The Deacon's Bench
Here are just a few reasons why my Journey to Jordan will be followed by a sequel called Trek to the Treadmill. Food here is insanely good. And plentiful. Want seconds? How about thirds? Read more
Here are just a few reasons why my Journey to Jordan will be followed by a sequel called Trek to the Treadmill. Food here is insanely good. And plentiful. Want seconds? How about thirds? Read more
Saturday, we spent a few hours at the Italian Hospital in Amman; I’ll post more on our extraordinary visit to this wonderful facility later. But at the end of our time there, I found myself unexpectedly—and happily—pressed into diaconal service. Several people on our tour were dismayed to learn that we would not be able to attend Mass this weekend before leaving for the airport early Sunday morning. So at the end of our tour of the hospital, I pulled... Read more
Saturday morning brought an emotional encounter with a man who has fled evil, and whose face tells the story. His name is Agnan Adnidihad, a 62-year-old repairman from Mosul who barely escaped the horrors of ISIS last year. Now he is living in Amman—one of tens of thousands of refugees who are crowding into Jordan seeking sanctuary and clinging, somehow, to hope. He is a Syrian Orthodox who dreams of one day living in the United States with his daughter.... Read more
Saturday morning brought an emotional encounter with a man who has fled evil, and whose face tells the story. His name is Agnan Adnidihad, a 62-year-old repairman from Mosul who barely escaped the horrors of ISIS last year. Now he is living in Amman—one of tens of thousands of refugees who are crowding into Jordan seeking sanctuary and clinging, somehow, to hope. He is a Syrian Orthodox who dreams of one day living in the United States with his daughter.... Read more
Here are just a few reasons why my Journey to Jordan will be followed by a sequel called Trek to the Treadmill. Food here is insanely good. And plentiful. Want seconds? How about thirds? [img attachment=”74597″ align=”alignnone” size=”medium” alt=”IMG_1517″ /] [img attachment=”74596″ align=”alignnone” size=”medium” alt=”IMG_1520″ /] [img attachment=”74594″ align=”alignnone” size=”medium” alt=”IMG_1528″ /] [img attachment=”74592″ align=”alignnone” size=”medium” alt=”IMG_1537″ /] [img attachment=”74589″ align=”alignnone” size=”medium” alt=”IMG_1531″ /] [img attachment=”74588″ align=”alignnone” size=”medium” alt=”IMG_1534″ /] [img attachment=”74587″ align=”alignnone” size=”medium” alt=”IMG_1538″ /] Read more
This little bit of news broke late last year, but it is finally finding its way onto my Facebook feed. From The Independent: People are choosing to make their final farewell an upbeat affair, as Monty Python’s “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life” has been named the most popular song played at funerals. A study by The Co-operative Funeralcare found that the tune has superseded Frank Sinatra’s “I Did It My Way” for the first time in a... Read more
Saturday, we spent a few hours at the Italian Hospital in Amman; I’ll post more on our extraordinary visit to this wonderful facility later. But at the end of our time there, I found myself unexpectedly—and happily—pressed into diaconal service. Several people on our tour were dismayed to learn that we would not be able to attend Mass this weekend before leaving for the airport early Sunday morning. So at the end of our tour of the hospital, I pulled... Read more
Yesterday, we found ourselves in a vast sandy wasteland called Wadi Rum, also known as “The Valley of the Moon.” Here’s how Wikipedia describes it: Wadi Rum has been inhabited by many human cultures since prehistoric times, with many cultures–including the Nabateans–leaving their mark in the form of rock paintings, graffiti, and temples. In the West, Wadi Rum may be best known for its connection with British officer T. E. Lawrence, who passed through several times during the Arab Revolt of 1917–18. In the 1980s one... Read more
Yesterday, we found ourselves in a vast sandy wasteland called Wadi Rum, also known as “The Valley of the Moon.” Here’s how Wikipedia describes it: Wadi Rum has been inhabited by many human cultures since prehistoric times, with many cultures–including the Nabateans–leaving their mark in the form of rock paintings, graffiti, and temples. In the West, Wadi Rum may be best known for its connection with British officer T. E. Lawrence, who passed through several times during the Arab Revolt of 1917–18. In the 1980s one... Read more
If you were looking for a figure representing the diversity and religious harmony of Jordan, you couldn’t do much better than a man who was born in Gaza, was raised a Quaker, married a Muslim, and now serves as the mayor of the capital city of Amman. Meet Mayor Akel Biltaji. Read the rest over at CNEWA’s blog One-to-One. Read more
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