The Black Knight

I saw this film the other day and I was blown away. I have never gotten into the DC Comic characters and my closest association with Batman was the tv series which was a lot of camp and little substance. This movie had a lot of substance---the commentary on the ability of just about all of us to turn to the "dark side." It was an uncomfortable movie to watch because in the name of good a tremendous amount of bad occurred.
Anyone else see it? It is quite violent so I don't think some of you should see it, but the older ones I am sure have seen it and have comments, right?

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Slated to begin on Monday, VBS is cancelled. Why? No one registered. I am sad, but what can you do? I needed to order supplies and food so I needed to make a decision today. Mother Liza and I decided to cancel.

Lambeth Conference

An excerpt form Bishop Robinson's Blog:
"I began Thursday morning in prayer with the Franciscans, and continue to feel blessed by their hospitality and their witness. It's a good thing I began that way, because what next befell me was one of the agonies.


Since arriving in Canterbury, I had not yet visited the Cathedral. I went nowhere near the place on Sunday's opening service. The ever-anxious leadership had provided the Cathedral security guards with a large photo of me, posted at the security checkpoints, presumably to keep me from "crashing the gates" of the opening service. No one believed that I would be true to my promise to the Archbishop not to attend.


On Thursday, knowing that the conference attendees would leave early in the morning for London -- for the MDG walk, lunch at Lambeth Palace, and tea with the Queen -- it seemed like a good, low-profile time to make my own pilgrimage to our Mother Church. I told no one of my intentions to attend -- except I had my security person follow the properly courteous protocol of alerting the Cathedral to my visit. I had him also seek permission for a videographer to accompany me on my visit for a documentary to be released sometime in 2010. We were informed that the videographer could NOT accompany me or film me inside the Cathedral. Fair enough. We were told that he could accompany me to the gate onto the Cathedral grounds, and, standing in the public street, could at least film me walking into the Cathedral through the gate's archway.


We contacted Cathedral security to let them know of our imminent arrival, as had been requestd. When we got there, we were met by a gentleman, representing the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral, I think. He intercepted me and told me that I could not be filmed walking into the Cathedral (even from the public street outside) after all. The reason he gave took me by surprise, rendering me speechless (an uncommon experience for me!). "We can't have any photographs or film of you entering the Cathedral," he said, "because we want this to be a church for ALL people." Presumably he meant that my being seen walking into the Cathedral would cause others not to want to come.


This was one of those breathtaking moments when you just can't come up with the right thing to say. The rest of the day I thought of all the things I SHOULD have said. Like, "so you mean that I am not included in 'ALL people?!'" Or, "isn't this MY cathedral too?!" Or, "so what am I, chopped liver?!" The moment was so surprising, after having been so forthright in our notification of our visit and going through all the channels to ensure courteousness, I just couldn't come up with anything to say except, "okay," and accede to his wishes.

We were taken to the Cathedral's visitors office, where we were introduced to Theresa, a competent and warm guide who provided me with a wonderful, informative and hospitable tour of the Cathedral. But I simply couldn't shake the feelings engendered by the previous "welcome" a few minutes before.


The Cathedral, of course, has its own voice, and its towering arches, art, altars and promenades tell a wonderful story of Christian witness over the centuries. Three distinct architectural styles attest to its construction over a very long time. Its Augustine's Chair points to the first Archbishop of Canterbury's primacy at a much more precarious time than our own. The ancient nature of this building points to the Church's survivability over time, and I found this particularly moving and comforting, that even through THESE times, God promises to protect the Church such that "even the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."


As for nearly every other pilgrim, I found the altar at which Thomas a Becket was slain particularly moving. Since I had last been there, some thirty years ago, a modern sculpture had been added above the alter. It depicted the sword, used to accomplish this "murder in the cathedral," broken in the act of doing its dirty deed, flanked by two other swords. The three of them together formed a kind of three-cross Golgotha on which our Lord was slain. An already poignant place, made even more powerful by the work of an artist. I knelt to pray there and found it hard to leave. The witness of the saints, standing firm against the powers of this world, continues to inspire.


Young people, from all over the world, staffing their own version of the Stations of the Cross, implored me to come down to their witness in the crypt of the cathedral. True to my experiences with countless young people "on the Fringe" here, they shake their heads and wonder why the Church is tearing itself apart over an issue that is simply not an issue for them. Their comforting words of support mean the world to me, and in that moment, provided the REAL welcome at Canterbury Cathedral I needed."

