A Brief History of Liberia, and beyond...

So this title is a bit deceptive. I'm not going to write about the history, but give you some links to learn more. With the trip only a few days away, I'm busy both answering inquiries and finishing packing.

One of the more common questions is about our safety. People want to know how if Liberia and Libya are close. So...learning more about Liberia's geography is greatly comforting. Comparing Africa to North America illustrates that Monrovia, Liberia is about as far from Tripoli, Libya as Montreal, Canada is from Mexico City. In other words, the Sahara is enormous so conflict in the northern part of Africa is not likely to cross the dessert. With those reassurances in mind, I've done a lot of Web surfing and here are a few of the key sites providing up-to-date, accurate information:

— US Department of State Background Notes for Liberia Scroll up or down to get more information beyond the history.

—US Department of State Liberia Country Information

—The CIA World Factbook: Liberia

—USAID Liberia Initiative

—United Nation's Liberia Web Page

Liberia is located in West Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Covering an area of 111,369 sq km, it has a tropical climate, with an average annual rainfall of 170 inches. It is one of the wettest countries in the world, with a rainy season that runs from May to October.

Peace is a Process

I saw the documentary "Pray the Devil Back to Hell." It is probably the 8th or 9th time. The more I learn, the more I am riveted by the compelling story of ordinary Liberian women who took a stand for peace. They did not talk about all the things they were against...they constantly repeated what they were for.      Peace.



Tonight at St. Peter's in Delaware, parishioners as well as others in the community and members from other Episcopal churches gathered to enjoy a lasagna dinner followed by a screening of the movie. All the food and sale items were donated so the funds raised will go toward the collaborative efforts of the Episcopal Church of Liberia and the Diocese of Southern Ohio.

Good food and conversation were followed by the sobering images of what Liberia was like in 2002. And the peace established by the women, the elected government, and the UN is fragile. It has not taken root in deep and lasting ways. I am more convinced than ever that it needs nurturing and that everything we do now to be companions with the Liberians will have a lasting impact on that peace.

Two days ago, on Monday, I spoke to a retired Peace Corps worker who told me more tales about the devastation from the civil war. He also talked about the current unrest in the Ivory Coast, right next door. Liberia has 85% unemployment, so the former soldiers from the Liberian factions are looking for work as mercenaries...and finding work in the Ivory Coast. Fighting and killing is what they were taught to do. For the moment the peace is in place, but what about in 6 months (leading up to the October elections) or a year? The concern the Peace Corps worker voiced is that in the future the mercenaries will return to Liberia with weapons and if there aren't jobs or peaceful opportunities, they will resort to violence again. Each thing we can do now—to partner with the Liberians and support them in achieving their vision of improving education, health and job opportunities—will be additional obstacles in the way of those who turn to violence. I am seeing more and more how profound those words are. Peace is a process and will continue to take effort on the part of not only the people of Liberia but others, like those of us in Southern Ohio. Now is the time to take action for peace. It cannot wait.

What to do...

Saturday was a beautiful day in central Ohio. Sunny, in the 60's with a brisk wind. Maybe winter is really winding down. Steve and I went to the AAA baseball park for the Columbus Clippers...a sure sign of spring. Then we headed to the Columbus zoo for a little aerobic walking—except I keep getting distracted by the animals so it may be more accurate to say we tried to move aerobically between exhibits...

In any event, as we entered one zoo building there was an Edmund Burke quote. It said, "Nobody makes a greater mistake than he who did noting because he could do so little." Burke lived between 1729 and 1797, so it does not bother me that he said "he." I just substitute he or she, and then take it personally. In doing a bit of research I found Burke also said, "All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing."

I suppose these are heartening for me because I am watching the world news and wondering what difference one person, or five delegates, or even one diocese can make. We all have lots and lots of things pulling us in different directions. For me personally that includes being involved in family events (like meeting my brother and niece at Clippers stadium), local ministries where I volunteer, my sole proprietorship, Global Village Collection (a fair trade store) where I am president of the board, and then there are wonderful friends that I can't seem to find the time to see. I can't think of anyone who is not balancing most of these things in one way or another. It is our age and our culture.

Liberian Students

So I read Edmund Burke's words and think, it is not about how little money we seem to have to support the companion relationship explorations and help fill medical and educational needs in the process. It is not about our limited resources like the hours per week to dedicate to this process or having a huge number of people providing the benefits of their expertise. It is not about regional, national or international organizations getting involved...though all these things are very helpful. It is about what I CAN do, however small it seems, to live into my baptismal vow to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being." When I look at what other individuals already are doing, and have done, then I can cheerfully say (and believe) I will not make the mistake Burke articulates. There is evil in the world and it will not win if I can help it.

