Fuzz Kitto, director of Spirited Consulting writes about his trip to Gaza and the hope the local Christians instilled in him.

Recently, the centre of the three great monotheistic religions –Christianity, Judaism and Islam has seen conflict, turmoil and war.  For much of history however, they have also been able to coexist in tolerance and peace. Whatever the situation, life goes on.

I spent parts of August and September last year visiting Israel and Palestinian Territories and Egypt training ministers and visiting Mission projects with the Anglican Diocese in both places. This was the third visit in three years and it was fascinating to observe the realities of the changes and continuations of life.

I asked Fr Hasam at the Cathedral about the plans he has for the future. His reply was, “Plans? Life here is too uncertain to plan. All we can do is believe in God”.

One of the most memorable experiences was visiting the Gaza strip at the height of the Israeli incursion into Lebanon. I am not sure what hit me most as we got out of the taxi. The separation wall around the Gaza strip (at a cost of US$1 / kilometre) or the sound of small artillery fire and machine guns just the other side of the wall. In the background was the deep boom of tanks firing with an occasional secondary explosion as they hit some volatile target. It was an edgy, tense and intimidating atmosphere.
We were visiting the Anglican Church’s Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. After making it through the check point (with the emphasis on CHECK) we walked the 150 metres through roofed and walled walkway now void of any humans, and everything remote-controlled through loud speaker systems.

Parts of the walkway are marked by pitted walls and holes in the roof from suicide bombers that have detonated the bombs on them while trying to make it to the Israeli side.
We were picked up in one of the hospital ambulances and on arrival noted the smashed windows and cracked walls from the Sonic Bombing (fighter jets flying over at twice the speed of sound causing “booms” at 2, 3 and 4 am.).

The hospital stands as a symbol of hope in the midst of madness. On a previous visit I had asked Sahalia the Director of the hospital the question “What is the hope in all of this?”  She  answered with “We are!”

They have had their x-ray room bombed, destroying their equipment. When I entered the chapel it was hard to miss the hole through the ceiling and roof and then the large crater next to the communion table where a missile had exploded.

In the midst of this are Christians and Muslims and up until recently Israeli doctors, all working together for healing and wholeness. The gardens at the hospital are one of the few green spaces left on the entire Gaza Strip.

We were fortunate to visit with the Palestinian Human Rights Commissioner, Raji Surani, who when asked, showed us the fragments of bombs, collected on a table in the conference room. Some of these were from experimental bombs being used in Gaza while the world media was focusing on the fighting in Lebanon. One of these was in a plastic bag as it burnt skin and bones when it exploded and caused a gas in the air around the area that burnt eyes and irritated nasal passages and lungs.  It still burnt skin when cold.

These things were happening in Gaza while forces in the West considered it too early to broker a peace to the fighting in southern Lebanon. They seemed to hope the fighting would end the power of Hezbollah – however it has seemed to only strengthen the place they have in the hearts of the people on the ground.

During the struggles between June and the end of the year the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights have calculated that some 484 Palestinians, 307 of whom are civilians, including 92 children and 30 women, have been killed by the IOF (Israeli Occupational Forces).  In the Gaza Strip alone, 405 Palestinians, 243 of whom are civilians, including 84 children, 28 women and 4 paramedics, haven been killed by IOF.

In the midst of this the Anglican Churches, Schools and Hospitals around the Palestinian Territories and in Israel continue to struggle with what it means to be the Church and sharers of the Gospel of Christ.

Offering comfort, building for peace and coexistence and healing and education become the striking presence and incarnation of the call of God.

The dedication, faith and persistence of the clergy, staff and church members are an example of what it might mean to practise the presence of Christ in realities far from most of our lives in Australia.

I left this place with a sense of exhilaration from the inspiration of the local Christians and a sense of powerlessness, wondering what can we do. When I put this question to Raji Surani, his response was, “You are free people. Free people should know what to do”.

As Bishop Riah reflected numerous times “We are the living stones!” Living stones cry out and tell the story of the Christ who proclaimed, “Blessed / happy are those who thirst for justice and are peace makers for they shall inherit the earth and be called the Children of God.”

Libby Levey is a parishioner of Christ Church Cathedral. The Encounter is privileged to tell her amazing story.

There are many things that stand out about Libby Levey but the one that shines through is her positive outlook on life.

Throughout her journey. she has never questioned “why” and always holds on to her deep sense of faith.

“You don’t get any answers from ‘why me’. You say ‘how can I deal with what’s happened’”, she said.

“I believe God goes before us, if we’re open, and He gives us ways to cope. He doesn’t give us more than we can cope with.”

Three and a half years ago Libby had a stroke that paralysed the left side of her body.  However her recovery was fast tracked.

She said, “I went through everything, I went through unconciousness, I went through losing the use of my left side completely and through the stages of recovery. It was just miraculous, I still shake my head in wonder.”

In 2006 Libby published a book, Connecting Pathways, about her journey.

The book doesn’t just tell Libby’s story.  It is a combination of her memories and feelings, her family and friends’ reflections as well as the artwork and poetry she created during her recovery, from as early as four days after the stroke.

Libby said, “I do feel that writing the poetry and doing the artwork from Day 4 of my recovery assisted. In many ways, the book started on day 4 and I just had to wind my story around it and add the stories of other people.
“It wasn’t such a hard task but it made me stand back and look at it from a different perspective. I really believe (my journey) was a spiritual thing and God was really involved.”

