Friday, July 26, 2013

My last day.

I realized this morning that I'm wearing the same outfit today that I wore on my first day of work in the EBM office. Yes, I have a strange brain that remembers things like that...and I will say it is significantly warmer as I wear this outfit today than when I covered it in sweaters and jackets during mid-may.

I look outside my office window and see blue skies, the sunshine, and Union Jack bunting waving in the breeze, and rather than having no idea where I am situated in this place called Belfast, I know where I am. I know what directions to take to get different places. I know what the big yellow cranes mean and even that H&W doesn't mean Hello&Welcome, but rather Harland & Wolfe. I know what murals are closest to me, what "territory" I'm in, what the "Freedom Corner" is, where the paint bomb splatters are located, what bus stop has been repaired after being burned, what bus to take to get into the city (but why take it when you can walk?), and that tea and custard are some of the greatest inventions of man.

While I can't completely understand Belfast itself, Northern Ireland, or the ideologies behind the conflict here, I can understand people. I now know plenty of unique individuals who all function very differently here in this place. They even function very differently here in the community of Skainos Square and EBM.

I said in my first blog post here what EBM is, and I had a list. But now, I could almost put it in one word: people.

While there's this great new building that has won awards, is super green, has the only vertical garden on the island of Ireland/N. Ireland, is structurally innovative, is contemporary while including elements of history, and is shiny and new...it's not really about the building in the long run.

It's the people of the whole congregation.
The youth that feel safe here.
Flo and her lovelies.
The pensioners in re:fresh.
The friendship circle.
The moms and the tots...and even the dads.
Celebrating Jamie's birthday on a Sunday Morning.
Volunteers who become church members.
Rhys wearing his many crazy hats.
Corey and his 'grumpy old man' face.
All the people who use the services here.
The Irish class community.
Sandra and Lindsay at the multiple reception desks.
Billy being the 'Driving Miss Daisy' to all the older ladies.
Rachel and her trolly and Jammie Dodgers.
The volunteers from all walks of life.
The tenant that lives above us and drops his cigarettes on our ledge.
The facilities team that will help out with anything.
Bobby and his constant flow of food.
Big Mark interacting with the youth...and cleaning up their messes.
The Fusion kids making pizzas and dancing with umbrellas that won't open.
Paula and Mary serving food to the church.
The constant flow of Americans.
Kay delivering Strawberries to desks.
The kids who can be baptized here...no questions asked.
The girls who will hug you until you can't breathe.
The whole staff.
It's a community. It's a family.

And with every family, of course there are dysfunctional moments. There are those who may clash. There are some who wish they still lived in the old house. They're figuring it out here. It has moments of chaos, but there are many moments of beauty as well.

Even when you can look out and see police rovers and rioting, this place is safe. This skainos--this tent...it's a protective covering over the whole community that comes here, in the midst of a world that is anxious, on edge, full of clashing, full of perceptions, full of the mentality to fight fire with fire.

While no one may understand what creates the chaos, and what perpetuates it all, we can understand a person. We can understand a hug, a smile, a bounce on a bouncy castle. We can understand someone's tears, the sound of laughter, the want to dance, the joy of song. We can understand the telling of a story.


East Belfast Mission is: a people, a story...a future.

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