Ash Wednesday Reflections

The final line of today's Gospel of Matthew passage (6:21) says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." What a fitting passage to reflect on, as I look at a beautiful painting of three women drawn by a Liberian artist. My head and heart are fully engaged.

I think of art as a treasure, because it captures something of value that is not easily quantified. Each time I look I notice some other texture or nuance in the shading of the artwork. The women are all in motion. You can see they are interacting, working, gesturing with an almost dance-like grace. I can't see the features on their faces, as if that is not important. It is their action that counts, not their individual identities. A Liberian friend said they are more of a community culture and not as individualistic as American society. This painting speaks to that point. Who knows what treasures the containers hold, but the patterns on the containers—as well as the women's clothing—shows an attention to detail that makes me want to reach out to touch the fabric and feel who they are.

One other thought struck me, as I listened to Fr. Wilson's sermon today at St. Peter's. He was talking about this rainy, dreary Ash Wednesday. It captures the spirit of the first day of Lent 2011, in part because it is the overcast part of the spring that will bring new life. I thought about myself, almost like a a plant sprouting from a seed or bulb in the rain-soaked ground, "pushing up to be seen. Soaking up the light of God's creation." Someplace above me is the light, and I will move toward it as I practice my Lenten disciplines. I will also move toward it as I grow in my understanding of the artist, and the women he captures with efficient calligraphy-like brush strokes. They are waiting for me, ready to greet me as I travel into their space.

St. Pat's Talent Show Fundraiser

Dancing

Singing

Imagine...over 80 people from preschoolers through great-grandparents coming together on a Friday night to share. They shared laughter, juggling, singing, dancing, poetry reading, piano and flute solos, guitar playing, desserts, camaraderie and much, much more. More than one parish, and more than one denomination were represented at the Talent Show fundraiser at St. Pat's in Dublin, OH.

Check out the YouTube videos: One of Becci and Mike dancing and the other of the closing number with Cricket and Wes. "... Anything You Can Reach I Can Reach Higher" Yours truly shot the video hence the home video quality.

Singing AND Dancing

Partnered Juggling

St. Pat's Parish Hall: Liberia and Honduras Fundraiser Talent Show

By the end I was laughing as was most of the audience. What you cannot see is that my eyes were full of tears because I could not believe how wonderful and how generous everyone was. The donations collected are going both to a medical mission trip to Honduras and to the trip to Liberia to continue the companion relationship explorations. This is what community means, when it is a community in action. I can't think of what more to say. "Thank you" just does not seem to be enough. Thank God gets closer. We are so blessed.

Poetry Reading: Little Orphant Annie

See More Photos From the Talent Show

Why Liberia?

After people ask about my upcoming trip to Africa, they usually follow up by asking, "but why out of all the places in the world, was Liberia chosen?" The answer is not a simple one.

In a future blog posting I can provide background on the history of Liberia and how it is intertwined with the US. I can focus on specific Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). I can also link to documents on the Companion Relationship Discernment Process. However, I think the starting place is not so anonymous or bureaucratic. It is deeply personal. Amazing Liberians, living in the Diocese of Southern Ohio, started teaching me about their country, their food, their music, their arts, their clothing, their history and about their civil war.

Then—I saw a movie. The documentary "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" does an outstanding job of portraying both the war and the peace process. Peace was achieved through cooperation of women, both Christian and Muslim, as they took a Ghandi-like approach to overcoming destruction. In my previous blog, at the bottom, is a picture of a street in Liberia where so many empty shell casings litter the ground that a person can't walk without slipping on them. I refrained from linking to more gory pictures showing children's shoes in pools of blood. Even my active imagination can't conjure up the sounds and sights of what it must have been like to be anyplace close to the gunfights that resulted in the images portrayed by these pictures. So, Liberia has become visibly personal.

My mind goes to what I can do, as well as what we as a Christian community can do. In the Great Litany we pray to "beat down Satan under our feet." Now is the time for me to act on those words. This delegation is going to Liberia to explore the possibilities for a companion relationship. Companions walk side by side. One is not ahead or behind. They support each other, using God-given gifts. To be part of a process that overcomes the work of evil dictators, geography and other barriers is taking a big risk. It is an act of faith. That is holy and personal, even as it is connected to a church organizational structure.

For those who want quantifiable reasons for selecting Liberia, just go to the United Nations Web site and download the documents evaluating Liberia on a global scale. According to the UN, "Years of conflict and mismanagement have left Liberia one of the poorest countries in the world..." Think Central and South America, Africa, the Pacific Rim and then think about the poorest countries in those areas. That is extreme. That is Liberia.