In fact from the first day Libby allowed God to guide her. She said, “When I fell unconscious I vividly remember thinking, “I don’t know what’s happening, I can’t understand this and no-one can so I give myself to you.”

Of course, Libby has very few memories of the time she was unconscious but she does recall the feeling of love from her family around her and interestingly enough she recalls Dean Graeme Lawrence coming to visit her.
“At a deep unconscious level I heard him pray for me.  I remember thinking ‘Oh, there’s the Dean’, which was very encouraging for me and also for him to hear my memory as we realised how important prayer is,” she said.

Libby’s children and husband were also there to support her through her journey in many ways.  They were often by her side and she was always in their prayers.  Libby believes her family’s faith also contributed to her recovery.

“I don’t believe faith just pops up.  My daughter and son had very strong faith at the time.  They knew where to turn and knew a God who was huge, loving and encompassing.  It was natural for them.”

It wasn’t just her faith that became a natural part of Libby’s recovery.

“When I look back I had been creative for quite some years before, so it was a natural part of who I was and it was used to help the process (of recovery).  It’s like I was almost being equipped for a huge event.  God gives us skills and strengths to get through things,” she said.

Doctors, friends, even Libby herself were surprised at her speedy recovery.  So what does she believe allowed her to get over this?

“I think the art and poetry, my faith, and the love of those who prayed for me and surrounded me all that time.  Love is in all of this. God is love and I was very focused on love.   I was very aware that God was in this right from the beginning.”

And not just the beginning of the stroke but for her life.   Libby worked with stroke recovery patients for nine years and her family had also previously been affected stroke. “I have travelled the road of stroke,” she said.
Libby was in hospital over Easter and her brother-in-law came up from Sydney to give communion.  “That night I happened to be looking at my hand.  It started to move even though I had no control over it.  To me the connection was the faithfulness, the love, and God somehow honouring the family communion time.  I can’t explain it but there was a definite connection with my fingers.

“I always said thank you.”  Libby didn’t tell anybody about this but within three days she was able to do it by will.  “My mind was connecting. I could say bend and stretch and it would happen.”  The physios worked from there although Libby kept surpassing their program!
“There was a definite healing connection originally and I just believe it was God again doing His bit, “ she said.

“From my point of view there is a side of saying thank you and having gratitude.  God can use a grateful heart and I had very little fear so the block of fear wasn’t there.  I was open, I knew what I would like but I wasn’t saying God you have to heal me.  I was saying Thank you that I can lift one leg today.  Thanking him for the small things.  Each day I’d find something to be thankful for. I do think if you’re caught in fear it can be a block to the healing processes.  On reflection I wonder if that played a part in the healing process and I think it did.”

When questioned about what she hopes the reader gets from her book, her true selflessness shines.

“I hope they get out of it whatever they need. To me there are lots of levels in the book.  It’s simple but there are levels of creativity, faith or just the story.  I hope that wherever the reader is at, they will pick up something.  I don’t have expectations.  However it is used, is fine by me.

“I can’t prove anything of course but it’s my faith, I believe in what has happened. It seems miraculous but all I can say is, ‘I believe in miracles’.”

Libby’s book, Connecting Pathways, is available from the Cathedral bookshop.

Elizabeth Keevers

The Anglicans of Holy Trinity Merriwa recently passed another milestone – they now have the only church in the Hunter to operate a driver reviver rest and refreshments stop.
 
Rector of Merriwa, the Rev’d Michael Davies, said the parish had decided to take on the new venture as a way of including the wider public in its ministry.

“Holy Trinity is an integral part of our community, not a closed group of people in a building on the hill. We see this as an opportunity to serve others in a practical way,” he said.
 
Merriwa is ideally located for a driver reviver as it forms the hub of a network of major roads linking the north, south, east and west of New South Wales. The busy Merriwa site is also the only one along the Golden Highway, from Newcastle to Dubbo. It is located at Lions Park on the eastern side of town.
From September 29 to January 1 around 1800 people stopped at the site, revived and survived.
 
On site, Anglican advertising is restricted to a banner, plus Holy Trinity brochures that form part of a collection of Merriwa tourist literature.“We wanted to have a recognisable presence, then let the service speak for itself,” Rev Davies said.

Co-ordinators Bob Baihn and Jan Sharp are active members of Holy Trinity congregation. They have been kept busy creating volunteer rosters, ordering supplies, and liaising with the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) and church administrators.

Mr Baihn, said the community’s response of 68 volunteers from all denominations had been magnificent.

“We’re all working together to help our mates, that’s what the whole thing’s about and we enjoy being Good Samaritans,” he said.

“Sometimes the most important part of our work is talking to people.”

Weary travellers stop at Merriwa’s driver reviver for free tea, coffee, cold drinks and light refreshments, provided by nationwide driver reviver sponsor Bushells. The RTA and NRMA supply maps and novelties such as children’s games and stickers and tourist information is also available, courtesy of Holy Trinity and the Upper Hunter Shire.

Holy Trinity opened its new venture for the first time during the September school holidays, which included the October long weekend, a very busy time on the roads.

The service also operated over the Christmas, New Year period, with the Australia Day weekend and the close of the school holidays also on the agenda.
  
The church stepped in to take on the service after previous organisers, Merriwa Lions Club, disbanded. Rev’d Davies said the Lions had been particularly helpful in making a seamless transition possible.

Merriwa has a town population of around 980 with a further 2000 in the surrounding district. Along with most rural areas in NSW, it has been suffering from drought conditions that have adversely affected the livelihood and morale of residents.