Journey to Rwanda: Listening for the Creative Psalm of Sister & Brotherhood in Plain Words

 

Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills

I will listen to what you are saying,
for you are speaking peace to your faithful people
and to those who turn their hearts to you.
~ Psalm 85:1

Our blog has been silent for many months, but now it's time to get it talking again because we are preparing to leave for Rwanda in late December. This time last year, we--a group of Episcopal clergy and lay people, including college students and religious educators from the Diocese of Massachusetts--were getting ready to depart for Israel/Palestine to learn from people of different faiths and cultures who are committed to the peace process in that torn land. Now, we are preparing to leave for East Africa in a week's time. We have gotten ourselves ready through prayer, readings and film watching, group meetings, theological reflection, and a visit from The Rev. Philbert Kalisa of REACH Rwanda. We have had our immunizations, including the yellow fever inoculations required for entry into the country, where yellow fever and malaria are borne by mosquitoes that buzz around at night. We have shared our expectations and worries with each other and our friends, families, and church communities. Now, it is almost time to depart for this beautiful country with a deep and richly textured history and culture. There, we will learn about the horrific events of the 1994 genocide--and we will also learn about the ways in which Rwandans have lived not only through that dark time, but beyond it with hope and a vision for a peaceful future in which the beloved community of God is experienced as a reality.

The Rev. Philbert Kalisa of REACH Rwanda with Boston College student pilgrims.

Photo courtesy of Meredith Koch.

A small nation with a land mass the size of Maryland and a population of just over 11 million, Rwanda is tucked into East Africa between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, and Burundi. Geologically, Rwanda is situated in the Great Rift Valley, and its rivers are part of a system that is the origin of the Nile, which eventually runs northward into Egypt. Due to the mountains and lush landscapes of its central and western regions, the country is known as "the land of a thousand hills," which in French is "Pays des Mille Collines." In these green hills live the mountain gorillas made famous by Dian Fossey, whose experience in Rwanda is recounted in the film about her life, Gorillas in the Mist (1988).  In the east toward the border with Tanzania, Rwanda features a stunning African savannah of grassland and acacia woodlands where elephants, hippos, buffalo, giraffes, leopards, and other large animals live. All of us look forward to seeing the amazing landscapes, the animals and plant life and geographical features that make Rwanda an enchanting land not only for its visitors, but also for the people who have lived there for thousands of years.

 

Mille Collines, the thousand hills, is also the name of the four-star hotel in Kigali where Paul Rusesabagina welcomed and protected over 1,000 refugees during the genocide, when between 500,000 and 1 million Tutsi and Hutu people were killed by Hutu militias in just 100 days. Rusesabagina's story of the creative power of love for humanity against the human tendency to destroy others and the world is narrated in the film, Hotel Rwanda (2004), which we watched in preparation for our journey. After the film was made, Rusesabagina told his own story in An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography (2006), where he claims that he did nothing extraordinary in his efforts to keep people alive. He writes:

I am not a politician or a poet. I built my career on words that are plain and ordinary and concerned with everyday details. I am nothing more or less than a hotel manager, trained to negotiate contracts and charged to give shelter to those who need it. My job did not change in the genocide, even though I was thrust into a sea of fire. I only spoke the words that seemed normal and sane to me. I did what I believed to be the ordinary things that an ordinary man would do. I said no to outrageous actions the way I thought that anybody would, and it still mystifies me that so many others could say yes. 

Paul Rusesabagina

Although many have characterized the genocide in Rwanda as an experience with a pure and unearthly evil, Rusesabagina and others show us how ordinary people organize themselves in murderous and destructive ways. Evil, which seems at times to be out-of-this-world, can also be understood to be part of ordinary existence, something enacted by people gone awry in their daily lives. At the same time that we see through the genocide the presence of something so dark and ominous in human nature, we also see in Rusesabagina's life and in so many Rwandans' efforts to effect healing that it is possible to live with a love for humanity and a dedication to common decency, no matter what the circumstances of our lives. Groups like Philbert Kalisa's REACH Rwanda, our hosts for the duration of our pilgrimage, live with this kind of love, working for peace by sharing their message and considering the importance of the means by which they share it. REACH Rwanda gathers people together to tell the truth about what happened in their land and to dream of reconciliation in their communities, their nation, and the world. They strive for a world that becomes the beloved community of God, a world where, as Martin Luther King, Jr., put it in his Nobel Prize Award Acceptance Speech in 1964, we can "transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood." 

