Life in the Twilight Zone
We’re getting ready to move (we fly back to Canada on Sunday). Most of our belongings are in a big steel box, hopefully on a ship somewhere that left Odessa on Friday. But, for now, life goes on here in Ukraine.
Life, in Ukraine, is a bit different than what I’m used to in Canada. Some days are more different than others. Friday was one of those days…
A friend asked me on Thursday evening if I could help him and his mother out by providing transportation to a village about 160 km away (over 2 hours of driving because of the roads), south east of here. His stepfather had died, and they were having a funeral on Friday. Seems that his mother was still legally married to the guy, even though she hadn’t lived with him in 7 or 8 years (and has been living with another guy for the past few years).
Anyway, my friend said he needed to get things arranged once we were there, and didn’t know anybody with a vehicle there, etc., so I agreed to help out.
We left here at around 6:00 am Friday morning.
Well - once we got there, it got a lot more interesting. First, we went to the morgue (at around 8:30). Seems that they didn’t have the proper papers filled out for the dead guy yet. They said they didn’t know when they would get the autopsy done… the relatives paid them a little money, and the morgue people said they would get the papers done and we could pick up the body at 11:00. Don’t think they actually did any autopsy. This guy was a heavy drinker, and had all kinds of health problems as a result. It was no surprise to anybody that he died.
So - we went off to various stores, picked up bread, food, flowers, etc… Then we went to several Orthodox churches to find a priest that had time to come to the funeral (not an easy thing to do - since it’s Easter weekend here, it was Friday, and Easter is the biggest religious holiday they have…). Anyway, finally some priest said he could come at 2:00 pm.
So - went to the dead guys house, where a collection of village people were already consuming large amounts of home brewed Vodka. Nasty stuff… Dropped off the flowers, bread, and everything else.
Then, along with a few other guys (dressed in whatever they could find laying around) we were off to the morgue. A couple guys went to the building next door and came out with a coffin. They brought it into the morgue… A few minutes later, we flipped down the seats in my van and loaded the now-occupied coffin in the van. I’ve had more hassle and paperwork picking up a video camera from the repair shop! Guess a dead body isn’t worth as much as a video camera… Then we were headed back to the house, me and 5 other guys (one of whom was dead in a coffin). Very strange.
Stopped at a store on the way to buy some more bread - seems that the bread we bought earlier was the wrong kind for an Orthodox ceremony.
At the house, we unloaded the van, they lifted the lid off of the coffin and put the guy on display in the yard. At around 2:30, an old Moskvitch (really bad Russian car) came sputtering up, with the priest in the passengers seat, and a couple of women in the back seat who came out carrying his books and bags of stuff.
He went in the yard, recited some prayers, a few Babushka’s tried to sing something (not sure if they couldn’t sing, or if they were just too drunk), and then the priest got back in the car (along with the two women). The driver got in and tried to start the car. Wouldn’t start. So, a few guys just push started the car, and off it went, backfiring down the street (I use the term street loosely).
Then, they loaded the coffin back in my van - this time with no lid.
Then we started the funeral procession. Fortunately, the cemetery was only about 1 km away. The procession consisted of one guy carrying a cross with a plaque nailed to it with the guys name on the plaque (I never did hear what his name was). Followed by a few people carrying wreaths. Followed by 4 guys carrying the coffin lid with a loaf of bread balanced on it. Followed by me and the dead guy in the van. Followed by the rest of the people. They stopped for about 30 seconds at every road intersection. I thought I was going to fry the clutch in my van, trying to go that slowly (and not run over the guys with the coffin lid). Sorry, but I don’t understand the significance of some of this stuff, since I’m not exactly Orthodox.
Anyway, eventually we arrived at the cemetery. I couldn’t drive right in - the lanes are too narrow. So the people all walked in, and a few guys came out with a rickety (quite rotten) wood frame that they slid the coffin onto… No handles of any kind on the coffin itself.
Then they carried the coffin to the grave site, placed the lid on it, nailed it on, and lowered it in the hole. Then, various people took turns throwing the dirt in the hole.
And then the Vodka drinking began in earnest.
A do-it-yourself Ukrainian funeral…
Most of the people in this village have no work, and live off a meager “pension” from the government (if they ever get that). To live, they eat borscht and drink home brewed vodka. Seems that the responsibilities are divided evenly. The women make vodka and cook. The men sit beside the road and drink while complaining about what the government isn’t doing for them.
I am not sure how they actually live - and it is very sad to see. A very dramatic example of the failure of the Communist system and it’s creation of a population of people reliant on a “system” that no longer exists…
Blogging Jesus
He’s done it again. Brant Hansen has posted “If Jesus Had a Blog” on his site. It’s really funny. And it hits the proverbial nail on the proverbial head.
Read it.
No commentsYou’ve Probably Seen This Already…
Some of you have probably seen (and read) this already, but I thought I would post it anyway.
A couple of days ago, through a link on another site, I discovered a free “downloadable” book called “So You Don’t Want to Go To Church Anymore”.
Considering the lack of English language bookstores here, I’m always looking for something to read, so something I can download instead of waiting for weeks for delivery is always welcome!
