Israel/Egypt – Moses and Mira

Okay, I want to get serious in this post, but first I have to be a complete and utter dork for a minute! I just had a super awesome thrill! Most of you know that I’m a HUGE James Bond fan (mostly thanks to an old friend named Bobby Michaels). I, like all good Bond fans, have my list of favorite movies and actors. I’m in a minority here, but one of my faves is “The Spy Who Loved Me.”
In this film, Bond goes to Cairo to recover some secret microchip film and has to work alongside the Russian KGB agent Triple X, or XXX. At one point in the story, Bond chases down a person who has information and is to meet them at the tombs of the Pharaohs. He walks into a crowd watching a light show at the Giza pyramids and then meets Jaws the villain. So, here’s my dork moment – I was at that show tonight! It was awesome! The lights and sounds are the same as they were in the 70’s and I was totally cool with that!

Alright, back to the serious part of this blog – yesterday was a whole lot of driving. I’m serious when I say I completely understand why the Hebrews complained so much in the desert – it’s AWFUL!!!!! There were two redeeming qualities about this much time in the bus – first, I’ve never been so happy to see a foreign city where I knew no one.
Second, we made a quick stop at what is believed to be the site where the Israelites complained about bitter wells of water and God instructed Moses to cast a branch into the “brackish” water and it would be sweet. I got my pic by the well, but what was amazing was the bedouins who live there to preserve the site. They have less than nothing, but they were there watching and waiting for pilgrims like us. Sure they sold some things – meager jewelry for pennies on the dollar – but the children broke my heart. We had left over oranges and bananas that we weren’t going to eat, so we gave them away. You’d have thought it was one of us winning the lottery.
After a quick nights rest, our team woke up and went to the Egyptian Museum where the finds of the boy Pharaoh Tutenkahmen are displayed. For ruling for only about 9 years, this little guy died in grand fashion. I got face to face with that famous death mask we’ve all seen. I touched the case here his sarcophagus is kept. It was amazing. Yet this wealth, that was buried, began to haunt me when I thought of those precious children cheering USA because we gave oranges.
When we got back on the bus, our guide, Osama, answered a question I had posed to him for the whole bus to hear – “what’s going on with Morsi and these riots?” We had been within spitting distance of Tarhir Square and I wanted to know what he thought of the situation. I think there is something in this situation that we as Americans need to spend more time understanding. If we watch the news, it’s reported that the protesting is done by a minority of Egyptians. That is NOT true and now with nearly 30% of the country out of work – things are looking grim. I’m leaving this area of the world with my eyes a little more opened to the failures of worldwide leaders to pursue their own interests over the interests of HUMANITY at large. I believe I’ll be writing a letter very soon to my senators and congressman (just as a warning gentlemen).
After lunch, we toured the citadel of Saladin, the great Islamic general who unified a great deal of the Middle East and send the crusaders packing. Next to the citadel is the mosque of Muhammed Ali, no not the boxer, but the General of Egypt who unified the country. It was big. It was impressive, but to be honest, and I know I’m somewhat jaded, I saw many other churches in Jerusalem that were much more beautiful and ornate (maybe not as big, but I don’t need big.)
After the mosque it was onto the Coptic Church of Egypt.

Coptic is an ancient word for Egyptian. Actually, Egypt is a relatively new name – it’s a latinized version of a word the Romans gave this land. True “egyptians” and the Arabs call this place Mira, which means great land. The Hebrews called it Mira-eem which means two lands as the country was divided into Northern and Southern kingdoms. The coptic church was very beautiful and every corner told a story – including the oldest part of the chapel which now has video screens for projecting the priest or scriptures (I took a picture, it was too good to pass up!)
From the Coptic Church we did a little shopping and learned how papyrus was made. It was fantastic to watch and learn. The artwork that I saw and the stories that were unfolding was just fantastic. Then we went back out to see the light show at Giza.
There was one other thing that I’ve noticed here in Egypt. This past fall, I read a book by a former professor of mine, Dr. Christine Pohl. Dr. Pohl has focused her attention on the discipline/art/science/way of life of Hospitality. Not the “here’s a cup of coffee” kind of hospitality, but the deep discipline of care and concern. I’m telling you our Egyptian hosts ooze hospitality. I’ve been elected as the Bus Captain for our group, and their hospitality to me is so humbling. They go out of their way for all of us, but as a leader their respect is often times more than I can bear. They have showered me with affection as if I’m an old friend. Our guide, Mohammed (by the way I’m telling people that I followed Mohammed all over Egypt – it cracks me up every-time) purchased a gift for my children and when I thanked him he said no problem they are my kids now too. I almost cried hearing this man I just met share his life with me!

I’m going to study this hospitality thing more. I think there is something here that we as followers of Jesus should be spending more time on. It’s so much more than a little trinket or corner in our greeting spaces. It’s a way of being – it reminds me of Wesley’s small groups. These groups were more than just “are you sinning” groups – they were living examples of God’s presence amongst them. When there was a need, or God’s presence was questioned, it was up to that community to extend the hospitality of God. That’s heavy and it’s something I want to extend as I’ve been given it.

Tomorrow it’s on to the Pyramids and my friend the sphinx again. Wednesday it’s a short boat ride on the Nile and then to the plane for something like 20 hours of flying (ugh). I’ll try to update again before then, but if I don’t…

Salaam for now…

Jim

Grace and Peace –

Jim

Location:Cairo, Egypt