Egypt

Jesus calls us to love both our friends and our enemies. Here in the Middle East people often put Christians and Muslims on opposite sides, drawing the line between the two. During the 18-day revolution in which demonstrators stood their ground, determined to establish democracy for their country, Egyptians rallied together, inviting their country and the world to join their attempt to overcome their corrup government. The picture below is of Christian Egyptians protecting their Muslim neighbors while they participate in prayers. When Jesus tells us to love, He doesn't want us to only love those who we spend out time with, or who we're related to, or those who share our beliefs and values. He simply calls us to walk as He walked: loving those society tells us we shouldn't love, let alone talk to or interact with or defend.

When the protests broke out all around Egypt on Friday, January 28th I had just missed the boarder crossing to go visit friends in Palestine [the border closes each day pretty early...and on Fridays it's earlier than normal. I had known this when I left Amman after meeting with my MCC boss, but I figured I would try anyways. Nope. Too late]. That day, as I hung around Amman, news started to come in about the increased protests in Egypt, and as we sat glued to the television I was amazed by the Egyptians ability to overcome their fear that President Hosni Mubarak's thirty year corrupt rule had placed in ordinary citizen. Throughout the weeks of unending protests [some violent, most nonviolent] until Mubarak resigned as president I was struck by the people's ability to band together to bring about a change that few thought was possible. There were accounts of true community forming in parts of Egypt, specifically in Tahrir Square where everyone was contributing what they could: young men were helping with crowd control and checking IDs, older women were bring food and cooking dinner for those around them. What started in Tunisia, and inspired Egypt, is now spreading to other countries in the region: it is people coming together, saying that it is time for change...they are demanding their governments work for the people and to rule justly. As Egypt starts to build its future, the world is watching to see if democracy is created and if true political change takes place.