OCTOBER 2007: Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Hungary
Dear Friends,
Our bicycle pilgrimage has taken us through eastern Europe these last few months. In Greece, we visited the island of Santorini (Thira). The island is the largest piece of a large volcanic island which erupted and blew apart in ancient times. Plato refers to it as the last remnant of the lost continent of Atlantis: the antediluvian land from which Noah sailed in the ark. The volcanic landscape makes it unlike any other Greek island we have seen. When the thick mist rises from the “Caldera”—the main crater, now underwater—and comes up on the land, it is other-worldly. When the sun shines, the light and heat are extremely intense. Many people consider it to be a kind of “sense organ” of the earth—a “door of light” where the earth is especially receptive to the influences of the sun. Indeed, the Greek name “Thira” means “door” or “portal”. (Santorini comes from the Italian Santa Irini, i.e. Saint Irene.) We received a warm welcome there. A very kind former teacher who now lives on the island opened many doors and established many contacts for us. The owners of Panos´s Tavern were extremely hospitable. In addition to singing in schools, seminars, tavernas and on the beach, we were also interviewed on radio and appeared briefly on television. We also received a good shock from the extent of tourism and the ubiquitous “sows”—the little four-wheel ATV´s on which countless tourist zoom around.
The island of Samothrake was totally different: very moderate tourism, forests, waterfalls and a feeling of peace and harmony in nature. Greeks go there to escape the big cities and commune with nature. It was once the religious center of Macedonia and the parents of Alexander the Great first met there. Details of the cult of the “Cabeire”—the “great gods”—were kept secret from outsiders. However, the elements (earth, water, air and fire) can be experienced in harmony in the sanctuary, and this harmony permeates the whole island. Perhaps this was a pre-Christian preparation for what people experienced centuries later: Christ as the “Lord of the Elements.”
From Greece, we cycled into Bulgaria. We visited a “bio-hotel”—i.e. a hotel on an organic farm. The founder is an agricultural engineer who became concerned about the future of the earth and the future of human nutrition, and decided to do something about it. As you might imagine, it is not easy, and there is very little understanding in the general population in Bulgaria for organic farming. But she and her co-workers are dedicated, enthusiastic and hospitable. A special treat there was a wedding, with traditional music on large drums and reed-instruments played by Gypsies with amazing skill and energy. There were also stops in a couple of monasteries, including one which was having a summer camp for girls. The monks told us that there are quite a number of believers in Bulgaria, but that religious education is needed since most people lost their religious culture during the Soviet era.
We then cycled up Rihla Mountain to the monastery of St. John of Rihla. The monks took us in hospitably, and we admired their church, fantastically painted, inside and out, e.g. with scenes from the Apocalypse or allegorical battles over the human soul between the angels of virtue and the demons of vice. John of Rihla was a hermit who lived in the mountain wilderness, near the site where the monastery stands today. He is considered the spiritual patron of Bulgaria. The vitality of the mountain air, the cold crystal water, the healthy trees and animals make it easy to understand why he chose that place. The large numbers of bees and butterflies made us especially happy, as these precious insects are seen less and less in Europe. We also tented for a couple of days in the campground, to experience and enjoy the nature there.
From Rihla, we visited and sang in an SOS Kinderdorf, then went to Sophia where we were guests of the “White Brotherhood”—the followers of Peter Dunov. We arrived on a day dedicated to appreciating and protecting water and the aquatic environment all over the world. We sang at a meeting for that purpose in a park, near the grave of Dunov. The next day, just before sunrise, we went with them to a forest where hundreds of people were gathered. Accompanied by two violins, they performed “pan-eurhythmy”—an art form initiated by Dunov which combines Bulgarian folk dance and special meditative movements and gestures.
From Bulgaria we cycled to Serbia. In light of the American bombing of Serbia some years ago, reactions to us were mixed. On the whole, though, we found the people friendly and hospitable. We were surprised at the material prosperity we saw, most of which came from people working abroad. However, one Serbian woman told us with deep concern that her people go all over Europe, but they bring back not European culture, but only materialism.
In Romania, we visited a dear friend—and also made some new friends—in Arad. We also visited a number of orthodox monasteries and parishes and a summer camp for children. The flourishing of religion in this country, especially among young people is quite moving. We were likewise deeply touched by the support we received in Romania, which came in many forms and very generously. Most of the roads in the areas we passed through were unsuitable for cycling. They are narrow, poorly surfaced and full trucks. However, with the help of friendly truck drivers, car drivers and a train conductor, we were able to keep going and to see a different side of life than what we normally experience from the bicycle saddles.
