Recently, the tragic results of a powerful earthquake in
Nepal momentarily filled the headlines and pushed news about Iraq and ISSA to
the background. But, warlike conditions in the Middle East have been with
us for many years and no doubt will continue, perhaps involving more and more
countries.
In the "old" days the U.S. would send in troops to
secure peace. That does not work so well anymore ---- look at present-day
Iraq, after 10 or more years of U.S. military assistance.
Let's try something different! The PC(USA) is doing
just that, through on-site missionaries who develop long-term, person-to-person
relationships, especially with the youth.
Greg and Chris Callison are each ordained Presbyterian
ministers, as well as husband and wife. They have been living in the Kurdistan
sector of Iraq, in a city named Duhok, about 30 miles north of the
ISIS-occupied city of Mosil (ancient Nineveh). They tell us they have
been safe, but very busy. A big reason for their safety is that Duhok is
deeply in the area controlled by the Kurds, who are friends of the Christians
in Iraq, and effective fighters against the Caliphate sought by ISSIS.
Last August, several members of our CPC Members In Mission
Team had lunch in Summit with the Callisons, and were so impressed with their work
that we asked to receive updates. They have stayed in touch with
us. Their specific humanitarian work seems to fall into three categories:
(1.) providing needed help to the Internally Displaced People
(IDPs) (local people who have been bombed out of their former homes and
livelihoods); (2.)fostering school space and teachers for Kurdish (largely
Christian) youth; and (3.) promoting the teaching of English language to
Kurdish and other youth. Their emphasis seems to be on the youth ---- trying
to save the next generation.
The Callisons have recruited volunteers from North America
to staff several schools, over last summer. The UNICEF school was new and
clean, they said, with classrooms in cargo containers. One of those
containers was morphed into a library, with 1100 donated books, in various
relevant languages. At the grand opening of the new library 300 kids
attended, report the Callisons, with lots of party food and good interaction
among the Callison team, teachers and students. Several U.S.- based
Presbyterian churches had helped turn this idea into a working reality.
Chris Callison describes (by email) some of the Duhok school
experience:
"We had Muslim and
Christian students, IDPs from Mosul and refugees from Syria.
In addition to the
two hours of English each day, the kids had music, theater, sports,
games, art and
lots of fun interaction with leaders."
"We ended each
day with an assembly with lots of singing, skits, and classes showing
us what the
students learned that day, sometimes emphasizing some aspect of
Christian
teaching that Muslims could affirm, like God's ability to transform hate into
love, fear
into trust, greed into generosity, sorrow into joy."
Chris goes on to report a "heart-warming" moment:
"Two
high-level men from the Department of Education visited us. Before
leaving,
they said,
'Do you know the difference between your teachers and ours?' I (Chris)
was a bit
nervous about what was coming. 'Your volunteer teachers are willing
to
work, even
when it is hot; they're with the children and the children are happy.
And
they are
doing this without pay. Our teachers would not do that. Please
thank them for what they're
giving to the children of Duhok.' "
Christians have been living in Mesopotamia since the First
Century, when the Apostles Thomas and Thaddeus brought the Gospel. In
1987, the Christians numbered about 1.5 million, or about 8% of the
population. Now less than 1% remains, or about 175,000. Many fear
that it's just a matter of time until they too are relegated to history.
The schooling that Greg and Chris are facilitating serves
two purposes. If the students and their families remain in Iraq and have
marketable skills, the odds of their success are obviously greater. On
the other hand, if they emigrate to Europe or North America, they may have
marketable technical skills, but also with some facility with the
English language they can more quickly learn about a new job and a new country.
If there remains a Christian voice in Iraq, it would be
tragic if it were only the voice of guns. That would be a voice which
probably will not uncover the talents, gifts and potential of the Christian and
other youth of Iraq. We should support efforts like those of the
Callisons to bring life-giving focus to our presence in Iraq.
We are making the bet that if peace comes to the Middle
East, it will come with this generation of youth, whose wants and values
are being formed right now!
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These thoughts are brought to you by CPC's Adult
Spiritual Development Team, hoping to encourage you to pursue some spiritual
growth this spring at CPC.
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