I hear is in English.
Should be an interesting few days.
Pics from today are here:
Tomorrow we're off to the pyramids and the Egyptian Museum.
About to land in Cairo...
Totally uneventful flight. Sat behind a couple who insisted on reclining their seats. That's always a bit uncomfortable, but there's no law against people being thoughtless. They actually seemed like nice people.
Dinner coming over was some kind of grilled chicken covered in spices -- kinda like schwarma, but no bread and more spices. Very nice sauteed veggies, a salad, cheese and crackers, and a brownie. This morning's meal (it's about 8:30am NY time, but 2:30 pm Cairo time)-- so this last meal was some kinda microwaved pizza (the top was good) and something like orzo or pasta pearls with almond slivers and, I think, dates. And what seemed like green onions. it was kinda oily, but not sweet. Very tasty. We're descending now -- I can see streets and houses and cars -- so i should put this away.
There's a church group of African Americans here from St. Louis. I DO hope the CME church can take a group some day...
i see buildings and minarets... and Swimming pools! But for the most part, everything looks colorless from above, just like the desert we're flying over now...
and now we're on the ground! So far, the only thing different is that all the buildings are the same color. That, and the fact that we're on the ground at CAI, I can't get a signal -- oh wait! Here's a signal! I'm connected and will attempt to post while the plane is taxiing to the gate....
OK, there's a signal, but it appears there's a data restriction at the airport. Will try again when we clear customs or get to the hotel. We're on a bus now, waiting to go from the plane to the gate. As the locals would say, ALLAHU AKHBAR! GOD IS GREAT! note to self: learn to say "praise God" in Arabic. (It will be the Arabic equivalent of Hallelujiah)
Dinner coming over was some kind of grilled chicken covered in spices -- kinda like schwarma, but no bread and more spices. Very nice sauteed veggies, a salad, cheese and crackers, and a brownie. This morning's meal (it's about 8:30am NY time, but 2:30 pm Cairo time)-- so this last meal was some kinda microwaved pizza (the top was good) and something like orzo or pasta pearls with almond slivers and, I think, dates. And what seemed like green onions. it was kinda oily, but not sweet. Very tasty. We're descending now -- I can see streets and houses and cars -- so i should put this away.
There's a church group of African Americans here from St. Louis. I DO hope the CME church can take a group some day...
i see buildings and minarets... and Swimming pools! But for the most part, everything looks colorless from above, just like the desert we're flying over now...
and now we're on the ground! So far, the only thing different is that all the buildings are the same color. That, and the fact that we're on the ground at CAI, I can't get a signal -- oh wait! Here's a signal! I'm connected and will attempt to post while the plane is taxiing to the gate....
OK, there's a signal, but it appears there's a data restriction at the airport. Will try again when we clear customs or get to the hotel. We're on a bus now, waiting to go from the plane to the gate. As the locals would say, ALLAHU AKHBAR! GOD IS GREAT! note to self: learn to say "praise God" in Arabic. (It will be the Arabic equivalent of Hallelujiah)
Monday, November 1, 2010
Sitting at Gate 8 at JFK
So it's 8:39 and I've checked in. I'm connected to the internet through my jailbroken, tethered iPhone. Probably should have bought more than 20MB of data for international use (since this works), but I'm quite happy that I've gotten around ATT's repressive pricing properties, since I have an unlimited data plan. It's not like I download movies to my iPhone... I always lose minutes -- why can't I tether if I want to?
ANYway, I talked on the phone with a woman named Marianne, who will be one of my traveling companions. We've described ourselves to each other, but I don't see her (I remember short salt and pepper hair). There are lots of women in traditional Muslim garb here, more Asians than I would have thought, a couple of gray-haired older African American women, a Muslim African-American guy, and a lot of other people who "look Egyptian." I don't say that in a racist way; I can listen to an Arab-speaking person speak English and often tell that they're Egyptian -- it's just something that comes with the exposure one has while living in NYC. NYC is so interesting -- on any given day, either leaving the office to get the bus, or walking from the bus stop home, I'll greet people in Spanish, French, Arabic, and English. The other day I stopped in a restaurant, and the guys were playing a version of Bob Marley's classic "War" -- but it was in French. They were saying guerre du nord, Guerre du sur (or something. But they were doing the part where he talks about war in the four directions.) So I started singing and dancing with him. He asked me how I knew it, and I told him "I know the song in English!"