Mercy and truth have met together;

righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

~ Psalm 85:10 

Those of us embarking on this journey to Rwanda, the land of a thousand gorgeous hills and of a great human devastation, will be listening for the sound of this creative psalm as we make our way across the wide earth this winter. We invite you to join our pilgrimage through this blog, which we will update each day, from our departure from the U.S. on December 27 through our return on January 7.  We ask for your prayers and good thoughts, too, as we meet the people of Rwanda and listen to their stories of fear and hope and a world in which the beloved community of M.L.King can become a reality.

Elephants enjoying a meal on the African savannah.

~ Post by Shan Overton, Rwanda pilgrimage participant and PhD Student at Boston College

To learn more about REACH Rwanda, who will be hosting our visit, see their website at

http://www.reach-rwanda.org/index.html

The psalm selections are taken from The Saint Helena Psalter (2004), a translation published by the sisters of the Order of St. Helena, who were attentive to using inclusive language in their prayerful work.

The World We Leave Behind

Well everyone, we are on our way back. I’m sitting here in Ben Gurion, pecking away at the keyboard of Judith’s undersized laptop. It seems like just yesterday that we passed through this same place, but at the same time so much has happened since then. It has been an incredible week for all of us; I think it’ll take some time to really process what we’ve experienced and discover the full meaning of the world we are leaving behind – but one we will never forget.

Hand it to Bob and Maurine – a day walking around the town that Jesus grew up in was the perfect way to wrap up our week-long pilgrimage to Israel and Palestine. We met our tour guide, Azar, after breakfast and began hiking up the hill to visit Don Bosco, an Arab school. 

 

The Church at Don Bosco

The view was simply incredibly; the entire city of Nazareth was spread out before us, and Mt. Precipice – where Luke says an angry mob once attempted to throw Jesus off a cliff – stood tall in the distance.

We then descended the hill, passing through the busy marketplace to the Basilica of the Annunciation, which stands over the location where Mary was visited by an angel. We followed Azar inside, passing by the ancient Crusader and Byzantine ruins. There’s not much left – only a small grotto – but the altar remains inside. The walls are lined with beautiful mosaics that almost every country in the world has donated to the basilica (to be honest, ours isn’t particularly stunning). The upper level is entirely dedicated to Mary.

 Basilica of the Annunciation

We stopped by St. Joseph’s and the Greek Orthodox Church before heading to the Sisters of Nazareth Convent.  Our first order of business there was to explore the underground ruins beneath the convent, which were discovered in the waning years of the 19^th. century. There are some pretty impressive archeological designs: 1^st century tombs (which had housed the skeleton of what excavators believed to be a bishop), and structures build by both the Crusaders and the Byzantines. One of the tombs in particular garnered our interest – one which shared the same model of the tomb that Jesus was resurrected in.

After a while poking around the musty (but still fascinating) ruins, we returned outside. Bob handed us each some shekels, and set us loose upon the Nazareth marketplace to find our own lunches and peruse the shops and sights. 

 The Nazareth Marketplace

There were a few pretty good finds, including a sweet shop with everything from Turkish Delight to honey balls (amazing!), and an Arabic pizza parlor that served pizza on pita bread. Once we were all shekel-ed out, we returned to the convent.

We were all looking forward to the last event on the program: a visit from Knesset member Haneen Zoabi, one of only 11 Palestinians to represent the 1.2 million that live within the country. She spoke passionately to us about the political aspect of Palestinian self-identity. While Palestinians with Israeli citizenship are commonly referred to as Arab Israelis, Zoabi rejects that term as a denial of her own historic and cultural identity as a Palestinian. 

