Letter 51. Christmas mood.
24th December 2005
Dear friends,
I haven’t written for a month, and those who have not heard from me since then, might wonder where in the world I am now. I left Bangladesh 30th November. On my way home, I spent some time in Palestine, and I came to Norway 20th December. Palestine was surprisingly hot at this time of the year. Norway was then surprisingly cold. The temperature was not that low (it has not been colder than -10, and mostly between 0 and -5 degrees Celsius), but I did not remember that it feels so cold. I thought it was not possible to go skiing in such weather, but it was. Stine helped me to find out, and we had a very good trip. Another strange aspect of this country in December is that it is so dark. I start to understand why I always have had problems getting up in the morning in winter. I do not wake up before 9.00 (and not necessarily then either) if I do not have an alarm clock.
I will give you a short summary of the last weeks. I wrote another letter from Bangladesh, by hand, but I never sat long enough at a computer to type and send it. It was about the political situation in November, and I find it a bit late to send now. But some of it might come later. The last days in Bangladesh I spent visiting Dinajpur, northwest in the country, where I got the opportunity to meet the smallest indigenous group in Bangladesh, consisting of 16 families. I think I agree to some extent with those who say that Dhaka is not Bangladesh. At least the countryside is something different, which I like much more.
In Palestine I have mostly stayed in Jerusalem, but I have also travelled around visiting YWCA in Jericho and Jalazone and meeting old and new friends. I was in Taybeh for the first time, the only 100 % Christian village in Palestine. The 1500 inhabitants are belonging to three different denominations, Roman-Catholic, Greek-Orthodox and Greek-Catholic (Melkite). It is a peaceful, small village, and I was invited in when I passed some houses on my wandering around the village. The Roman-Catholic church has started some exciting projects. I visited their new home for elderly, which was much better than where I have worked in Norway. I also visited the peace lamp industry where their aim is to make and sell 100.000 ceramic lamps. The priest who started this project had two big aims; to create job opportunities and to make peace. Many Palestinians migrate because of lack of work. Taybeh earlier had the double amount of inhabitants. Especially Christian Palestinians with their contacts abroad can easily move. More job opportunities make more people stay. When it comes to the peace aim, it is obvious that when 100.000 congregations around the world light their lamps and pray for peace, God has to listen. You can read more about Taybeh at http://www.taybeh.info/indexen.htm
The reason that I chose to go to Palestine before Norway, was that I thought this would be the best place for me to reflect on where I am now. To be in Jerusalem gives a special frame, and churches, prayers and people help creating the right environment for reflection. It doesn’t mean that I know exactly what the future will bring. I have a feeling that many now expect an answer on what I will become. You will have to wait more. But I have come some steps further on the way, which is still very exciting.
As you might remember from last year, I found Advent so genuine in Palestine, and that was also a reason that I wanted to go there again at this time of the year. As it is not Bethlehem Christmas for me this year, I have spent some time there during Advent, and as last year I have had the chance to be alone in the grotto in the Church of the Nativity a few times. It is somehow sad as I know there should be tourists and pilgrims, but it is also very peaceful and nice to be there alone. The joy from one of my visits in the grotto was suddenly broken once, when I went directly to the checkpoint to go to Jerusalem. The wall is now finished between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The checkpoint is a terminal looking more like an airport. The child in the crib a few kilometres away seems very far from this reality, though I know the situation was not easy 2000 years ago either.
I knew I was not quite ready for a normal sweet, Norwegian Christmas celebration this year. I needed to protest in some way, and I thought it might be through a wall. “I want to build a wall,” I said to Karoline, my younger sister, when I came home. “Oh, are we making a gingerbread wall!” she said, and so we did. I wonder if my mother thinks I am a bit crazy. Let her think so. She has been to Palestine herself, so she should have some understanding. I feel almost like being my own psychologist. I am quite satisfied with the therapy I have given me, to build this awful wall, and decorate it with slogans for peace, for then to tear it down and release the Christmas. If Israel thinks there will be peace some time, they could follow our example and make the wall of eatable material, then they can have a nice time eating it when they tear it down some time in the future.
I have posted pictures of the (gingerbread) wall on my blog http://banglahanne.blogspot.com/ Each wall element has its message of peace. Notice the three kings being stopped by the soldiers. More pictures of the real wall might be posted later if I get my luggage (it has not finished its plane journey yet, I hope it will soon arrive).
I want to conclude this letter with a few thoughts from a Bible study in St. George’s this Advent. A question about peace came up: How is the experience of peace in this “city of peace”, Jerusalem? Jerusalem is not the most peaceful city, especially if you move towards Bethlehem. But there is something about Jerusalem, and Bethlehem, and it was described: Here you find the inner peace more than any other place. Perhaps just because of the lack of peace on the surface, the inner peace becomes so strong. The hope and the joy from what happened in these towns 2000 years ago, give real peace also today. Here in my quiet and peaceful Norway (where it is so quiet that I do not wake up without an alarm clock), I have lots of peace on the surface. But I have a stronger experience of the inner peace in the Holy Land.
I wish you a blessed and peaceful Christmas.
Greetings from Hanne.
