2016:1 - Welcome to Egypt!

A little like the traffic I experienced. 

I’ve not yet been on the ground 48 hours in Cairo and my time is off to a rousing start. My journey from Boston to Cairo via Frankfurt was mostly uneventful. Immigration was a snap and my bag was waiting for me when I arrived at baggage claim. I can’t say the same for the drive from the airport to the seminary in the midst of Ramadan traffic. It started out fine, but as we hit the worst of the traffic, we were that car weaving in and out of the traffic, driving between minibuses and delivery trucks in the space between the lanes. At one point we were the car driving on the sidewalk. I was never so glad to arrive at the seminary as I was on Monday afternoon just before 4 local time.

By the time I arrived, a weepy and inflamed eye that had been developing through my flights had reached full-on infection. A good night’s sleep did not lessen the inflammation so I asked for the opportunity to see an eye doctor on Tuesday morning and was taken to the Italian Hospital where Sr. Pena is in charge. Nothing serious is wrong with my eye, just an infection for which I’ve been prescribed various drops, creams and ointments and an enormous white eye patch. My vanity is worse shape than my eye.

It is good to return to see friends and students. It was good to begin teaching and preaching this morning.

All that said, my heart has been heavy throughout my journey by the news out of Orlando early Sunday morning. I’m only able to pick up bits and pieces as I don’t yet have dependable Wi-Fi access in my room. But the grief and loss caused by hatred is clear.

Today I preached on Jesus’ words to his disciples in John 15. “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; remain in my love.” I think we have a lot more loving to do before we can say we are remaining in Christ’s love.