Sunday morning after my breakfast I walked along Road 9 to
do some shopping. As I walked along a familiar stretch of sidewalk a young boy,
maybe 12 years old, sat on the edge of the sidewalk and watched me approach. As
I walked by he spoke, just loud enough for me to hear, “Go to hell. Go to hell.
Go to hell. Go to hell ...”
I was not threatened. He was not going to hurt me. I am not
in an unsafe situation. More than anything his words were heartbreaking. I have
always known and experienced Egyptians as the kindest and most hospitable
people. For years I have been welcomed by friends and strangers wherever I go.
I have been protected and guided by strangers as I’ve tried to cross the road
through Cairo’s infamous traffic. On the Metro, strangers have greeted me and
invited me to dinner at their home. The words of this boy were a stark reminder
of how much things have changed in Egypt in just two years.
His was a voice of pure contempt. This was a quiet cry of a
child longing for justice in a country that has become even more unjust and more
inhospitable to its own people. The curse of a boy to a passing stranger was a
cry for the Christ’s blessed kingdom to be known in this place. This boy saw me
as he would see any of you, as one of the powerful who benefits from this
injustice and seeks to keep hold of the power and wealth that we have.
Every year when I come to Egypt I am reminded of just how
unfair this world is. As an American, I have been given abundant opportunities,
a good education, the freedom to study where I want and learn anything I
choose. I can work and earn a living that allows me to travel, to live in a
house, to drive a car, to have access to technology and comforts that make my life easy.
While I may bemoan the ineffectiveness of our government, I do not worry that
the police will not come when I call, I consider it a given that when I flip
the switch the electrical currents will flow, I don’t live in fear that the faith
I confess will one day lead to my death. For my friends in Egypt, none of these
things is a given. I am no more deserving or hard working than my students. I
simply benefit from having ancestors who were given the opportunity to come to
American and build a life for themselves, an opportunity most Egyptians would
gladly take if offered to them.
Every day since 25 January 2011, I have prayed for peace,
justice and security for ALL Egyptians. The quiet words of this boy remind me
of how much more must be accomplished before my prayer is answered and Christ’s
blessed kingdom comes.
No comments:
Post a Comment