As we cycled into Ukraine, to our surprise the infrastructure was greatly improved. The roads were better and less crowded, the cities and towns cleaner and the people looked more prosperous. Our stays in the Ukranian monasteries were very special. Most are under the Moscow Patriarchate: the Slavonic liturgy and liturgical music are especially beautiful. As in the other countries, their hospitality was gracious and heart-warming. In addition to visiting some monasteries, we spent two weeks in a summer camp for families, along the Dniester River, run by the Christian Community. The participants were international, and the services were held, variously, in Ukranian, Russian, German and English. In the small city of Horodenko, we visited a Waldorf kindergarten, gave a presentation for adults and sang for the children. Alexandra had a dental emergency, and she was treated with tremendous care and generosity: by the dentist and nurses, the x-ray technicians, our friend who translated for us, and his supervisor who gave him time off to take us to the clinic.
One evening, just before dark, we met a family walking along the road, and we asked where we could pitch our tent for the night. They said that we could stay with them, but that first we should go to their meeting. They belong to the Jehovah´s Witness religion and it was a Friday night, their Sabbath. They treated us with great kindness and invited “elders” from their church to try to convert us. We had long, interesting conversations, and though we left unpersuaded, we left grateful for their hospitality and better informed about their beliefs. Our last two days in Ukraine were spent in an orphanage run by the Hungarian Reformed church. We were very happy to see how well cared for—materially, emotionally and spiritually—the children are. Although Gypsies go to separate schools in this area, Hungarian and Gypsy children lived, worked sang and played peacefully together in this home.
As we rode into Hungary, we again entered a different world. Western-type houses, shops etc. were everywhere. Since our last trip to Hungary eight years ago, the country has made big steps towards a material civilization similar to that in central Europe. This has both its benefits and disadvantages. We were again busy singing in schools, old-age homes etc., and we were warmly welcomed by both Reformed and Catholic parishes.
As you can imagine, we had many strong and diverse impressions this summer. In eastern Europe we saw many people traveling, transporting and plowing with horses or mules. Most of the food we ate was locally grown, tasty and adapted to the region. Sadly, for most people “progress” means achieving the American standard of living: more cars, more trucks, more factories and large-scale, chemical based, mechanized agriculture. A friend of ours—a professor of economics—sent us an article showing how, if we continue in the blind pursuit of this type of “progress” the world will soon become uninhabitable.
One or two thoughts kept coming to the fore. The world is changing extremely fast. Not even two decades ago, Bulgaria was a Soviet “satellite” state. Today, the Bulgarian flag is proudly flown together with the flags of the European Union and NATO. There are more material goods, although there is still much poverty. Television, films and the mass media in general are eroding the old cultures and replacing them with the “American way of life.” The world is being made uniform as power over culture, politics and economics are being centralized. Thus, we are faced with a choice. We can work to spiritualize our civilization: striving to understand the world on the basis of spiritual wisdom and acting out of true ideals. Or we will allow the world to be mechanized: thinking about the world with materialistic ideas, acting out of base desires and egotism. We do not live in easy times. But we live in very interesting times!
Our thanks and heartfelt greetings go out to all our friends.
Alexandra and William
October 24, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
June 2007: Greece, Egypt, Israel
June 2007: Greece, Egypt, Israel
Dear Friends,
Over the last couple of months, our pilgrimage has taken us through Greece, Egypt and Israel. The time has been extremely full, but we offer a couple of highlights here.
In Greece, we visited a home for handicapped adults in Galaxidi. It is currently being run by two families from Thuringen, Germany. Their work is surely not easy, for it is pioneer work. Traditionally, the Greek, handicapped children are kept at home, and the idea of homes with education and occupation, although well established in Western Europe and America is still quite foreign in Greece. However, through patience, love and hard work, they are making headway and gaining acceptance and recognition for their endeavor. Afterwards we stopped in Athens and visited a “koumbara” (i.e. his brother’s Godmother) of William’s. We exchanged news about family members and friends, enjoyed her generous hospitality and got a taste of Athens, which has not gotten any less crazy over the years. She is a retired Colgate employee, and we said good-bye well fed, clean and supplied with good Greek food and cosmetics.