I can list data—extreme poverty is living on less than $1.25 US per day. 1.7 million Liberians are living in poverty. Of these, about 1.3 million people are living in extreme poverty, equivalent to 48 percent of the country's population. If you like statistics, there is a 190 page report on poverty in Liberia that will paint a much more granular, detailed picture.

Malnutrition, inaccessible primary school education, malaria, unsafe water, as well as destruction of infrastructure like roads and sources for electricity are some of the statistics that lead me to answer that whatever I can do, whatever we can do to assist them in their rebuilding, is going to make an enormous difference in the lives of Liberians. An elementary teacher makes about $75 US per month—not a living wage if that teacher has a family. A sponsor can increase the wages of that teacher by 33.3% by raising $25 per month. As one National and World Mission Commission member said, that is something he could manage. I think that is something many of us could manage.

There is hope—A sound government, new entrepreneurial businesses, higher education, and the Episcopal Church of Liberia (ECL) are just some of the ways Liberians are working together to manage their own future. The ECL does not have a long list of partnering diocese. As far as I know, they don't have any current active partners. Their parishes include adventurous, faithful individuals who came to the US last fall to talk about their vision, and to find out what they can do for us. I learned a great deal from those delegates and am excited to go and return the favor. I thank my family, and the parishes doing fund-raising, that are helping make the work of our delegation possible. The Liberians provided suggestions on things we can bring that would fill an immediate need (like stethoscopes). In return they expect the relationship to be a two-way street. Part of the explorations will be receiving the God-given gifts they bring to us. Gifts that I can share with each reader of this blog or viewer of YouTube videos I upload so the relationship is a community experience.

The only photo I have that seems to fit this posting is the Liberian cross made from a spent shell casing. It is a symbol of the hope and the faith that I now associate with our Liberian brothers and sisters. I believe that Liberia is the best, first place to nurture a new companion relationship. It may not be the only place. Bishop Breidenthal wrote and told me, "Christ, “who came to preach peace to those who are far off and those who are near,” demands that we address both immediate and distant needs. Otherwise, how can we be part of a Body that knows no bounds?" I am taking his words personally and right now they lead me toward Liberia.

A Both/And World

I was at the doctor’s today, to pick up a prescription for an anti-malaria drug and to get a second Hepatitis B shot. She asked me a question that others have asked…why am I going to Liberia? She knows it is neither for business nor a vacation.

My reflection this afternoon on her question took me back to my childhood. When I was 7 ½ (half years are very important when you are 7) my grandparents took me on a ship from New York to Peru. My grandfather had been born in South America and we still had relatives living in Lima. After the Panama Canal crossing our ship docked in Ecuador (the ship was partly passenger and partly cargo so we had interesting ports-of-call.) 

While the crew used cranes to swap big boxes of goods, my grandfather took me by the hand and we walked outside of the harbor area. The road was very dusty and dry, and beyond the gate were children begging for money. Some were missing hands and arms, or walked with stick crutches. My grandfather’s grip was strong, so I don't remember ever being afraid. He answered my myriad of questions while handing out coins to the children. Soon there was a flock of us around him. As he and I walked back to the ship, he said that the world had lots of people who needed doctors or food but were too poor to afford them. Some of those people were like the children…able to get to a place where they were visible to travelers like us.

But the part of his talk that day that has stayed with me for so many years was when he told me there are other people who may need something and we will never see them. We have to trust that other people will find a way to reach the “hidden” needy people—and there are things we can do to make life better for those hidden people, too. Later in the trip, on our way back to New York, we docked again. Anchored out in the bay was a ship called Hope. It was a hospital ship and my grandparents and I ended up going on board for a tour. We met nuns in white habits and saw lots of clean children laughing. There were rooms for physical therapy and machinery to provide other medical services. The hospital staff of the ship found the hidden people beyond the coast and cared for them. I don’t know if my grandfather made a donation to the nuns who took us around the ship, but I would not be surprised if he did.

My grandfather taught me that I am not limited to either one choice or another. I can exist in a “both/and” world. I try to live into that belief. I support local non-profits, food pantries and other ministries around Columbus. However, I believe my trip to Liberia is a way to live into being a steward of God’s creation on a global scale. The Episcopal Church in Liberia is like the ship Hope. There are people ready to welcome us to Liberia, as they also teach us about their country, faith, and culture. The Ohio delegation will not be going deep into the equatorial rain-forests. Our Liberian hosts are the ones who will reach far beyond Monrovia or the coast. They know where to find the hidden, needy people. Theirs is the hard work of cleaning up and rebuilding a country. So I’m going to Liberia to listen, ask questions, learn, and return to Ohio ready to suggest ways to collaborate and share my learning. Whatever comes of the trip will go beyond the limitations of the “either/or” mindset and take me into a “both/and” world where we share God’s abundance.

Shell casings litter the ground after the Liberian Civil War