I leave shortly for Nazret and am somewhat at a loss as to what to write. Today I had tea with my friend Abraham and then we went to visit his week old baby. As I meet with Abraham he shares parts of his story. Though here is not the place to tell his story I will share some words he shared. We were talking about the power of sharing our stories. He says that in sharing his story he hopes to help others know they are not alone in their suffering. He told us that the pain and suffering he has gone through has helped him develop an empathy for fellow Ethiopians. Abraham has a good heart and much wisdom. He has made mistakes and he has suffered greatly but he is willing to share and he is learning to keep going and to find hope.
On Sunday the MCC team prepared the church service. Instead of giving a sermon we told stories. Our stories began with the Kingdom of God is like…
I wrote that the Kingdom of God is like a story. By sharing our stories we can work to bring reconciliation. As I share my story and Abraham shares his story we learn that we are interconnected. By sharing our stories, though details may be different, we learn that we all share the human experience and in that experience there are joys and sorrows. As we listen to each other, the other becomes a person. A person who is like you, a person who you can relate to. When the other obtains an identity it is harder to hate, harder to ignore. When you know a person action and reconciliation become more likely. The power of story brings about shared suffering, shared hope, shared joy, shared healing, and shared reconciliation. And this is the Kingdom of God where each person matters.
I watched “Cry the Beloved Country” today. The movie takes place in South Africa in the 1940s during a time of great division and violence between blacks and whites. At one point we hear in the words of a white man that the violence is their fault. I can’t remember the rest of the line but I feel like it had something to do with the white man needing to take responsibility for separating themselves from the black South Africans. The movie depicts two fathers one whose son killed the others son. The two fathers one black the other white meet each other and share their stories. When the two men share their stories they learn to care for the other and the one who lost his son learns to care for the other son and his family. When we share our stories we find common ground on which relationships are built and peace and reconciliation are possible.
In time I too will have more stories to share and as you hear them the people here in Ethiopia will come to life – hopefully J.
Peace
1 comment:
It's encouraging to hear that your story is accessible even to those in another culture. Your hopes and dreams, your past--your story can translate to another culture and be shared there, and valued. Keep sharing your story, with your heart open as God writes new pages.
Post a Comment