(From: www.canterburytalesfromthefringe.blogspot.com)




For those of you who don't know, Bishop Robinson was not invited to the Lambeth Conference of Bishops, a once a decade meeting of the Anglican Bishops from across the globe. He has traveled to Canterbury to be in the area and to be a witness for all people who have found themselves marginalized over the two millenia of the Church---people of color, women, people living with disabilities, children, gay and lesbian people etc etc. This excerpt explains an interaction the Bishop had with a staff person at Canterbury Cathedral, presumably sent out by the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral.
The message Jesus gave again and again in the Gospel was that the people on the fringe, the outcast and the "assumed by others to be sinners," were the people in whom the Kingdom of God could be found, alive and well.
God bless Bishop Robinson and the people of New Hampshire, for having the courage to do that which always needs to be done----walk the walk and hold your head high, knowing that you (us, ALL OF US) are loved by the Creator God. Yes, God loves the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishops who feel hate and terror, Bishop Robinson and everyone people don't like, don't understand, don't value and don't want to consider. Everyone.
Thanks for listening to me vent. For 40+ years I did not think I could pursue my dream and deeply held desire to be a priest in the church. Because of thousands of people who had the courage to say no to exclusion, I will, God willing, be made a priest in this broken church which is trying to forge its way through this broken world. By alerting you to +Gene Robinson's words, I am saying, thank you.

Cathy
Other really interesting blogs from Lambeth include:
www.ourlettersfromlambeth.blogspot.com (The Maine Bishops write reflections each day)
Episcopal Life online also offers a variety of views from Lambeth www.episcopalchurch.org/episcopal_life.htm

Are you able to read this?

If so, you are better off than a lot of people in Western New York. Not being able to read is a huge handicap--it is completely preventable and, thankfully, completely treatable. Helping with literacy is not just for older people. Youth can help too. And, as a matter of fact, we NEED youth to help. On Wednesday July 30 at 6:30 pm J2A will meet at Literacy Volunteers of America (1313 Main Street, Buffalo) to have a game night with the Bantu Youth Council AND learn how we can help other youth with tutoring. Join Us!
More specific information about all the literacy opportunities can be found in the post below. Thanks.

THE GATHERING IS FROM 6PM-8PM, my mistake, sorry!

LITERACY PROGRAM

Lots of people have inquired about becoming a volunteer for literacy. The "Steps to Becoming a Literacy Volunteer" exceprted below is from www.literacybuffalo.org:

Tutors Section
Becoming a Literacy Tutor - Requirements & Benefits - Steps to Becoming a Literacy Volunteer - Tutor Forms - Orientation Schedule
Steps to Becoming a Literacy Volunteer:

Step 1:
Contact Literacy Volunteers
Call us at 716.876.8991 to register for a new tutor orientation that will familiarize you with what we do and why we do it. You can also stop by our office at 1313 Main Street in the city of Buffalo to sign up or email us at info@literacybuffalo.org

Step 2:
Attend an orientation.
During the brief orientation (1.5 hours), we’ll share some of our many, inspiring success stories and explain the many ways you can choose to get involved with our organization. At this orientation, you will be asked to sign up for a training workshop for Adult Tutoring or Youth Mentoring. (This orientation is optional if you wish to become a Youth Mentor. You must, however, pre-register for the training workshop.)

Step 3:
Attend the workshop training (16 hours total).
At Literacy Volunteers we provide you with the knowledge, skills and materials to help you tutor a student in a one-to-one setting. Workshop dates and times are scheduled with the convenience of the tutor in mind (flexible hours and weekend workshops are readily available). We ask tutor trainees to kindly pay a $35 registration fee for the workshop. This fee helps us continue to offer the programs and services of our not-for-profit organization. (The Youth Mentoring program does not require a workshop fee.)

Step 4:
Coordinate your schedule and get matched with a student!
Our staff will match you with a student based on your preferences (time, location of tutoring, etc). During the workshop training, you will be asked to specify these preferences.

THIS WEDNESDAY JULY 16

Meet in front of the cathedral at 6:30 pm for a walking tour of downtown, we will end at the marina and fly kites, eat ice cream and relax. We will be joined by my friend Sherry Byrnes who does literacy work with the Bantu Youth Council. Members of the council will be our guests. Email or call me ASAP to tell me if you will be coming. Thanks!

An Article About the Literacy Program

"These are people who are incredibly strong and have survived unbelievable things.” Sherry Byrnes, family literacy coordinator
Somali Bantu teens find a welcome in Buffalo

