The camel

Since it is a Friday and the start of the weekend, I decided to sit outside the Jesuit Centre to take in the silence before I said Mass for the Christian community. Fridays are like our Sundays, slow, few people rising early, very few cars on the road, so it was a good time to just sit outdoors.

 

After a few deep breaths, which I do regularly as part of Christian mindfulness, I heard some odd sounds slowly getting louder. I thought nothing of it at first. I figured it might be someone moving some equipment in their yards, but I paid attention as the noise became steadily louder and irregular. Then it dawned on me that it was a man on a camel coming up the hill because walking up those hills can be tiresome though good for the cardiovascular system. The hooves of the camel broke clanged against the pavement as it made it to the crest of the hill. It was quite a sight to see on this weekend morning, but…

 

…what I just said is a fabrication. Well not everything. There was no camel. There are really no camels in a cosmopolitan modern city of 5 million people. You will find them at carnivals, down by the Dead Sea as rides for tourists, or down at Wadi Rum or Petra, but not in the city. No camels. Sometimes there are sheep or goats on the edges of the city, especially when there is a feast, yet, seldom in the city.

 

What follows next though is all true. 

 

I’m enjoying a book by John O’Malley, SJ called When Bishops Meet. It is about the three most recent Ecumenical Councils – Trent, Vatican I, and Vatican II. It looks at the positive contributions of the councils, especially Vatican II, in its style, discourse, and profound effects, and it holds up Vatican II as a truly remarkable meeting of forward progress in the church. Most people do not realize just how radical and revolutionary it was, and I’m a big fan of it. I cannot wait for some of the Vatican II reforms to be implemented. I’m savoring this book.

 

On Wednesday night, I gathered with the English-speaking community of refugees who meet regularly at the Jesuit Centre. It was filled with Somalis, Ethiopians, Iraqi, Yemeni, Jordanians and a few other nationalities, and it was led by an American who is studying Arabic. We watched a TEDx talk on resiliency in the face of trauma and then we broke into small groups. I met with some of the loveliest people, who hungered to speak in English and to tell their stories. They were incredibly supportive of one another, and they sincerely cherished the experiences of each person. They communicated more through their gestures of affection and concern than through their words, which were also rather good. Most of these young people have lost everything and are in Amman to get a new start in life. Some are studying through Jesuit Refugee Services, some through Jesuit Worldwide Learning, others through the U.N. These young people retain such hope, and they love their country of origin deeply. Some say the soil of Africa beats within their hearts. This was a lovely evening.

 

Speaking of evenings, these nights in Amman are quite enjoyable. Though it may reach 86 degrees during the day, the temperatures lower to 67 to 79 degrees at night regularly. Europe is going through a heat wave and fortunately this area does not have heat waves or variable temperatures. Most days, everything is quite pleasant. I’ve learned to take a siesta during the day and take my walk at night. 

 

I visited with a friend from Jordan yesterday morning. It was good to catch up with her family dynamics and to hear of her hopes and plans. She seems to be enjoying her decisions, especially after her husband passed away unexpectedly nine years ago. She is at a place of comfort and confidence. That is good to see.

 

What appeared to be a disaster of a day creatively turned out fine. I baked a chocolate cake, which was in a too hot oven for too long, but I managed to shape it and frost it into something that was still tasty. I ran out of baker’s sugar and I did my best to make a chocolate butter cream frosting, though it was on the softer side. The community seemed to like it. They also liked the croissants that I baked. We seem to have an opportunity for a lot of good food. I will accept just a little. I also put together some prayers for the Ignatian novena and prayers for Our Lady of Mount Carmel. I painted an image of a boat on the seashore as I saw a friend’s photo online. Today I will paint a common image in Amman of the Ammanian cityscape. It will be colorful. I want to do some larger pieces of Oriental art when I get home. The people here refer to themselves more as Oriental because Arabic refers to people of a certain area. A place like Amman is like the United Nations in that it is a stopping point for so many different groups of people. I’m not sure that one can really understand the world unless one lives overseas for a period. Even then, it is impossible, but we can be more gentle in the judgments we make and the conclusions we draw. 

 

President Biden stopped in Jerusalem yesterday and he planned to stop in Palestine today and Saudi Arabia tomorrow. There are small historic agreements made that bode well for a well-balanced future. I admire the way he makes small, gentle moves. They are incremental and are not newsworthy or splashy, but they are sound steps in the right direction. Some people think that his way is weak because he is not talking tough, but there is beauty in is incremental approach. He seems to have a plan that will unfold over time. I like the way that he has re-established harmony among nations that were once allies and is rebuilding trust once again. 

 

I took a walk with an American friend from Brooklyn, N.Y. last night. She caught me up to date with her life both in New York and Amman. It was such a cool night that we walked around Jebel Hussein and looked into storefronts and street corners. We stopped at a famous bread bakery and we enjoyed a Zaatar-topped pita loaf. O, so tasty. It is a must have when visiting Amman. Does anyone want to visit me? We have available rooms. If not this time, think about next time. Sometimes just sitting outdoors at night and looking up into the stars as we spend time with others makes for a good memory. These are moments to share.