One Step Closer to the Light

Hello,

Songs and stories continue to reveal themselves as the memories and processing of my CPT experience stir and move and live. This song was one that I was introduced to almost twenty years ago, though it doesn't seem that long ago... "One Step Closer to the Light" was written by Shari Ulrich during her time spent in the trio of UHF with Bill Henderson (Chilliwack) and Roy Forbes (Bim).

"Sun was (rising) over sea, burning crimson and gold
Light of changing lights the sea, (filling) every heart is whole
Voices ring from every shore, for the legacy to end
Ancient enemies open doors, seeking justice not revenge

"One step closer to the light
A freedom burning through the night
One less soldier in battle
One less enemy in sight
One more border will fall
The people tearing down the walls
Bring us all one step closer to the light

"Hear the people of every land, offer liberty and choice
Heart by heart and hand to hand, raising up in common voice

"One step closer to the light
A freedom burning through the night
One less soldier in battle
One less enemy in sight
One more border will fall
The people tearing down the walls
Bring us all one step closer to the light"

Blessings,
Rob.

Living in the Aftermath

Hello,

Though I have not posted for many months it is not as if I have forgotten about this ethereal space:) I suppose it is just one of the realities of living in the aftermath of such an intense experience; time and space intervene, edges are smoothed and refined, distances increase, yet memories stir beneath it all.

Since I last posted I have continued to reflect on the experience of being in the Holy Land last year, while all the while making room in my life for new experiences, new learnings, and the tension of welcoming the new and holding on to the past. As much as this might sound like an excuse to avoid blogging, it is more a sad reflection of the reality of life.

Still, many images of Israel and Palestine remain poignantly fresh in my memory. Pictures and words, voices and smells, sights... It was amazing!

Now, as I prepare for a few more formal presentations, I am experiencing a call back to this blogspot; a call to continue sharing stories and insights. I hope that you will welcome the chance to return to this journey. Stay tuned for more songs, a collection of poems and some specific responses to some of the books I've had the chance to explore...

Blessings,

Rob.

The Process of Processing

Hi Folks,

First, my apologies: Life has intervened and posting to the site has taken the proverbial backseat.

Since I last posted, I have been busy working with photographs from the trip, to be used in presentations that I am making, around the area. This work has taken considerable time, but it has been the quintessential labor of love, refreshing and enlivening the stories.

Also, many people have been asking me about Gaza. I have to preface my response with the fact that the delegation I was on did not journey to Gaza. It was not part of our plans. Still, the news coming out of Gaza over the past month has been hard to carry...

I remember writing and speaking about truth, early on in this exercise - well before actually going on the delegation. Since that time I have found amongst my books (actually, in an Eco-Theology book) a phrase that has been the starting point of my presentations and a point I tend to return again and again too, throughout my conversations: "I cannot tell you the truth, I can only say what I know." I wonder if this is the place where peace might actually begin; where we stop trying to make things something that they are or stop trying to be the authority on solutions for problems that we really only have a superficial understanding of... I wonder...

If you have time, I've posted some new youtube links in the past few weeks... Dido's video reminded me about the stories of house demolitions... Jann Arden's song connects with the Jonah passage in this week's lectionary readings and resonates with the comment our delegation heard when we visited with Breaking the Silence: When the cost of not having peace exceeds the cost of having peace, then peace might become a possibility... The Guess Who's song Share the Land is obvious, I think... The John Denver video of him singing at a protest was the one I chose after hearing Serena Ryder's version and having all sorts of fun with Pete Seeger and the Weavers on youtube... So, go ahead, have a look and listen; enjoy!

Blessings,
Rob.

The photo was taken by my friend Jen, at the abandoned village of Lifta which today, is situated within the boundaries of Jerusalem.