Soon after, we found ourselves in the Sinai desert in Egypt. Ferryboats between Europe and the Middle East have been canceled due to the political situation there. Therefore, we found ourselves without the bikes—which may have been a blessing due to the intense heat, lack of water and long distances from place to place. After a sleepless night of traveling, we found ourselves somewhere in the city of Sharm el Sheik: sweltering heat, dirt, chaos and a sense of disorientation left us feeling like strangers in a strange land. We saw a cross in the distance, walked toward it, and found ourselves at the Coptic church, where we were warmly welcomed and offered a room to spend the night. At midnight, we attended a service: the large church was filled with hundreds of people, mostly young men who work in the tourist business, but there were also two women besides Alexandra there. We were surprised to see how similar the service is to the Greek Orthodox liturgy. The Coptic language appears to be a dialect of Greek, with a very similar alphabet. We were even able to read some of the Coptic prayers in the psaltery (most, of course, were in Arabic, which is the mother tongue of both Copts and Muslims.)
Later, we were guests at the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mt. Sinai. It is located on the spot where tradition says Moses came upon the burning bush. Of course, we also climbed to the top of the mountain, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. The monastery has a history of roughly 1700 years, and has remained an enclave of eastern Christian spirituality throughout the years. Tradition says that during the Arab conquest of the area in the seventh century, Mohammed himself was impressed by the holiness of the monastery, and wrote a letter of protection for the monks, which is still preserved today.
In the monastery, we saw the skull of St. Catherine of Alexandria. She was an early Christian martyr. As a young woman in the city of great learning, she mastered Greek philosophy and science, and appears to have been initiated into some of the ancient Greek religious mysteries. She heard about and accepted the Christian religion, which greatly displeased her parents. They brought dozens of the best scholars and philosophers to her to try to talk her out of her “new ideas.” In the end, the philosophers themselves were all persuaded and became Christian. This led to her being sentenced to death. The spiked wheel which was to have been her demise broke off the frame and rolled over and killed her tormenters. Thereafter, she was beheaded. Many years later, two monks on Mt. Sinai both dreamed in the same night that Catherine’s mortal remains had been taken to Mt. St. Catherine, the highest mountain in the Sinai. They found them there as in the dream, brought them back to the monastery and laid them in a place of honor.
The monastery and the story of St. Catherine were somehow instructive for us. Many Egyptians work there, both Copts and Muslims. Thus, the many layers of Egyptian life can be felt there, like layers of rock in an exposed cliff. The ancient Egyptian wisdom and its clear geometrical architecture can be perceived as a faint echo in some of the buildings. More visible are the layers of classical Greece, Byzantium, Islam, the Ottoman Empire—and modern western civilization with paved roads, autos, cell phones etc.
While on the Sinai, we met a group of nuns and priests from central Russia. The atmosphere within the monastery church was transformed by their deep and inward prayers. They brought us on their bus all the way to Jerusalem, stopping at the beach of Nuweba on the way. There, they took great delight splashing in the Red Sea (men and women strictly separated, of course) and some even went fully into the water dressed in their long black gowns. The prayer and silence on the bus, however, made it a true pilgrimage to the holy land.
In Israel, we took part in a conference for young people called “Walk your Talk”. It was part of a larger festival sponsored by a group consisting of Arabs and Jews called “Gateway of Humanity”. As our song “You will know” was chosen as the conference theme song, we were invited to attend. Participants in the conference were Israelis—Jewish, Muslim and Arab-Christian, Palestinians from the occupied territories and people like ourselves who are called “internationals” from Europe, North and South America and Australia. One of the other workshop leaders was from Africa, so that all five inhabited continents of the world were represented.
We had many deep impressions there. The reaction of many internationals to the walls and checkpoints built around many Palestinian areas was one of stunned horror. Many of the young people became physically ill right after a visit to a refugee camp in the West Bank. But the hope and the positive greatly outweighed the negative impressions. We saw a performance of 1001 Nights put on jointly by Jewish and Arab high school students in northern Galilee. Artistically, it was first rate (the director and musical director were teachers in a local Waldorf School). But far beyond that was the fact that young people--who are told by their society and the mass media that they are supposed to be enemies—were working, playing, singing and acting together to produce something beautiful . There was no hint of ethnic strife, and we experienced this performance as a miracle of healing.
Among the many other highlights was a talk by two men from “Warriors for Peace”—Palestinian and Israeli guerillas or soldiers who have renounced violence as a solution to the problems in the Middle East. Their stories were heart-rending, and their courage in the face of opposition from both sides of the conflict was inspiring. There were also meetings with religious leaders in Jerusalem: a Sufi Sheik, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, and a monk who had spent four years in the desert on his spiritual quest for example.