Anyway - good book. Read it yourself and see what you think…
Another bonus was that they also had a Russian version (as well as a few other languages) available for download. I have been trying to find some books, in Russian, to give to some of my friends here to give them something to think about - and to show them that I am not the only one with “revolutionary” ideas about church, Jesus, etc.
So… I have forwarded the link to several friends, and so far, they are enjoying the read!
No commentsAnswer to the Church
Sometimes, I stumble across things somebody else wrote, and am amazed at the simplicity and clarity of their writing. This happened again this morning… Reading through some blogs, I was “directed” by another blogger to Cindy’s blog.
She had been asked by a leader at her church for “input on the future of the church”.
Here is her response:
I think the church-centered christian life (as opposed to a Christ centered christian life) that american protestantism has created in the last few generations is what is killing the church in america. and the new generations see it for what it is- empty activity that does little besides sustain itself for more empty activity. not that nothing good happens in local churches; far from it. but the abiding culture of complacency we’ve allowed to take over so overshadows the true mission of God’s people that we risk losing it all.
we need corporate worship, we need corporate teaching, we need fellowship. But, we also need to get the heck out of the church building and live lives that show we care about somebody in addition to the people we worship with. we must address this corporate addiction to church that we ourselves have created. call it a church intervention, maybe. and if we succeed, the withdrawals will be ugly, angry, and very messy. If we don’t succeed, thousands of local churches just like ours will be gone in 20 years or less. I’m not even sure if that isn’t what should happen.
that is what i think.
I just had to post it here. And you just have to visit her blog and encourage her…
Her analysis applies to more than the American church, or the North American church. I see the same thing on this side of the world…
3 commentsA Revolutionary?
Let’s see if I can bring this dead blog back to life…
Life has been, to put it mildly, a bit tumultuous for our family the past few months. With trying to get organized to move back to Canada from Ukraine (it’s a LOT more difficult logistically in this direction), trying to ensure some type of continuity for the help to the orphans here, etc… I haven’t much time, or ambition, to read many blogs, let alone write anything.
But… this morning, reading through some blogs for the first time in a long time, I stumbled across a “synchroblog” that happened yesterday, started by Glenn Hager, simply titled “Revolutionaries Synchroblog”.
It caught my eye - for a number of reasons.
First - a couple of months ago as I was having a discussion with a pastor and a few other people from a church here, and talking about some of my thoughts, they called me “a revolutionary”. Never thought of myself that way, and it felt uncomfortable, but if the shoe fits…
Just watched a video a couple of days ago about Martin Luther. What struck me was how revolutionary his ideas were at the time - and how necessary…
Talking with my wife later, thinking about how Jesus interacted with the religious leaders of his day, he was certainly a revolutionary…
So - I guess it’s not necessarily a bad thing to be considered a revolutionary.
I just never thought I could even be hinted as being one. I have always wanted to be a “good Christian”, do what’s right, follow Jesus, and all of those things I learned in Sunday School.
The problem is that in following Jesus, I have ended up in a foreign country as a “missionary” (whatever that means), ended up questioning almost everything I grew up learning in church, while at the same time seeing a completely different way of following Jesus - to the extent that what I “knew” before now seems to make no sense at all.
What do I do with this?
How do I reconcile the fact that I simply want to follow Jesus in helping the orphans and other people here, but in doing so end up in opposition to “Christianity” as practised by the churches?
I find myself being so cynical about the supposed “help” being provided by foreign missions organizations. I see that many of the local churches are more about “empire building” than following Jesus. I see the huge waste of money and effort in so many things that happen. I see the people with not enough food, with no hope, and the churches simply don’t care enough to change things - while at the same time building bigger buildings, with better sound systems, with money contributed by well meaning people in other countries.
How do I help without tearing down?
At what point do we stop accepting the status quo - in hopes that things will improve, and instead confront the authority figures as Jesus did, as Luther did, and become revolutionaries?
How do we deal with the realization that if we talk truthfully about what we have seen and heard, many people will be upset, “ministries” will be affected, the movement of “support money” could be restricted to certain people?
How do we know we are doing what is right?
I don’t want to be a rebel for the sake of being a rebel, but I do want to be true to what Jesus calls me to do.
9 commentsYes, I’m Still Alive
I haven’t posted on here for… almost forever. I have a lot of reasons (or excuses) why I haven’t posted, but it simply boils down to having other priorities.
We have, in the past few months, made the decision to move back to Canada. Due to changes in Visa regulations here in Ukraine, we ended up taking a short vacation to Sweden in February (to ensure we didn’t go over the newly imposed time limits for us here in Ukraine).
I have been able to find some time to do some reading, and a number of books I had ordered months ago finally arrived.
I do have some thoughts to post, but they are currently so jumbled up in my head, they wouldn’t make much sense!
No comments
Merry Christmas to all…
…and to all a good night!
No commentsHow Time Flies…
Just realized how long it has been since I posted something on here!
It’s been a busy time for us… Lots of tough decisions, a quick trip to Finland (including a Stryper concert in Turku with my son), and plenty of other stuff going on.
I will try to get a few things I have brewing in my head posted here soon.
No commentsAnother video by Brian…
Another short video by Brian McLaren about why “Everything Must Change”…
I really do wish my book would show up in the mail soon!
No comments
