I was initally struck by the pace of the city. No one is in any real hurry. People are relaxed, laid back, and, for the most part, if not in actuality, do an excellent job of seeming content. Happy, even. The temptation is to believe that this is all right. That people capable of producing such a beautiful city, with such stunning works of art, and such brillaince of expression cannot really be so bad off. But they can. As beautiful as the city is and as happy as the people seem, it's all on the surface. Belfast is peppered with reminders that, for those who look a little closer, there is a much darker side to things than how they initally appear. It can be a thing as simple and as easy to overlook as a flyer that says "Ireland belongs to the Irish." Or it can be as blatant as a giant "peace wall" between protestant and catholic communities complete with security cameras and police stations.
Sitting there, looking down the street, I slipped out my journal and quickly penned the following:
"I'm sitting in the heart of Belfast, watching the people and buses and cabs meander their way through the city. I can't help but love this place. Even in a city, it's so calm, lad back, beautiful, even. I see all of the 'good' things man has made here, and I realize that it's just not enough. Just as was the case in the Republic (of Ireland), the creativity and potential of the people is squandered by the state of their souls.
And what can I do about it? Nothing without the Spirit of the Lord. The same as the people. I'm no better than they are. I have nothing to offer them. But Christ does, and I can let Him work through me."
Yesterday was also our last day with J R. As has been the trend during these past few days of briefing, we spent most of the day in various Starbucks locations around Belfast discussing the job over coffee. More than that, though, we've been going into great detail concerning how exactly what we'll be doing these next few weeks directly correlates with the CeLT master plan. And all of this has gone to further affirm my deep sense of belonging here in general and working with the Celtic Languages Team specifically.
To better illustrate what I mean by this, I'll use Ethan's last post as an example. He's having an extremely difficult time dealing with culture shock. He's a homegrown American through and through, and it's conflicting deeply with what he believes he should be doing here. I don't have that problem at all. I underwent no form of culture shock whatsoever last summer, and the transition felt even easier, if that's possible, this time. I feel like I get these people as a society. And I feel like J R and the CeLT get me. I don't know how to put it into words that will make sense to someone who hasn't felt this way before, but I'll try to explain it as it occurred to me.
Yesterday morning, as J R outlined the master plan, the vision of the team as a whole, I felt something deep within myself that affirmed it. Something that agreed on possibly the deepest level I have available. It was an excitement to be sure, but it was a soothing one. A peace and ease overcame me as I sat, looking out over the calm Belfast city streets over coffee, listening to this man put into words exactly what I felt called to do for the rest of my life. I was genuinely delighted and surprised. Surprised because I remember feeling this way last summer, but I couldn't remember at what point I had forgotten it. Though, I guess to some extent I never really forgot it, or else I wouldn't have tried so hard to get back. I was also surprised by Ethan's response. I felt upset that I hadn't picked up on just how difficult it would be for him. My transition was so smooth, that I guess I forgot that not everyone feels as at home here as I do.
So, I do feel genuinely and deeply called to be part of what Christ is working among the Celtic people. I have the chance to let Him work through me to offer them hope that penetrates the beautiful surface and radically alters the universally fallen core of who they are without Him. If such fallen people are capable of producing such art and beauty as what I have found here, I can only imagine what could come from them should their hope become rooted in the Master Creator.
There is much to appreciate about the culture and people here, and it's easy to think that they're doing just fine on their own. It's sadly all to easy to believe that Jesus would change that about them. That they would lose something. And they would. But it would not be something they were ever meant to keep. They would change, without a doubt, but it would be for the better. "As Christians we are meant to be not less human than other people but more human, just as Jesus of Nazareth was more human." - Madeleine L'Engle.
- Sam R. Franklin
Day 5 in Belfast
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