Category: Church

Knowing Egyptians

Knowing Egyptians

For most of my adult life, I had little familiarity with Egyptian culture and people. In recent years, however, my ESL teaching has introduced some wonderful Egyptian children into my life.  The first student who comes to mind was a 6th grader named Monique*.  It was her first year in the US but she already had a passable understanding of English.  In spite of culture shock and the challenges of her preteen class, she pushed through every day, excelling in all her subjects, including the 6th grade American history curriculum!  She maintained a sweet and innocent spirit.  At the end of the year, her teachers selected her for the academic achievement award in her grade, out of nearly 100 students!

Solomon with his homemade kite. I had to cover his face for confidentiality reasons.

Another Egyptian family had several children in the school. One of them had significant disabilities yet he was the delight of the staff.  He was usually grinning, and drooling, from ear to ear, in spite of his physical handicaps and his inability to speak.  I wondered how his family managed his care with limited resources and their language barrier.

Pictured above is Solomon*. He was a very energetic primary student.  He was so excited about life and learning and people that he could never stay in his place or remain quiet.  Although that effervescent spirit was a challenge in the classroom, his enthusiasm endeared him to me.  He made great progress as a language learner and accomplished near grade-level reading by the end of the year.  Once, his reading group had a book about making a kite.  For a follow-up, I copied the directions and gave the students the kite materials.  To my joy and amazement, a few days later Solomon showed me his completed kite, so I took his picture!  Kids actually doing something like this on their own is quite rare.

Solomon belonged to a special group of Egyptians called Copts. This term is short for Coptic Christian and they are among the oldest Christian sects in the world.  Egyptian Orthodox believers, including Solomon, can often be identified by a small cross tattoo near the wrist.

Today’s Coptic Christians in Egypt are being violently singled out. Since the Arab Spring in 2011, there have been numerous assaults on them.  Twenty-one Egyptian Christian young men were executed on a Libyan beach by ISIS in 2015.  This April, suicide bombers attacked two Egyptian church services on Palm Sunday, killing 40 attendees.  In May, buses headed to a monastery were ambushed by terrorists resulting in 28 more deaths.

Terrorism is not isolated anymore. This spring, England was horrified by a bombing at a concert that took the lives of nearly two dozen, mostly young teens.  Since 2001, the US has experienced terrorism at the Boston Marathon, and many shooting sprees including San Bernadino, Fort Hood, and Orlando.  All of these are horrific but the Egyptian attacks are particularly appalling in that the Coptic Christians are targeted.

The Bible warns of persecution. The Apostle Paul was beaten and jailed repeatedly throughout his ministry, and eventually he was martyred near Rome.  But of his travail he said, “I believe that the present suffering is nothing compared to the coming glory that is going to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18) The persecution of Christ-followers has continued through the centuries.  God loves His own but in His sovereignty, mistreatment and murder happen. Speaking to the disciples, Jesus warned, “In this world you will have trouble.”  Then he added this encouragement, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) My Christian sisters and brothers in Egypt need our prayers.

*Names of the students have been changed.

The Circus is a Strange Anniversary Date

The trained lions and tigers are unbelievable!

Every year when our anniversary rolls around, my husband and I look for something special to do together. A concert or play makes a nice evening out but there rarely seems to be anything going on when we want to celebrate.  This year that was the case as well, except that we noticed the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus was in town at about that time.  We had also heard that the circus was ending its 146 year old run this season.   The original version began in 1871 and the two circuses merged in 1919 to form “The Greatest Show on Earth!”  While a circus is not really your typical formal anniversary date, we decided to go.

Thanks to Kathy Turner for sharing her circus photos with me.

The show lived up to its name. We enjoyed all the classic acts: trapeze artists, stunt clowns on stilts and animal acts including the marvelous big cats and dogs, kangaroos, and other exotic animals.  There were bikes and motorcycles and basketball on unicycles.  We watched horses with stunt riders and dozens of performers on ice skates.  A ringmaster narrated a story that wove the acts together and a live band played the background music.  It was energetic and fun entertainment.  Of course, the audience was entertaining too.  The arena was full of children and families.  Twirling wands and light toys buzzed and blinked all around us and the air was filled with the scents of popcorn and cotton candy.  We had traded the romantic for something rollicking!

The circus makes you smile.

As we left the show, we talked about the demise of the circus. The circus is great fun so why was it closing?  My husband thought that the costs had pretty much put a show like this out of business.  In the early days, the circus would arrive in town and spread out its tent in a vacant field.  The crew and performers worked for room and board and maybe little else.  Now, high-cost facilities have to be rented and staff have workers’ rights for wages.  I also thought that the public’s taste for entertainment had evolved.  With film’s special effects and technological advances, it is harder for a live performance to amaze its audience.

I’ve written about change before. It is inevitable and it reaches into every aspect of life.  Recently, my church has faced a lot of change. Our pastor of over 35 years, has announced a transition toward retirement.  Many church staff have also moved on.  The service and worship formats are different.  Familiar songs and styles are gone.  It is hard to adjust to so many changes.  I miss the people and the ways to which I was accustomed. As I process these shifts, I remind myself of two important things.  The first is that, again, change is inevitable and it can be good.  People are changing and the church adapts to continually reach its audience.  The Apostle Paul wrote, “Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:22) An aged out congregation will one day become an empty sanctuary. The second reminder is that the Gospel does not change.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  The hope of the cross is eternal; that message will never change.

“The Greatest Show on Earth” closes down this weekend in New York. Despite its fame and popularity, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus is ending.  The world changes rapidly but God and His Word are unchanging.