The World of More

Passed by City Plaza yesterday and went in to take a look, might have been more than 10 years (or 20?) since I last visited.  I had a simple lunch there and finished some paper work after lunch at the cafe, and I decided not to go ther that often from now on.
Why should I put myself in a situation where all I hear is "you need more"?
This is exactly what I feel the keenest since coming back to HK to live  and I cannot but compare it with how life was last year, in Palestine.
I remember the anticipation I had when my Arab friend told me she'd take me to Shadi's Market one day.  "It's a great place, where you'll get all that you need," she said.
Then one afternoon, when I passed by a grocer's on the street next to mine, I noticed the crowd inside.  "This must be a pretty good shop, let me take a look," I thought to myself.  But boy, what shock and disappointment I got when I saw its sign--Shadi's Market !
"How on earth can I survive this year here when the best shop is but this?" I sighed as I looked at the shop, the size of like, two 7-11 shops.
My dear friends, let me tell you life IS better when the shops are small and few.  I miss the simple life there where I could easily feel life's richness with its many blessings.  And how I hate the "poverty" imposed on us in a city compelled by enterprises which keeps telling us that we need more!
"Is it OK to want more?" I asked myself.  I can't deny that I would like to move to a bigger apartment.  I would also very much like to get a job where I can invest myself in. But for now, I do want to protect the space in my heart where I can enjoy all that I've already got, for I am already living in a world of MORE, lest I forget--
Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 He has brought us by faith into this experience of God's grace, in which we now live. And so we boast of the hope we have of sharing God's glory! 3 We also boast of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance, 4 endurance brings God's approval, and his approval creates hope. 5 This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us.

Emmaeus

Thank you Lord, for coming close to walk with us at a time when faith is a challenge!

Settlements

I took this photo while helping my friend look after her sick daughter.  It should have been a joyous time for Christmas in Bethlehem。Yet the view of the encroaching Israeli settlement outside the window is suffocating...

A Bedouin Village

Went to visit a Beduoin village.  It was a heart breaking experience to meet these peaceful people, their simple life and their hope--to lead a life of their ancestors for generations in this land.  Hearbreaking, for such a simple hope is under threat every day.  With the loss of their land owing to the coming of Israeli settlers, their hope is but a dream.

Samaritan passover

I used to think that the Samaritans were people of the past, with the most famous one. "the good Samaritan" being only a fictitious person in Jesus' parable.  What an experience for me to meet them and learn that they have been practising the Passover sacrifice according to the Mosaic Law without interruption all these years!

my neighbour

探望我的鄰居。真不敢相信今天還有人用耶穌當日流行去的Aramaic!

the PRIVILEGE of having a taste of Real Life

Finally given the PRIVILEGE of having a taste of Real Life

For most of my stay in Palestine, life here is quite OK.  After all, I’m a visitor with a foreign passport, enjoying a lot of privileges.  Then this month, just when we are preparing to say goodbye for now, I’m finally given the “privilege” to have a taste of what real life is like…

On leaving home, I met my neighbor just coming from the roof.

“Still no water coming?” I asked.

“No, 15 days now.”

I could hear the frustration, the helplessness.

Gush, can’t imagine 15 days without water.  Water, for sure, is a most precious commodity, especially that we here do not have control over water.  Water supply is controlled by Israel, a major bone of contention between Israel and Palestine. And there is a big disparity between water availability to the two sides.  For us, water comes "whenever", and by the same token, it stops coming "whenever".  That explains the water tanks crowding every roof top.

I have been lucky. My landlord has been kind to me and has always lent a helping hand by sharing with me his own water.  “Don’t worry about water.”  He has told me twice, and that has been among the most comforting words I have heard this year.

Yes, I have been forced to choose often to do the most important, like choosing between using water for shower or for laundry? 

But today is different! 

“Mine is low too,” for the first time he said.

He gave me some water anyway.  Not much, I can tell by the sound in the pipes.

Yes, we have been without water before but today is different!

My sister-in-law is coming for a Holyland vacation tonight.

She was worried that I do not have an air-con at home.  I did not tell her we do not have a fan (it’s cool here).  Now should I tell her about water?

In a way, it has been satisfying for me to think of creative alternatives for daily practices like doing the dishes and cleaning and toilet flushing.  But I do want her to have some water for a shower!’ 

And then I have lots of friends who will come and visit tomorrow.  At least they need to use the washroom.

My neighbor told me that they were once not getting water for 45 days…

“Can you help when we move out?”  I asked my friend G, a strong build fellow in his last year at the university. 

“Sure, but I have disc problems with my back,” he said.

I’m puzzled, “why have I met so many people here with the problem?”

“He was in jail,” H explained.

“So you were beaten?”

I could see the anger that rushed to his eyes instantly.

“So what do you want to do?”

He cursed.

What can I say?  Before me is this very intelligent young man.  He has been crushed, unfortunately not just on his back.

I looked at his friend H sitting beside him. He still has the bullet on his side.  He has a serious stomach problem because of the various hunger strikes in jail… 

It hurts to have to ask these people who bear the marks of suffering to help me bring down my furniture when we move out.

H took me to the post office.  I had wanted to send our belongings home since we only had a 20 kg baggage allowance on the plane.

“Sorry, we cannot take any international mail,” the clerk said.

Since their two parties pledged to work together, different punitive measures have been imposed on them by the Israeli government. So even I can’t send my belongings back to HK?  When did I start to be punished together with them?  I am embarrassed to have thought otherwise before.

(P.S.  We finally got water!!!!a few hours before their arrival, God is good!  I quickly washed the dishes, mop the floor, a clean house again!!)