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Action Card Briefing - June 2004
Appropriate Travel
The hope this month is that more people will travel to meet people, to show an interest in their lives and to share their concerns. The learning about cultures and countries which takes place will then be through the hosts, who set the agenda, making it possible for travellers to see the places they visit as their hosts see them, rather than travelling in the cocoon of their own lives and expectations. Sometimes, in this way, people are creatively surprised by going somewhere they would never have thought of going, and meeting people they would never have thought of meeting.
A British group travelling in Kenya had spent several hours in a mini-bus, and had hoped to see a beautiful hippo pool at the end of the journey. The Kenyan leader disappointed everyone by announcing that he would like to invite them to his grandmother’s farm, which would be much more interesting than the hippo pool. The visitors accepted this change in the programme with heavy hearts, until they arrived at the farm and were welcomed into a family and community which had been there for many years. They shared a rare gathering which they would never forget.
Encounter is spiritual. It offers a link between people in their everyday situations and an insight into ordinary life in other countries and cultures which is far from ordinary, but invigorating, enlightening, and enabling of life for visitors and hosts alike.
The Christians Aware individual and group visits and exchanges have grown from the aim of developing multi-cultural and inter faith understanding and friendship through sharing, so that a new focus and energy is generated for action for justice, peace and development in the world. A group is currently in the Middle East with the hope of offering solidarity and long term friendship to the Christian hosts and to Jewish and Muslim neighbours.
A group will visit Zambia in the Autumn, to learn about the work the churches are doing in education and health care in the Eastern Province.
Please send a card of support to Christians in Eastern Zambia. The cards should be sent to Revd. Francis Makambwe, a Zambian who will lead the group to Zambia. He will take the cards to the Christians in the Eastern Province. His address is: St. Catherine’s Vicarage, 102a Pepys Road, New Cross Gate, London. SE14 5SG
Feedback Sara Elkes, who received the action cards in March 2004 has written to say how much she appreciated the cards and the messages they contained. She wrote of the vision she had for the inter faith gardening camps and of the inspiration it has given to many students of all faiths over the years. She also wrote of her own loneliness when very few people seemed to understand the wider aspects of the projects. The cards have taken away the loneliness.
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