Kohinoor

Yara Qahhaz

An urgent call for help - please be generous and let baby Yara have a normal life ... or even live at all.  http://holylandassist.blogspot.com

The Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem is now embroiled in a political tussle. The Palestinian Authorities have submitted a request to UNESCo to designate the 1,600 year old church as a world heritage site in Palestine. Israel is blocking it because it does not recognise Palestine as a state. Poor baby Jesus ... even after 2000 years, they cannot leave his poor crib alone in peace.  http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=273666

The burdens we carry .... 

I guess it's all the burden of cilvilisation ... as this wall painting in Bethlehem represents so well. Unnecessary baggage ... and the one who suffers is the camel.

A happy smile on a new deacon

Last evening I brought Ratna, my former student who was ordained last Saturday as deacon, to dinner. He was the only guy whose family could not come for the ceremony ... and I know he must have felt very sad. Ratna is from Andra Pradesh. So I promised him I'd celebrate it with him as we're family : asians. Hidri came along. We went to Kohinoor's which is the only Indian restaurant in Jerusalem. Good food ... lousy service. We had samosa and naan for starters, then briyani rice with chicken masala and ginger lampchops. It was very nice. Then Ratna treated me to an ice-cream at Nahalat Shiva. I'm glad Ratna did not feel alone ... if my presence is anything to count by. It's terrible not to be able to share such a great moment in your life - an ordination - alone with no family. The burden of civilisation may be heavy ... but friendship lightens the load.