Dear friends,
I haven’t written for a month, and those who have not heard from me since then, might wonder where in the world I am now. I left Bangladesh 30th November. On my way home, I spent some time in Palestine, and I came to Norway 20th December. Palestine was surprisingly hot at this time of the year. Norway was then surprisingly cold. The temperature was not that low (it has not been colder than -10, and mostly between 0 and -5 degrees Celsius), but I did not remember that it feels so cold. I thought it was not possible to go skiing in such weather, but it was. Stine helped me to find out, and we had a very good trip. Another strange aspect of this country in December is that it is so dark. I start to understand why I always have had problems getting up in the morning in winter. I do not wake up before 9.00 (and not necessarily then either) if I do not have an alarm clock.
I will give you a short summary of the last weeks. I wrote another letter from Bangladesh, by hand, but I never sat long enough at a computer to type and send it. It was about the political situation in November, and I find it a bit late to send now. But some of it might come later. The last days in Bangladesh I spent visiting Dinajpur, northwest in the country, where I got the opportunity to meet the smallest indigenous group in Bangladesh, consisting of 16 families. I think I agree to some extent with those who say that Dhaka is not Bangladesh. At least the countryside is something different, which I like much more.
In Palestine I have mostly stayed in Jerusalem, but I have also travelled around visiting YWCA in Jericho and Jalazone and meeting old and new friends. I was in Taybeh for the first time, the only 100 % Christian village in Palestine. The 1500 inhabitants are belonging to three different denominations, Roman-Catholic, Greek-Orthodox and Greek-Catholic (Melkite). It is a peaceful, small village, and I was invited in when I passed some houses on my wandering around the village. The Roman-Catholic church has started some exciting projects. I visited their new home for elderly, which was much better than where I have worked in Norway. I also visited the peace lamp industry where their aim is to make and sell 100.000 ceramic lamps. The priest who started this project had two big aims; to create job opportunities and to make peace. Many Palestinians migrate because of lack of work. Taybeh earlier had the double amount of inhabitants. Especially Christian Palestinians with their contacts abroad can easily move. More job opportunities make more people stay. When it comes to the peace aim, it is obvious that when 100.000 congregations around the world light their lamps and pray for peace, God has to listen. You can read more about Taybeh at http://www.taybeh.info/indexen.htm
The reason that I chose to go to Palestine before Norway, was that I thought this would be the best place for me to reflect on where I am now. To be in Jerusalem gives a special frame, and churches, prayers and people help creating the right environment for reflection. It doesn’t mean that I know exactly what the future will bring. I have a feeling that many now expect an answer on what I will become. You will have to wait more. But I have come some steps further on the way, which is still very exciting.
As you might remember from last year, I found Advent so genuine in Palestine, and that was also a reason that I wanted to go there again at this time of the year. As it is not Bethlehem Christmas for me this year, I have spent some time there during Advent, and as last year I have had the chance to be alone in the grotto in the Church of the Nativity a few times. It is somehow sad as I know there should be tourists and pilgrims, but it is also very peaceful and nice to be there alone. The joy from one of my visits in the grotto was suddenly broken once, when I went directly to the checkpoint to go to Jerusalem. The wall is now finished between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The checkpoint is a terminal looking more like an airport. The child in the crib a few kilometres away seems very far from this reality, though I know the situation was not easy 2000 years ago either.
I knew I was not quite ready for a normal sweet, Norwegian Christmas celebration this year. I needed to protest in some way, and I thought it might be through a wall. “I want to build a wall,” I said to Karoline, my younger sister, when I came home. “Oh, are we making a gingerbread wall!” she said, and so we did. I wonder if my mother thinks I am a bit crazy. Let her think so. She has been to Palestine herself, so she should have some understanding. I feel almost like being my own psychologist. I am quite satisfied with the therapy I have given me, to build this awful wall, and decorate it with slogans for peace, for then to tear it down and release the Christmas. If Israel thinks there will be peace some time, they could follow our example and make the wall of eatable material, then they can have a nice time eating it when they tear it down some time in the future.
I have posted pictures of the (gingerbread) wall on my blog http://banglahanne.blogspot.com/ Each wall element has its message of peace. Notice the three kings being stopped by the soldiers. More pictures of the real wall might be posted later if I get my luggage (it has not finished its plane journey yet, I hope it will soon arrive).
I want to conclude this letter with a few thoughts from a Bible study in St. George’s this Advent. A question about peace came up: How is the experience of peace in this “city of peace”, Jerusalem? Jerusalem is not the most peaceful city, especially if you move towards Bethlehem. But there is something about Jerusalem, and Bethlehem, and it was described: Here you find the inner peace more than any other place. Perhaps just because of the lack of peace on the surface, the inner peace becomes so strong. The hope and the joy from what happened in these towns 2000 years ago, give real peace also today. Here in my quiet and peaceful Norway (where it is so quiet that I do not wake up without an alarm clock), I have lots of peace on the surface. But I have a stronger experience of the inner peace in the Holy Land.
I wish you a blessed and peaceful Christmas.
Greetings from Hanne.
posted by Hanne at 10:55 AM
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