  Haneen Zoabi (far left)

To be an Israeli citizen, she told us, the country demands that they deny their own Palestinian identity. To call herself Palestinian is to be “disloyal” to the state. Much of her work is to reverse that notion, and to make a Palestinian heritage a thing of pride and not of disloyalty. We hope and pray that she will help lead the way to political and social equality for all Palestinians.

And with that, our pilgrimage came to a conclusion. We returned to St. Margaret’s for a final debrief and dinner.  As we were to leave Nazareth at 3am, some chose an early bedtime, while a few bolder ones (those crazy kids) elected to stay up all night.

And so we return to the States. Barely a week has passed, but so much has changed. We return with an awareness of a beautiful and holy land halfway across the globe.  The land where our Lord lived, ministered, and died for us. We have followed in His footsteps to continue that never-ending quest to be close to Him. We have prayed, and we have felt His presence.

But we also return with an awareness of a terrible and cruel land. We have witnessed the occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people, on the same earth that Jesus called us to show love, kindness, and mercy to all. And so we are called to do what we can. Jesus tells us that helping the least of His brothers is to do His work, and so that is our mission.

Just to conclude, I’d like to thank some who helped to make this wonderful pilgrimage possible. Thanks to all of you, for your constant support over the past few months; thanks to Bob and Maurine Tobin, who planned and led the trip and provided a wealth of knowledge and understanding to us;  Judith, who helped organize and lead the trip, and was also a wonderful resource to all of us who needed anything; Brandy, who managed our finances; Trish, who helped chaperone; Shan, who created and maintained this blog; Bishop Tom Shaw, who was an incredible spiritual resource the days that he was with us; and Mohammed, our driver who not only can maneuver a gigantic tour bus with the precision of a brain surgeon, but was an amazing friend to us (he even got us snacks when he was waiting for us to return!). You have created an experience that none of us will forget.

And we’ll be seeing you all, our families and friends, very soon. Thanks for taking the time to read and follow us on our journey. We look forward to returning home, but we will never forget what we have experienced and learned here. 

God bless,

MacLean Cadman

Communication, 2012

Boston College

From Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee

For some of our group, today started at 4am so that we could spend time in the Old City of Jerusalem without the crowds. The early risers visited the Holy Sepulchre, where it is believed that Jesus was crucified and buried. During the day, the crowds here are unbearable, so the early morning visit was a huge success. At 7:30 this morning, we packed into the bus with all of our luggage and headed toward Nazareth. The bus ride took approximately three hours, and the scenery was breathtaking.

We arrived at the Mount of Beatitudes, where we had some time to pray and reflect on our experiences of the past five days. It was quite a change of pace from our past few days. We were able to find some peace after the turmoil and suffering that we’ve witnessed. Following our time of reflection in the beautiful gardens of the Mount of the Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee, we had lunch at the convent of the Mount of the Beatitudes. The staff served us a filling meal of pasta, bread, and fish from the Sea of Galilee called Peter’s Fish. An entire fish was served to each of us, as well as French fries.

Lunchtime at the Mount of Beatitudes!

Peter's Fish -- Our Lunch. Say Hello!

Once we were well fed, we headed toward Capernum where we got closer to the Sea of Galilee and to some ancient ruins. Some of us dipped our toes into the Sea. It was a moving experience to be walking around where Jesus did most of his ministry. Our change of pace today gave all of us some peace, through which we have been processing our trip as it comes to a close.

College Pilgrims in the Synagogue at Capernaum

All text by Paulina Muratore,
Class of 2013, International Relations
Boston University

All photographs by MacLean Cadman
Class of 2012, Communications

Boston College

From Capernaum to Nazareth

After touring Capernaum, we traveled a short ways along the shore of the Sea of Galilee to the Church of the Primacy of Peter. A short walk separates the church from the nearby parking lot and tourism center (which featured a fountain with a variety of brightly colored fish). Once we had our fill of exploring, we hiked up the hill to the church.

