Edmond Khayat’s metaphor of a crucified humanity has been with me for the last couple of weeks, especially as I am trying to make sense of the dreadful events that have shaken our world lately. How do we explain what seem like the meaningless killing spree of a mad man? Can we justify the scandalous practices of some in our media? What do we make of the violent scenes that recently took place on the streets of our cities? What do all these events have to say about our humanity?

This image of a lonely man carrying a heavy cross is not without reminding us of that of another man made to carry a heavy cross on which he was eventually crucified. Despite the contrast between the scene of Jesus carrying his cross in the bustling streets of Jerusalem and that of Edmond Khayat’s lonely procession in an empty street in Berlin, it seems to me that both scenes could be read as an attempt to answer the question of what it means to be human.

They tell us that being human often implies the carrying of a heavy burden. They remind us that being human comes with a high price tag. More importantly, they show us that being human is about endurance, it is about not giving up however unfavourable the odds may be.

What does it mean to be human? The African philosophy of life, Ubuntu, speaks particularly about the fact that we cannot exist as human in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness and defies any claim to self-righteousness and finger-pointing. In Ubuntu, there is no moral high ground. Any anti-social behaviour is, ultimately, the responsibility of the entire community.

In Ubuntu, our thirst for retribution cannot be satisfied unless the whole community is prepared to pay the price for those at fault. There is no room for polarised language, no them and us. It means that a community is only as rich as its poorest member, as educated as its least educated constituent, as happy as its unhappiest part. More radically, Ubuntu tells us that when we talk of chavs, hoodies, underclass, brutes, scum, animal and any other colourful description, we are not talking of them alone, but, essentially, we are saying something sinister about ourselves.

However, Ubuntu is not a philosophy of laissé-faire and it is not soft on anti-social behaviour. It encourages people to applaud rather than resent those who succeed. It disapproves of anti-social, disgraceful, inhuman and criminal behaviour, and encourages social justice for all. Ubuntu is about building cohesive communities in which each individual is valued and nurtured.

The Berlin wall has fallen, but it seems to me that a few resilient walls remain firmly erect around our hearts, our minds, and our lives. These invisible walls, we might argue, are vital in ensuring the integrity of our selves, our families and communities, but they also contribute to isolate us from those who do not fit in with us. They only conspire against what makes us fully human.

My hope, as I contemplate the dreadful events unfolding at home or abroad, is that rather than erecting fortresses against others, we will have the courage to learn to be human along-side all sorts of others, including the ones whose company we don’t greatly like and whose values we don´t fully share.

I am because we are.

Lusa

At the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in London to renew my passport. Everyone speaks Dutch here, strange experience…

Proud of my big brother whom we can now call doctor Verhage. He has just completed his PhD in Biology.

It is encouraging to know that, as long as we are always trying to live our life to the best of our abilities, we will succeed…
Choosing to do what is right may at first feel like a heavy yoke or a bond.
Just realise that it is not about having all the answers ready.
It is about asking the right questions.
Don’t give up and don’t let go…
Keep on hoping and know that your search will one day lead you to peace of mind.
And in the midst of it all, you will find real joy!

So walk down this mountain
With your heart held high
Follow in the footsteps of your maker
With this love that’s gone before you
And these people at your side
If you offer up your broken cup
You will taste the meaning of this life
Bebo Norman, Walk down this mountain

I have used it for a theological reflection session at work and with a group of young people in church. Next week I am going to use it for a session about potential with a group of 18-year-old girls.

The following questions may help you to reflect on the film. Feel free to leave any thoughts in the comments section of this page:

1. Will, the ‘limpless man’, is day in day out introduced as: ‘A perversion of nature. A man, if you could even call him that, whom God himself has turned his back upon.’
What effect do these words have on his life?
What kind of things have people called out over your life and what effect did this have?

2. The Circus Director tells Will: ‘Yes, you do have an advantage. The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph.’
How do you relate to this?

3. At some point in the movie, Will asks for help. He can’t get up on his own. The Circus Director decides to leave him alone. ‘I think you’ll manage’ is what he says.

Have you ever been in a position where you felt unable to achieve something on your own? What made you carry on?

From A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson

The sea will take us to France and, after a stop in Belgium, we will spend time with family in the Netherlands…

For those of you who enjoy spending time in your kitchen, I’ve discovered a very nice recipe on timesonline.co.uk:

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS
100ml milk
3tbsp poppyseeds
150g butter
150g caster sugar
½tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs (60g), separated
150g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
Small pinch salt
1tsp mixed spice
1tbsp finely grated lemon zest

Topping:
70g caster sugar
30ml lemon juice

METHOD
Heat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Bring the milk to the boil, add the poppy seeds and set aside to cool. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together until creamy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well.

Fold in the sifted flour, baking powder, salt and mixed spice, then fold in the lemon zest, milk and poppy seeds. Beat the egg whites until peaky, and fold through the mixture. Pour into a buttered and floured 20cm diameter high-sided cake tin and bake for 40 mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

To make the topping, stir the sugar and lemon juice into a paste. While still hot, brush the cake with the sugar paste, then leave in the tin to cool.

Christianity Explored by Vincent J. Donovan

At the moment I am reading an interesting book, written by Vincent J. Donovan in 1978.

He was a Catholic Missionary in Kenya among the Masai people during the late 60′s. At some point in his ministry he realised that, although the missionaries had been in Kenya about a hundred years and done lots of ‘good work’, there were virtually no conversions.

He realised that all they have done is ‘import’ their Western Chritianity. He comes to believe that every culture has, within its own culture, all it needs to believe in Jesus if someone will only tell them.

I really like the following quote, which is about our definition of church and how being church should have an outward focus.

“The salvation of one’s own soul, or self-sanctification, or self-perfection, or self-fulfillment may well be the goal of Buddhism or Greek philosophy or modern psychology. But it is not the goal of Christianity.

For someone to embrace Christianity for the purpose of self-fulfillment or self-salvation is, I think, to betray or to misunderstand Christianity at its deepest level.

The temptation to look inward is one that affects not only individuals, but also whole communities, parishes, dioceses.

In such cases the physical or spiritual well-being of the Christian community becomes the very goal of the community, the whole reason for its existence.

Any ulterior motive for the community’s existence is completely forgotten.

Christianity must be a force that moves outward, and a Christian community is basically in existence “for others”. That is the whole meaning of a Christian community.”

Vincent J. Donovan, Christianity Rediscovered, 1978

Is our faith a force that moves outward?

In what way is our faith focused on others?