Wow. What an incredible day! Where do I begin?
I mentioned in my first post that the focus of this week’s trip is to work with the Corrymeela Community in Ballycastle and learn about their efforts to promote healing of division in Northern Ireland. So this day was our introduction to that division.
After our hotel breakfast, the group met up with a few Corrymeela volunteers who would serve as our guides for the day. One of the guides gave us a history lesson on Belfast over tea and coffee. The conflict here is complicated, emotional, and deeply rooted. I’ll admit that I am (as the locals would put it:) a “wee bit” overwhelmed by all of information I took in today, but from my understanding it all boils down to this: those who consider themselves Irish vs. those who consider themselves British. The former are called Republicans, Nationalists, and/or Catholics; the latter are called Loyalists, Unionists, and/or Protestants. It is sometimes considered a religious divide, sometimes social, political, cultural... No matter what you call it, it’s evident that this issue is causing serious division.
To better understand the extent of that division, we next took a bus tour of Belfast. What a fascinating city!
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| Tri Deltas Reppin' |
Johnny, a local artist who works with Corrymeela and who will be with us all week, described Belfast as a cultural hub; a place where artists and musicians thrive. I can definitely see this artistic influence in Belfast’s street murals. At the end of every street, on the sides of homes, there are huge paintings expressing the artist’s political feelings. Many are paintings of Union Jacks, commemorating those lost fighting for the English in war, or other “proud to be British” messages. Some murals are of the Irish flag, sporting phrases in the traditional Irish language. I was so fascinated by the way these people were using street art as a way to address social injustice and also as a way of creating an identity for themselves or that area. It struck me that there really is no neutral here; driving through the streets you are constantly confronted with politics, and what you think about the government determines where you live, where you go to school, who you associate with, what sports team you cheer for... etcetera.
In fact, in some areas the division between Catholics and Protestants is so great that there are literal walls sectioning off certain areas. The walls pictured here run between a Catholic and Protestant neighborhood. It’s interesting, during most of the day you can get past the walls if you want to. They really are only there for peace of mind; the people on both sides of the walls want them to stay up. We, as a group, spent a lot of time reflecting on what that that says about human nature.
After the tour, we took the bus (and I took an hour and a half nap!) up to Ballycastle and arrived at The Corrymeela Community by dinner time. After eating, we got an introduction to Corrymeela, learning what they do to try and create a safe space for Protestants, Catholics, outsiders... anyone who is looking for a community that fosters reconciliation. For more information, check out the website for Corrymeela-- http://www.corrymeela.org/ -- It’s a really interesting place, and I love what they’re doing here!
Corrymeela has twice a day optional worship services, and I chose to go to one tonight. When I hear “worship service” I picture a band leading everyone in Hillsong, but this was more of a personal quiet time. I reflected on part of this Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi which is written on a door at Corrymeela:
Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love.
Where this is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
Afterwards we all got together as a group and had hot chocolate and toast (...Cause supper- second dinner- is a thing here! And I’m all about it.). The only thing more beautiful than the hot chocolate and toast was the stimulating discussion that came with it. As a group, we sat around for several hours just discussing what we’d learn today, what had surprised us, what we were interested in, and what all of that meant for our lives. This group of students is so thoughtful, transparent, and self-aware. I am amazed by the discussions we’ve had today and by the wisdom of my peers. How lucky am I to have a week to be engage spiritually and intellectually with these young people? And to do it all in the context of this beautiful country and this fascinating culture!
I can’t wait for more exploring, bonding, and fellowshipping tomorrow.
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