There was plenty of exploring to do up there as well. The church itself is a beautiful stone structure, built upon the ruins of a 4^th century chapel. According to tradition, it is the same spot where Jesus laid out a breakfast of bread and fish for His disciples two thousand years ago. The Rock of St. Peter protrudes from the church’s floor, a unique replacement for the typical altar. Outside, the church stands a stone’s throw from the Sea of Galilee; the distant shores of Syria shimmered through the mist rising from the water.  The entire scene creates an atmosphere of peace and spiritual richness.

But we weren’t there just to poke around; our clergy team had prepared the outside worship area for a special confirmation service for one of our students, Hannah. It was an amazing thing to see someone confirmed at the Rock of St. Peter, and Hannah was more than a little excited for it. And it was perfect; the sun was setting, the air was cool, and the birds were singing as Bishop Tom confirmed her and led us all through a reaffirmation of our confirmation vows.

The Confirmation at the Sea of Galilee

After some extended photo ops, we packed up and left for St. Margaret’s Guesthouse in Nazareth. We were in for another treat; as we rounded the hills that surround the Sea of Galilee, a beautiful sunset lit up the western sky, prompting several “ooh”s and “aah”s and a barrage of camera flashes.

Sunset in the Galilee

The courtyard at the Guesthouse.

An hour later, we arrived at the Guesthouse with just enough time to unpack and unwind before dinner. Tomorrow’s it, folks. We’ll have one more entry then an 8:00 am departure from Tel Aviv (after getting up at 3am!). See you all soon!

All text and photographs by

MacLean Cadman

Communication, 2012

Boston College

A Romp in the Old City

 After our extensive tour of the Old City, our guide Ali led us to Al Quds University to meet with a few of its students. Nanara and (name) treated us to a lunch of falafel sandwiches (which, after trudging around the Old City all morning, was a welcome sight) and discussed with us the life of a Palestinian student in Jerusalem. While their studies go quite well, the social disparity between the Israelis and Palestinians still touches other aspects of their lives. The check points, for example, make it very difficult for them to visit their families, and impossible for their families to visit them. What was a fifteen-minute trip turns into an hour-long wait to pass through the wall.

We also were treated to a tour of the ancient baths located under the university. Our guide showed us the clever mechanisms that provided for steam baths, hot and cold-water treatment, and ventilation systems. Though they have long been out of use, the impressive designs still speak to the genius of the city’s ancestors.

We then departed Al Quds, and enjoyed a few hours of roaming around the Old City, taking pictures, perusing the countless shop, and enjoying (hopefully!) the wild experience of negotiation prices with fanatic salespeople. Everything one could imagine was no more than a few steps away; souvenirs, jewelry, clothing, pharmacies, meat, spices, candy, electronics – there was even a shop devoted to t-shirts with Hebrew logos of American sports teams.

 Spices

By MacLean Cadman

There was also the opportunity to more closely inspect some of the Old City’s religious sites. One of these is the Wailing Wall, a towering behemoth that stands as the last remains of the Old Temple and a major prayer site for Jews. There are two parts; a smaller wall, tucked away in the recesses of the Old City’s catacombs, and the larger wall that stands nearby Ibrahimi Mosque. We visited the smaller wall, which was much less crowded than its counterpart. Between the stones and crumbling mortar are countless pieces of folded paper. 

 Prayers in the Wailing Wall

By MacLean Cadman

Jews traditionally write prayers or messages to God and insert them into cracks in the Wall, like tiny messages in a bottle that might somehow float their way up to God. We later saw the larger part of the Wailing Wall from a nearby viewpoint. Its location provides a picturesque scene that includes the Wall, the Dome of the Rock, and the Mount of Olives in the distance.

The Wailing Wall, Dome of the Rock, & Mount of Olives

 By MacLean Cadman

With bags stuffed full of souvenirs and wallets near empty of shekels, we meandered back to St. George’s to prepare for that night’s service. I’ll pass the baton onto Paulina for a description of that.

