When someone talks about Holy Land Pilgrimage, you may expect the most special part to be visiting places like Via Dolorosa. For me (it’s not exactly a pilgrimage for me anyway=P), it wasn’t Via Dolorosa, or any other places where Jesus or other Biblical characters had been to. (!)
1. St George Cathedral, Jerusalem
This wasn't even on our itinerary, this is just a church across the road from the hotel where we stayed. And it was where a small bunch of us had our Christmas Eve service. It is an Anglican church. (This is not the first time I’ve been to an English speaking Anglican church, I’ve been to a few in the UK.)
Instead of listening to the babbling of the chairperson (chairperson saying whatever he wants to say is a regular occurrence in my church service, sadly), I just love the liturgy based service. The whole service was beautiful. Plus I love being able to kneel down during the prayers.
The prayers are simple and prepared. For Anglicans who are used to them, they may be boring, but for me, these simple prayers were powerful. “We pray for the sick… and those in Gaza...” when spoken slowly allowed myself time for reflection. They did what prayers should be doing. Instead of forcing God to do our will, they help me to align myself with God’s will, to reflect on how God’s kingdom could be here and now.
It’s especially poignant for me when they spoke about their ministries serving people in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine, that’s when I thought this is what God’s kingdom would be like. Peace for all.
2. Church of St. Simon the Tanner
Let me start by posting the history I found on the web about this church. It's pretty much what I heard during the tour.
I have heard tales of an amazing work taking place among the garbage workers of Cairo since I was an undergrad. So it was very encouraging to read this article from the February Lausanne World Pulse: Transforming Lives in Cairo's Garbage Villages.
Villagers collect garbage from city apartments and recycle it. They are the most despised group of people in Egyptian society. They are not paid by the government; however, they receive small tips from the people whose garbage they collect. The rest of their income comes from recycling garbage. It is one of the most ecologically efficient operations in the world as 90%of the garbage is recycled. But the human cost is terrible. Muqattam, now a thriving town of 30,000 began in 1970, when a community of several thousand Coptic garbage workers were forcibly resettled in an abandoned quarry at the foot of a small mountain.
Thirty years ago, Fr. Samaan, a Coptic Orthodox priest "gave up his job in the city to become an ordained priest in the garbage village. When he began, the village had no churches, schools, electricity, water, medical care or markets. It was just garbage, people and pigs. When thousands were brought to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, the first thing they wanted to do was build a church—and Father Samaan became their priest. Today, the garbage collectors are filled with love and motivation from God. This is what changed their village. The village is a bustling, hopeful community of thirty thousand people. They still collect garbage; however, they now have three schools, a hospital and many churches.
Blessing in Caves
The churches are located in caves that were blocked by rubble. It was only when one small cave was discovered that residents realised they were surrounded by caves. While that first cave was being converted into a chapel, residents found another one that is now used for church services of up to four thousand people. They soon realised that another cave could be transformed into an enormous amphitheatre to seat fifteen thousand people. “Regular church services are held there and people come from all over Cairo—not just from the garbage village—to worship with other Christians,” Rebecca explains. “It is the only place, other than the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, where Christians can meet in large numbers in Egypt.”
Father Samaan now pastors the largest church in the Middle East and one of the best known in Egypt: St. Simon the Tanner Coptic Orthodox Church in the Mokattam garbage village.
The cave churches have become something of a tourist attraction as you can understand when you see this series of pictures of this extraordinary place and its extraordinary community.We had to change into a small van to get through this garbage town because our tourist bus simply could not fit into these alleys.
There’s a legend here Simon the Tanner’s prayer of moving the mountain was answered here, however, what struck me the most is the population they serve. Jesus served the poor, the oppressed, and the despised. However, in Hong Kong, most of the churches are typically middle class. The people who are poor, oppressed, despised simply weren’t being served by the church. When I visited this church, my first thought was that, this is what a church is meant to be like! And these people's world has been changed by this church, and this priest. This is what it meant for a mustard seed to grow into a big tree.
3. Of course, the good brothers and sisters I met on the trip are unforgettable!! We had a lot of fun together! And we had some deep sharing as well. And thanks to Facebook, we could keep in contact through the internet, and hopefully face-to-face soon. =)
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