We were also deeply impressed by the people who organized the conference: a young man from Germany doing his alternative to military service went above and beyond the call of duty to bring people from around the world together in a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation, centering on the question of identity; three Israeli educators (including a former army officer who has become a Waldorf School teacher) who worked with heart and soul to provide a space where people could come together as human beings, beyond ethnic and religious boundaries; a Bedouin man—son of the local Sheik—who had studied in Germany and who merged the magnificent local hospitality and friendliness with a clarity and practicality characteristic of central Europe.
There was also time to meet some people who visited the festival, and to learn more about life in Israel, including the every-day life of family, school, work and popular culture. We spent a night at the home of a scientist and his family who impressed us with their friendliness and openness. We later found out that his grandfather had been Israel’s most famous writer, and is depicted on the fifty-Shekel note.
The situation in the Middle East is not as dangerous as one might think. Nonetheless, it has its difficulties and perils. I believe that the greatest danger is not poor hygiene or acts of violence, but rather the temptation to focus on the evil while neglecting the good. This inevitably draws trouble to you. It can also distract you from the fact that all of the evil in the world--terrorism (state-sponsored or not), political oppression, destruction of the natural environment—is merely a reflection of what is in our own souls, our own families, our own communities. The evil in the world is a wake-up call to transform ourselves, from the core of our hearts right down to every last bad habit. It is a call--as Ghandi put it—to become the change you want to see in the world.
Our deep, heartfelt gratitude goes out to the many people who prayed for us, who supported us with generous gifts, and who gave us moral support and encouragement. Our greetings go out to every one from sunny Greece. May God bless you all!
Alexandra and William
14 June, 2007
Dear Friends,
Over the last couple of months, our pilgrimage has taken us through Greece, Egypt and Israel. The time has been extremely full, but we offer a couple of highlights here.
In Greece, we visited a home for handicapped adults in Galaxidi. It is currently being run by two families from Thuringen, Germany. Their work is surely not easy, for it is pioneer work. Traditionally, the Greek, handicapped children are kept at home, and the idea of homes with education and occupation, although well established in Western Europe and America is still quite foreign in Greece. However, through patience, love and hard work, they are making headway and gaining acceptance and recognition for their endeavor. Afterwards we stopped in Athens and visited a “koumbara” (i.e. his brother’s Godmother) of William’s. We exchanged news about family members and friends, enjoyed her generous hospitality and got a taste of Athens, which has not gotten any less crazy over the years. She is a retired Colgate employee, and we said good-bye well fed, clean and supplied with good Greek food and cosmetics.
Soon after, we found ourselves in the Sinai desert in Egypt. Ferryboats between Europe and the Middle East have been canceled due to the political situation there. Therefore, we found ourselves without the bikes—which may have been a blessing due to the intense heat, lack of water and long distances from place to place. After a sleepless night of traveling, we found ourselves somewhere in the city of Sharm el Sheik: sweltering heat, dirt, chaos and a sense of disorientation left us feeling like strangers in a strange land. We saw a cross in the distance, walked toward it, and found ourselves at the Coptic church, where we were warmly welcomed and offered a room to spend the night. At midnight, we attended a service: the large church was filled with hundreds of people, mostly young men who work in the tourist business, but there were also two women besides Alexandra there. We were surprised to see how similar the service is to the Greek Orthodox liturgy. The Coptic language appears to be a dialect of Greek, with a very similar alphabet. We were even able to read some of the Coptic prayers in the psaltery (most, of course, were in Arabic, which is the mother tongue of both Copts and Muslims.)
Later, we were guests at the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mt. Sinai. It is located on the spot where tradition says Moses came upon the burning bush. Of course, we also climbed to the top of the mountain, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. The monastery has a history of roughly 1700 years, and has remained an enclave of eastern Christian spirituality throughout the years. Tradition says that during the Arab conquest of the area in the seventh century, Mohammed himself was impressed by the holiness of the monastery, and wrote a letter of protection for the monks, which is still preserved today.
In the monastery, we saw the skull of St. Catherine of Alexandria. She was an early Christian martyr. As a young woman in the city of great learning, she mastered Greek philosophy and science, and appears to have been initiated into some of the ancient Greek religious mysteries. She heard about and accepted the Christian religion, which greatly displeased her parents. They brought dozens of the best scholars and philosophers to her to try to talk her out of her “new ideas.” In the end, the philosophers themselves were all persuaded and became Christian. This led to her being sentenced to death. The spiked wheel which was to have been her demise broke off the frame and rolled over and killed her tormenters. Thereafter, she was beheaded. Many years later, two monks on Mt. Sinai both dreamed in the same night that Catherine’s mortal remains had been taken to Mt. St. Catherine, the highest mountain in the Sinai. They found them there as in the dream, brought them back to the monastery and laid them in a place of honor.