Well, tomorrow it’s to Nazareth and the tail end of our pilgrimage. We’ll all be seeing you before long!

MacLean Cadman

Communication, 2012

Boston College

Ecumenical Prayer Service

This evening our group attended a memorial service for the Christians who were killed in Alexandria, Egypt, a few days ago by a bomb. The service was organized by Sabeel, an Ecumenical Center of Liberation Theology in Jerusalem run by mainly Palestinians.  A few months ago, there was a bombing of a Christian church in Iraq. Many people fear that there soon may be a wave of attacks on Christians throughout the Middle East. The service we attended was an Ecumenical service, consisting of many different Christian denominations from Catholic to Orthodox to Lutheran and Episcopal. Bishops and priests from all these denominations attended the service and participated in it, including our bishop, Tom Shaw.

Media from Palestine, Lebanon, and Egypt attended the service, filming the entirety of it. Tonight (8pm Israel/Palestine time, 1pm Boston time), the service was on  both the Palestinian and Lebanese news. On Friday, the entire service will be broadcast on CTV which is the Coptic TV, a denomination of Christianity known  as Coptic Christians who have origin in Egypt.

The main purpose of the memorial service was to use the recent tragic bombings of Christians in the Middle East in a positive way, to work against the violence in a peaceful way. We are continually hoping and praying for peace between and among all religions.

All photos and text are by:
Paulina Muratore

Class of 2013, International Relations

Boston University



The Dome of the Rock & Al-Asqa Mosque

Damascus Gate

By MacLean Cadman

This morning, we found ourselves entranced as we climbed the cobbled roads of Jerusalem's Old City through shafts of light filtering into the narrow openings along the street-side markets and cafes. We entered the Old City through the Damascus Gate and swiftly wound around in the bustling maze along the Via Dolorosa, where Jesus walked his last steps before his crucifixion. Our goal was to arrive at the Dome of the Rock on time--having been granted access, just this morning, to both the shrine and the Al-Asqa Mosque, something that does not happen very often these days.

After passing through the crowds and the rush of the Old City, we passed through a security checkpoint and entered into a very quiet Temple Mount, where we could hear birds sing and feel the breeze blow. It was a beautiful morning in Jerusalem. Just across the courtyard, we saw the 7th century golden dome rising above the sacred Islamic shrine, and it took our breath away.

Dome of the Rock

By MacLean Cadman

Once all the women in our group had covered our heads with scarves and put on large, flowery skirts over our jeans, we were escorted up the marble staircase to the Dome of the Rock, a magnificent octagonal structure built using a Byzantine architectural style for the dome. Below the dome, the building is covered in colored porcelain tiles to create engaging geometric patterns that are echoed in the interior. We took off our shoes and entered the shrine, first built as a resting place for pilgrims to the mosque next door.

Scarves & Skirts

By MacLean Cadman

In the shrine, we saw men, women, and children at prayer, study, and rest. We had the opportunity to go down below the dome into one of the niches beneath the rock to touch the holy rock and observe prayers taking place in this holiest of sites for Muslims. The experience was truly breathtaking for many of us. The calm beauty all around us--gorgeous, intricate stained glass windows; thick carpets donated by the King of Jordan; an ornate ceiling held up by wide marble columns. We wished we'd been able to stay longer to soak up the spiritual energy of the place.
After leaving the Dome of the Rock, we walked across the plaza to the Al-Asqa Mosque, which means "the Farthest Mosque from Mecca," our guide told us. Another beautiful structure, the mosque was surrounded by groups of men and women studying the Koran and was filled with people in prayer. Our experience of this place included a profound sense of devotion to God and to living a good and peaceful life, which made it as hard to leave the mosque as it had been to walk out of the Dome of the Rock.

Inside the Mosque

By MacLean Cadman

In my Father's house, there are many mansions. ~ John 14.2

~ Shan Overton

PhD student, Theology and Education

Boston College