Those are the things I like about NYC.
So some guy just came and plugged his phone in, and when he did my laptop screen went dim. We worked it out, and now he's getting power and so do I. People are really amazing sometimes. I was in the line at Starbucks. They didn't have any decaf coffee and were explaining the options. I was trying to decide whether to have a Cafe Americano or a Cappuccino, and this woman behind me goes, "excuse me, I have a plane to catch." I told her to wait til I finished, and then I turned to her and said "It's an airport, hun. We all have planes to catch. Do you want me to stop doing what I'm doing because you're late?" She tells me, "You don't have to be so aggressive," to which I replied, "but I wasn't the one interrupting someone's order, now was I?" At which point she apologized. She spoke with a French accent, so I can't even accuse her of being a rude New Yorker. And I wonder if her apology was because she realized she was out of line, or because she just didn't want a conflict. Honey, if you're running late, get out of line at Starbucks and go catch your plane. Don't hate on me because I came to the airport with enough time to get coffee from the notoriously slow Starbucks....
I'm pretty happy. Sitting here with only my hoodie and my camera/laptop bag (which they didn't open and scan as I had thought. I have SO many electronics in here, and they let me go through without a second look.) My bag-inside-a-bag weighed 43 pounds, and when I put my coat in it weighed 48 pounds. Which means I get to buy 50 pounds worth of souvenirs! I took my knee brace from the side of my camera bag (strapped it there to get through security easier, rather than wearing it), and put it on in the bathroom. So now all my electronics are in an easily stashable bag, I have my hoodie and a long-sleeved tee (it's like 70 degrees in Cairo), I have my Bible in my pocket, a bottle of water and a decaf cappuccino. I'm good.
Let me stop posting. I'm typing and looking around, and I think people are thinking I'm weird. It's now 8:54. We don't start boarding til 9:40. I'm in seat 40A, Zone 3. I have to go look u p the kind of airplane we are in so I'll know where my seat is, but I think A will be a window seat. Even though I'd checked in with the Delta iPhone app, my Sky Miles number wasn't attached to my reservation when I went to check in. I attached it, though, and I think it has all my preferences, so I think it will be a window seat. I'ma publish this post, check it out, then come back and edit it.
The plane is a Boeing 767. 40A is a window seat towards the rear of the plane. At least I'll be close to the bano....
ANYway, I talked on the phone with a woman named Marianne, who will be one of my traveling companions. We've described ourselves to each other, but I don't see her (I remember short salt and pepper hair). There are lots of women in traditional Muslim garb here, more Asians than I would have thought, a couple of gray-haired older African American women, a Muslim African-American guy, and a lot of other people who "look Egyptian." I don't say that in a racist way; I can listen to an Arab-speaking person speak English and often tell that they're Egyptian -- it's just something that comes with the exposure one has while living in NYC. NYC is so interesting -- on any given day, either leaving the office to get the bus, or walking from the bus stop home, I'll greet people in Spanish, French, Arabic, and English. The other day I stopped in a restaurant, and the guys were playing a version of Bob Marley's classic "War" -- but it was in French. They were saying guerre du nord, Guerre du sur (or something. But they were doing the part where he talks about war in the four directions.) So I started singing and dancing with him. He asked me how I knew it, and I told him "I know the song in English!"
Those are the things I like about NYC.
