February 6, 2010
Starbucks, Egypt!!
Three other girls and I braved the journey in attempts to find the comfort of coffee. A 30 minute taxi ride across Cairo pulled to an uneasy stop and…we found it! As I sit in one of two Starbucks in Egypt I am thankful for the instant security of shallow familiarity.

February 7, 2010
"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget.- Arundhati Roy
I wonder because I think. I think because I am curious. I am curious because I feel. I feel because I see. I see because I go. I go because I hear. I hear because I listen. I listen because I care. I care because I am.
I am because He says I am. He is because He says He is.
“Then I knew where I should be- not living in comfort, but back in the place where villages and churches were being reunited, where schools and community centers and spirits were being built up, where, amid the terrible noise of violence I could hear the whispers of the Man of Galilee, saying, Behold, I make all things new.” Elias Chacour, Blood Brothers
I have never been persecuted for my faith.
Yesterday I looked into the eyes of a community that is.
The Coptic Christians in Egypt shared their struggles with us through an entire day of interactive interfaith dialogue at a beautiful Christian monastery/retreat center outside of Cairo. I looked into stares of defeat, hearts of hope, spirits of sacrifice, and a body of believers tightly knit together to fight for their rights. Hearing stories of systemic oppression, the pain from recent incidents like Nag Hammadi (where 6 Coptic Christians were killed coming out of Christmas Eve mass), and a technical break down of their doctrinal beliefs left me deep in thought regarding my own faith. We spoke of what freedom of religion looks like in America and what it could or couldn’t look like in Egypt. We spoke of values, sacraments, rituals, faith, and ultimately what it means to be a Christian in this world. The Bishop honored our group with an extensive devotion (2 ½ hours) ending with a time of questions and discussion. In response to the current pain in the Coptic community he highlighted three specific people who represent collective identities that he hopes the Coptic community in Egypt will stand for. Those identities were Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Eleanor Roosevelt. Through active pacifism, empowerment, love, and work, justice will come. He said “you must incarnate what you believe. Work as peacemakers, I think that is what we are made for.” The Bishop stressed the importance of making a stand and not being afraid to talk. He said fear is the most dangerous thing to man and asked a man in the crowd “Can you read my mind?” The man responded by saying “If you talk I can read your mind.”
As a member of the international community of Christians I asked the Cops what they needed from us knowing that the answer is not with politically charged plane flights to Egypt with plans to protest. Their response was prayer, and to “be our witnesses all over the world. Tell people we are here, and tell them of our struggle.” This seems to be a common response. A young girl went on to say “If your dad is the President and something bad happens you don’t run and tell the police, you go to your dad. God is our father; we must run to him, not to America or the UN or anyone else. God can make the impossible possible.”
The worst disease in the world is hate, and the cure for hate is love. When you say a pray for those you love, say a prayer for humanity.