The monastery and the story of St. Catherine were somehow instructive for us. Many Egyptians work there, both Copts and Muslims. Thus, the many layers of Egyptian life can be felt there, like layers of rock in an exposed cliff. The ancient Egyptian wisdom and its clear geometrical architecture can be perceived as a faint echo in some of the buildings. More visible are the layers of classical Greece, Byzantium, Islam, the Ottoman Empire—and modern western civilization with paved roads, autos, cell phones etc.
While on the Sinai, we met a group of nuns and priests from central Russia. The atmosphere within the monastery church was transformed by their deep and inward prayers. They brought us on their bus all the way to Jerusalem, stopping at the beach of Nuweba on the way. There, they took great delight splashing in the Red Sea (men and women strictly separated, of course) and some even went fully into the water dressed in their long black gowns. The prayer and silence on the bus, however, made it a true pilgrimage to the holy land.
In Israel, we took part in a conference for young people called “Walk your Talk”. It was part of a larger festival sponsored by a group consisting of Arabs and Jews called “Gateway of Humanity”. As our song “You will know” was chosen as the conference theme song, we were invited to attend. Participants in the conference were Israelis—Jewish, Muslim and Arab-Christian, Palestinians from the occupied territories and people like ourselves who are called “internationals” from Europe, North and South America and Australia. One of the other workshop leaders was from Africa, so that all five inhabited continents of the world were represented.
We had many deep impressions there. The reaction of many internationals to the walls and checkpoints built around many Palestinian areas was one of stunned horror. Many of the young people became physically ill right after a visit to a refugee camp in the West Bank. But the hope and the positive greatly outweighed the negative impressions. We saw a performance of 1001 Nights put on jointly by Jewish and Arab high school students in northern Galilee. Artistically, it was first rate (the director and musical director were teachers in a local Waldorf School). But far beyond that was the fact that young people--who are told by their society and the mass media that they are supposed to be enemies—were working, playing, singing and acting together to produce something beautiful . There was no hint of ethnic strife, and we experienced this performance as a miracle of healing.
Among the many other highlights was a talk by two men from “Warriors for Peace”—Palestinian and Israeli guerillas or soldiers who have renounced violence as a solution to the problems in the Middle East. Their stories were heart-rending, and their courage in the face of opposition from both sides of the conflict was inspiring. There were also meetings with religious leaders in Jerusalem: a Sufi Sheik, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, and a monk who had spent four years in the desert on his spiritual quest for example.
We were also deeply impressed by the people who organized the conference: a young man from Germany doing his alternative to military service went above and beyond the call of duty to bring people from around the world together in a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation, centering on the question of identity; three Israeli educators (including a former army officer who has become a Waldorf School teacher) who worked with heart and soul to provide a space where people could come together as human beings, beyond ethnic and religious boundaries; a Bedouin man—son of the local Sheik—who had studied in Germany and who merged the magnificent local hospitality and friendliness with a clarity and practicality characteristic of central Europe.
There was also time to meet some people who visited the festival, and to learn more about life in Israel, including the every-day life of family, school, work and popular culture. We spent a night at the home of a scientist and his family who impressed us with their friendliness and openness. We later found out that his grandfather had been Israel’s most famous writer, and is depicted on the fifty-Shekel note.
The situation in the Middle East is not as dangerous as one might think. Nonetheless, it has its difficulties and perils. I believe that the greatest danger is not poor hygiene or acts of violence, but rather the temptation to focus on the evil while neglecting the good. This inevitably draws trouble to you. It can also distract you from the fact that all of the evil in the world--terrorism (state-sponsored or not), political oppression, destruction of the natural environment—is merely a reflection of what is in our own souls, our own families, our own communities. The evil in the world is a wake-up call to transform ourselves, from the core of our hearts right down to every last bad habit. It is a call--as Ghandi put it—to become the change you want to see in the world.
Our deep, heartfelt gratitude goes out to the many people who prayed for us, who supported us with generous gifts, and who gave us moral support and encouragement. Our greetings go out to every one from sunny Greece. May God bless you all!
Alexandra and William
14 June, 2007
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