I arrived back from Egypt yesterday, bleary-eyed after hours of travel. Having coffee in Cairo, sahlep in Istanbul, and mint tea in our Cambridge living room reminded me yet again of how connected our world is. We fell asleep and woke up on the other side of the world.
The trip was a gift that will take a while to process, and I plan to do some of that online, but for now I feel like I've been invited into a bigger picture. The timing couldn't be more perfect. I have been deeply angered, troubled, and discouraged by the infantile politics that have become an acceptable part of our society. I am increasingly frustrated by how deeply I am connected to social media in all its forms. The trip was a break from all of that and revived me in the best way possible.
Just two days ago I stood in the shadow of a 4th Century church while listening to the Muslim call to prayer. All around me, women in hijab were entering the church to read the history, view ancient icons, and hear stories about this church that has survived centuries of life. The church is known as either the "hanging church" or the "The Church of the Virgin Mary." Built into the walls of a Roman fortress, this church is considered the oldest in Egypt.
Just down a stone path from the ancient church is the Ben Ezra Jewish synagogue, built in the 9th century over a 4th century church frame. The voices of thousands who had been there before echoed from the silent walls. While leaving the synagogue, we passed a fully veiled woman, only her eyes showing. I had seen her earlier in one of the churches, now she was making her way down the same path we had come to visit the synagogue.
We were in Coptic Cairo, an area known as one of the oldest in Cairo. I have been to Coptic Cairo many times before but I have never experienced the sense of life and God's orchestration of life like I did.
Throughout the Bible, Egypt is seen as a place of preservation, protection, and testing of God's people. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have all played a part in Egypt's history, each with truth claims that sometimes seem similar and other times are completely opposite and non-negotiable.
As the call to prayer rang out from mosques across the city, one beginning as another was ending, I was struck by God's big view of people and history. I see this pinpoint in time; he sees from beginning to end. I focus on the small things while he calls me to see the big things. I am stuck in time; he is the creator of time. I often see a narrow way to grace; he who is grace personified opens his arms wide as he calls us to himself.
In those moments, I realized yet again the call to a see a bigger picture - a picture beyond politics, beyond the current crisis of the day, and beyond my own inadequacy. I'm called to see the world through eyes of love and grace only possible through knowing the Creator.
It's a mystery that will take a lifetime to understand.
