Letter from Palestine, 39. The end.
30th May 2005
Dear friends!
I have ended my nine months long stay in Palestine, sitting home in Ringerike writing. It is a bit wistful. I planned to send this letter from Jerusalem, but preferred social gatherings rather than writing letters the last evenings. I am satisfied with that. I have the chance to write now, here I am remembering good experiences and already start feeling the privation. I will let you know some of it.
Security
-Or everything is not a privation... I do not think I will miss everything done from "security reasons". Security is played-up. Security is an idol and an excuse I do not believe. Security is normally just nonsense and a cover name for humiliation. But sometimes it can be funny, like at the airport in Tel Aviv yesterday. I had expected to spend some time in the security check, I have earlier experienced that it may be necessary when they face dangerous people like me. They quickly became suspicious of me this time as well. I only had to mention "exchange in YWCA" and the security lady backed several steps, consulted a colleague, put red stickers on my luggage and said: "Come with me, please". Red stickers are signs of danger. They have a colour code system with six colours, and red is worst, or best, as you see it, at least it results in the most attention. The red colour gave me personal company of 3-4 security guards for about an hour before they were finished with me, nice use of time and money. After a questioning which did not reveal the big secrets, my luggage was screened and unpacked, item by item. They did not find any explosives there, and continued then carefully with a metal detector search all over my body. I do not know if they were disappointed by the result. I was quite satisfied. It was not as unpleasant as I had feared, the guards were polite, and actually I found it funny. At the end I was accompanied to the passport control, so that I did not have to pass the same security control again. It was quite considerate. No, I do not think I will miss the "security", but the humour it provokes I might miss.
Religion
After a night on a bench on London Heathrow, I went to the inter-faith prayer room before my flight this morning. Nobody was there when I came, but after some time a Jew with his prayer shawl entered the room and started his prayer. After a while a Muslim came with his prayer mat and turned towards Mecca. There we were, a Jew, a Muslim and a Christian, in prayer to the one God, in a special fellowship, without words, but in prayer. It was a great experience, and especially strong after having travelled from Jerusalem where the religions live so close. I will miss the colourful interaction between the religions. I like seeing people so deeply committed in what they believe in. There are quite a few of them in Jerusalem, too many, some think. "The problem with this place is that people are too religious," I have heard a couple of times. I do not know if I agree. For some the religious conviction can destroy the will of coexistence. I know that the extremes exist, I will not miss them. But I have seen positive religious powers working together in edification creating hope for the future through work for justice and peace. I will miss the positive power I have experienced among people taking their religion seriously, when they read that salaam or shalom or peace is the essence in the religion, and live after that.
The Old City
I have often been annoyed by how slow the stream of people goes through the markets in the Old City, I have a tendency to count the time needed according to distance and not people in the street when I have been on my way through the city. I find it to be too many shops with clothes, souvenirs and food in a small area. But I will miss it. I will miss the nice salesmen inviting you for a cup of tea with mint both if they think you will buy something and not. I will miss the old women in their traditional embroidered dresses sitting along the streets selling herbs. I will miss all the churches in the Old City, especially the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. "My place" on the skull will have to manage without me now, and I without it. Where will I now find the quiet songs of the Ethiopian monks or the beautiful processions of the Franciscans? Who will now inspire me with their Orthodox or Catholic piety?
The church
Though both Orthodox and Catholic traditions in different ways fascinate me, it is my Anglican Church, St George's, I will miss the most. I will miss the daily prayers, I will miss having time to participate in them several times a week. I will miss my active participation in the Sunday services. I will miss my friends there, strong personalities, burning committed activists, brave everyday heroes. I will miss the priests, servants of God who dare to be clear at the same time as they give what you need to come further. I will miss the spiritual fellowship, and the possibility to grow in faith, at the source of faith. But who says that I can not continue this journey? I have experienced that it is possible, now it is up to me to find what I need where I am now.
The end
I have called this letter "The end". Is this the end? At least it is the end of my nine months long exchange period with YWCA in Palestine. But as one of my wise friends in Jerusalem said: "You do not travel back to Norway, but further on to Norway. You are changed, and continue your journey through your life." I do not think there will be weekly letters this summer. But I have thought that those who wish, can continue to follow my journey. Those who do not wish, who have only been interested because it has been about Palestine, or for other reasons do not want more letters, can let me know, and I will take them off the list. At the end I remind you of my blog, where you find my letters and pictures: http://banglahanne.blogspot.com/
Wistful greetings from Hanne.
