We are 15 days into 2015, and I really hope those 15 days
have been splendid for you. The weeks around Christmas and New Year’s were a substantial
departure from my regular schedule. Four Christmas dinners, my first ever
Boxing Day, a new city, abundant chocolates, and some heating difficulties in
our house (now resolved). It was busy and exciting, so I thought I would
highlight just a couple experiences from my holidays in Northern Ireland.
17 December- Before I enjoyed a Christmas dinner with the
Peace Players staff, we facilitated an event called “Diversity through Sport
Day,” presented by the Antrim Borough Council. Several schools from Antrim, a
town about 20 miles from Belfast, sent students to participate in the program.
We split the kids into integrated (Catholic and Protestant) teams; and I
chaperoned one of these teams through a rotation of five activities. The first session
was a community relations activity led by the Peace Players staff, which
demonstrated how valuable it is to get to know people who are different from
you, rather than relying on stereotypes. The other four activities were
coaching sessions in various sports. The first sport the kids learned was
Gaelic Football. Gaelic is a popular sport in the Irish Catholic community, and
although I know very little about it, I think it is pretty fun to watch. The
second sport was hockey (field hockey for American readers), which is primarily
a Protestant sport. The last time I watched field hockey was at my prep school
in Virginia. Soccer was next, and every kid there had more skills than me. And
lastly, we had a basketball session. Passing, dribbling, shooting. When the
kids had left we grabbed a basketball and played a casual and refreshing
pick-up game.
24 December- The youth of Whitehouse Presbyterian presented
a Christmas drama that was 50% swashbuckling and 50%
heartwarming-true-meaning-of-Christmas story. Husband and wife welcome a
rugged, khaki-clad band of treasure hunters into their Bed & Breakfast as
Christmas approaches. The treasure hunters have decoded ancient manuscripts,
following the clues to a treasure buried somewhere in Belfast. The husband
B&B owner becomes so immersed in the adventure story that he neglects a
young mother and her kids in desperate need of a place to stay. Has he
forgotten what Christmas is really about? Thankfully the wife B&B owner has
compassion, and finds beds for the despairing family. When the treasure hunters
depart breathlessly, hot on the trail of the treasure, they leave behind one
manuscript. The misguided husband reads the manuscript and his eyes are opened
to an astonishing truth. The REAL treasure promised by the ancient texts
(Matthew and Isaiah mostly) is in fact a baby, Jesus! He has a Grinch-like
change of heart, and then everyone sings Silent Night. An excerpt:
Mrs. Boyle: what’s all this?
(picks up a scroll)
Davison: Please do not TOUCH that.
It is an ancient manuscript, these are copies but the originals are more than
2500 years old. (Grabs it out of her hand). Thank you. Mrs. Boyle: Well what does it all say?
Professor: Well, hidden in the
texts is a code that points the way to an enormous treasure.
Rhodes: This treasure is
everything. I’ve invested all I have in the search, and once I find it I’ll
never have to worry about anything, ever again.
Professor: This, uh, particular
manuscript reads,
“A voices cries out: ‘In the
wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway
for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be
made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it
together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Jonny: What does it mean?Davison: It’s a map, over mountains and valleys, a guide to the “glory of the Lord,” the immense treasure that is a reward for the one wise enough to follow the clues. The professor here has worked through hundreds of texts, and now we know everything, except where to begin digging.
Mrs. Boyle: (picking up another scroll) Ooh this one looks reeeaaallly old!
Writing credit shared
between me and Jonny Newell, with plenty of input from our brilliant youth.
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| I took in this view from the Glasgow Necropolis, which I explored alone because the other YAVs are boring. |