So some guy just came and plugged his phone in, and when he did my laptop screen went dim. We worked it out, and now he's getting power and so do I. People are really amazing sometimes. I was in the line at Starbucks. They didn't have any decaf coffee and were explaining the options. I was trying to decide whether to have a Cafe Americano or a Cappuccino, and this woman behind me goes, "excuse me, I have a plane to catch." I told her to wait til I finished, and then I turned to her and said "It's an airport, hun. We all have planes to catch. Do you want me to stop doing what I'm doing because you're late?" She tells me, "You don't have to be so aggressive," to which I replied, "but I wasn't the one interrupting someone's order, now was I?" At which point she apologized. She spoke with a French accent, so I can't even accuse her of being a rude New Yorker. And I wonder if her apology was because she realized she was out of line, or because she just didn't want a conflict. Honey, if you're running late, get out of line at Starbucks and go catch your plane. Don't hate on me because I came to the airport with enough time to get coffee from the notoriously slow Starbucks....
I'm pretty happy. Sitting here with only my hoodie and my camera/laptop bag (which they didn't open and scan as I had thought. I have SO many electronics in here, and they let me go through without a second look.) My bag-inside-a-bag weighed 43 pounds, and when I put my coat in it weighed 48 pounds. Which means I get to buy 50 pounds worth of souvenirs! I took my knee brace from the side of my camera bag (strapped it there to get through security easier, rather than wearing it), and put it on in the bathroom. So now all my electronics are in an easily stashable bag, I have my hoodie and a long-sleeved tee (it's like 70 degrees in Cairo), I have my Bible in my pocket, a bottle of water and a decaf cappuccino. I'm good.
Let me stop posting. I'm typing and looking around, and I think people are thinking I'm weird. It's now 8:54. We don't start boarding til 9:40. I'm in seat 40A, Zone 3. I have to go look u p the kind of airplane we are in so I'll know where my seat is, but I think A will be a window seat. Even though I'd checked in with the Delta iPhone app, my Sky Miles number wasn't attached to my reservation when I went to check in. I attached it, though, and I think it has all my preferences, so I think it will be a window seat. I'ma publish this post, check it out, then come back and edit it.
The plane is a Boeing 767. 40A is a window seat towards the rear of the plane. At least I'll be close to the bano....
My brother's on TV!
So my younger (can't call him little anymore) brother was on WRAL, being interviewed for a spot about Halloween. He's dressed up with the straw hat and the kerchief on -- I'm thinking he was probably a scarecrow. If you know my brother, you know that he is as meticulous about his dress as I am un-meticulous about mine.
It was really interesting to hear him say that he's been in Chapel Hill for all his life: 35 years. Since I'm five years his senior, I guess that means I'm forty!
I love my younger brother.
Here he is: http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/8542207/#/vid8542207
He's at 0:49 and again at 1:34,but watch the whole clip. It's classic Chapel Hill but unfortunately, highlights that our little Town is getting bigger. Still, people come from far and near to experience that which is The Hill, and there's my brother, right in the midst of it!
Meanwhile, I'm 'bout ready to take off. I've done my day's workout, hit the pharmacy, the bank, made the necessary changes for the plastic and the phone, have made a list and checked it twice, and the van is due here in a little over an hour. Next post will either be through the iPhone from JFK or else from Cairo. Shalom and Ma'a Salaama, y'all!!
It was really interesting to hear him say that he's been in Chapel Hill for all his life: 35 years. Since I'm five years his senior, I guess that means I'm forty!
I love my younger brother.
Here he is: http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/8542207/#/vid8542207
He's at 0:49 and again at 1:34,but watch the whole clip. It's classic Chapel Hill but unfortunately, highlights that our little Town is getting bigger. Still, people come from far and near to experience that which is The Hill, and there's my brother, right in the midst of it!
Meanwhile, I'm 'bout ready to take off. I've done my day's workout, hit the pharmacy, the bank, made the necessary changes for the plastic and the phone, have made a list and checked it twice, and the van is due here in a little over an hour. Next post will either be through the iPhone from JFK or else from Cairo. Shalom and Ma'a Salaama, y'all!!