Dear friends!
I have ended my nine months long stay in Palestine, sitting home in Ringerike writing. It is a bit wistful. I planned to send this letter from Jerusalem, but preferred social gatherings rather than writing letters the last evenings. I am satisfied with that. I have the chance to write now, here I am remembering good experiences and already start feeling the privation. I will let you know some of it.
Security
-Or everything is not a privation... I do not think I will miss everything done from "security reasons". Security is played-up. Security is an idol and an excuse I do not believe. Security is normally just nonsense and a cover name for humiliation. But sometimes it can be funny, like at the airport in Tel Aviv yesterday. I had expected to spend some time in the security check, I have earlier experienced that it may be necessary when they face dangerous people like me. They quickly became suspicious of me this time as well. I only had to mention "exchange in YWCA" and the security lady backed several steps, consulted a colleague, put red stickers on my luggage and said: "Come with me, please". Red stickers are signs of danger. They have a colour code system with six colours, and red is worst, or best, as you see it, at least it results in the most attention. The red colour gave me personal company of 3-4 security guards for about an hour before they were finished with me, nice use of time and money. After a questioning which did not reveal the big secrets, my luggage was screened and unpacked, item by item. They did not find any explosives there, and continued then carefully with a metal detector search all over my body. I do not know if they were disappointed by the result. I was quite satisfied. It was not as unpleasant as I had feared, the guards were polite, and actually I found it funny. At the end I was accompanied to the passport control, so that I did not have to pass the same security control again. It was quite considerate. No, I do not think I will miss the "security", but the humour it provokes I might miss.
Religion
After a night on a bench on London Heathrow, I went to the inter-faith prayer room before my flight this morning. Nobody was there when I came, but after some time a Jew with his prayer shawl entered the room and started his prayer. After a while a Muslim came with his prayer mat and turned towards Mecca. There we were, a Jew, a Muslim and a Christian, in prayer to the one God, in a special fellowship, without words, but in prayer. It was a great experience, and especially strong after having travelled from Jerusalem where the religions live so close. I will miss the colourful interaction between the religions. I like seeing people so deeply committed in what they believe in. There are quite a few of them in Jerusalem, too many, some think. "The problem with this place is that people are too religious," I have heard a couple of times. I do not know if I agree. For some the religious conviction can destroy the will of coexistence. I know that the extremes exist, I will not miss them. But I have seen positive religious powers working together in edification creating hope for the future through work for justice and peace. I will miss the positive power I have experienced among people taking their religion seriously, when they read that salaam or shalom or peace is the essence in the religion, and live after that.
The Old City
I have often been annoyed by how slow the stream of people goes through the markets in the Old City, I have a tendency to count the time needed according to distance and not people in the street when I have been on my way through the city. I find it to be too many shops with clothes, souvenirs and food in a small area. But I will miss it. I will miss the nice salesmen inviting you for a cup of tea with mint both if they think you will buy something and not. I will miss the old women in their traditional embroidered dresses sitting along the streets selling herbs. I will miss all the churches in the Old City, especially the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. "My place" on the skull will have to manage without me now, and I without it. Where will I now find the quiet songs of the Ethiopian monks or the beautiful processions of the Franciscans? Who will now inspire me with their Orthodox or Catholic piety?
The church
Though both Orthodox and Catholic traditions in different ways fascinate me, it is my Anglican Church, St George's, I will miss the most. I will miss the daily prayers, I will miss having time to participate in them several times a week. I will miss my active participation in the Sunday services. I will miss my friends there, strong personalities, burning committed activists, brave everyday heroes. I will miss the priests, servants of God who dare to be clear at the same time as they give what you need to come further. I will miss the spiritual fellowship, and the possibility to grow in faith, at the source of faith. But who says that I can not continue this journey? I have experienced that it is possible, now it is up to me to find what I need where I am now.
The end
I have called this letter "The end". Is this the end? At least it is the end of my nine months long exchange period with YWCA in Palestine. But as one of my wise friends in Jerusalem said: "You do not travel back to Norway, but further on to Norway. You are changed, and continue your journey through your life." I do not think there will be weekly letters this summer. But I have thought that those who wish, can continue to follow my journey. Those who do not wish, who have only been interested because it has been about Palestine, or for other reasons do not want more letters, can let me know, and I will take them off the list. At the end I remind you of my blog, where you find my letters and pictures: http://banglahanne.blogspot.com/
Wistful greetings from Hanne.
posted by Hanne at 3:11 PM
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