By MADELEINE BURNS NeXt Correspondent Updated: 06/25/08 7:11 AM
Imagine... You’re a young teenager. Your country has erupted into civil war, There’s fighting, violence, genocide, enslavement, and you witness unspeakable horror. You make it to a faraway refugee camp, but may find yourself separated from your family. Finally, in a desperate international relief effort, the United Nations rescues you. You’re sent to another country, and although you’re finally out of danger, everything about your new home is different and bewildering. You cannot read, write or understand your new language, and nobody understands the language you speak. How can you possibly survive?
You no longer have to imagine.
This story is a reality for thousands of Somali-Bantu children and their families. They fled their native Somalia to Kenyan refugee camps and have ultimately been placed in the United States. More than 13,000 Somali Bantu refugees now live in the United States, and some call Buffalo their home. The majority of the Buffalo families reside on the East and West sides of the city, and their school-age kids attend Buffalo Public Schools.
Omar Mberwa, tall, athletically built and soft-spoken, reflects upon adapting to the United States. “When we first started out here, it was hard for me to make friends,” he says. “It was hard to communicate with people, with American people.” Now wearing jeans and a brightly colored T-shirt, he looks like any American teenager.
Maryam Bakar still wears her traditional African dress and headscarf, called a hijab. She agrees with Omar. “When we came here, everything was different. The houses, the people, the clothing, the food,” she says. “So we had to get used to it, and it was really hard.”
“When I came here, I was shocked,” says Yusuf Abdi in excellent English. “I was like, ‘Hey, this is not what I was told back there!’ I was told that in America, you pick up money off the ground!”
“These are people who are incredibly strong and have survived unbelievable things,” says Sherry Byrnes, family literacy coordinator at Literacy Volunteers. “To come halfway around the world from a tropical country, and land in Buffalo, with snow up to their eyeballs.”
Last September, in an effort to assist the acclimation of Bantu teens, Literacy Volunteers teamed up with the Junior League of Buffalo to create the Somali Bantu Youth Council, a committee for those who are a part of, or who care about, the Bantu community.
For the first time in their lives, they have had to “cope with public transportation, health care systems, education systems, you name it,” says Byrnes. The committee focuses on “fun education” through outings, as well as college prep, job readiness, tutoring and leadership skills. So far, there are 14 Bantu teens who meet weekly and make up the Council. They have played indoor soccer, gone to the movies (a first experience for many), attended a play at the University at Buffalo, taken a computer class at D’Youville College and toured the Buffalo News, WBFO radio, Roswell Park and UB.
Unlike many American teenagers who have been raised in a privileged culture, these kids, coming from refugee camps that are grim places, do not take anything for granted.
Ask a typical American teen what are some of the best things about the United States, and you may get answers that range from iPods, to Facebook, to the mall on Friday night. But ask one of these Somali teens what they most appreciate about being here, and the nearly unanimous answer is a real eye-opener: “Water.”
There’s tap water everywhere in the United States, but it’s a huge luxury in Somalia, where clean water is a rarity and people must stand in long lines extending from wells that house the precious resource.
Shaban Muktar is a talkative boy with a great sense of humor who good-naturedly takes ribbing about his height from his peers. One of his favorite parts about living in the United States is the washing machine. “Every time you want to wash your clothes, you just put them in the laundry,” he says. “You do not have to go to the river to wash them, you do not have to use your hands.”
Many other aspects of assimilation into U. S. culture have been enjoyable for the Somali kids. You can find them on the soccer field, the baseball diamond, the football field, at the bowling alley and in the swimming pool. You might spot them at the Anchor Bar, wolfing down Buffalo chicken wings. Maybe you’ve heard them playing piano and violin, or have read something they’ve written. Perhaps they’ve even told you how much they hate snow.
“This project is so amazing. Doors are opening. These kids are going to succeed,” says Byrnes. As part of the Council’s agenda, the teen members created a presentation for the Junior League, to tell their story. They declared, “You need knowledge to succeed.” To gain that knowledge, they believe, schooling and education is of the utmost importance.
“I didn’t know English. It was hard to understand English. It was difficult to learn English,” says Ali Mohamed, a polite teen with a mile-wide smile who attends Grover Cleveland High School. “But here, in the United States, every
day we go to school. We get books, we read, we understand, we learn.”
With education comes a chance for success, believes Yusuf, who is enrolled at Lafayette High School. “I’ve gained a lot of opportunity in the United States,” he says. “There is communication, the opportunity to be educated. I have the right to go to school, I have dreams that here I can accomplish. Everyone has their own goal, and it’s possible,” he continues, “That’s what I love about the United States.” Yusuf aspires to be a neurosurgeon, and has received recognition for his volunteer work in the community.
The teens realize that not all in the United States are fortunate. Maryam believes the fabric that makes up communities is actually stronger in Africa than it is in the United States. “In Africa, there are not as many homeless people” she says. “It is easier to be taken care of and be a part of a community [in Africa] even if you do not have an education.” The teens also have observed that crime and violence exist here, as it does in Africa.
On the positive side, Salim Musa points out that most American food is delicious. He also likes the easy mobility here. In contrast to the need to walk everywhere in Africa, he observes, “you can drive, just get in a car and visit people! There are good roads here, so you can travel easily.”
Bilal Musse discusses something almost every American has access to: a telephone. “When you wanted to talk to somebody, there were no phones,” he says of Africa, “you had to go and get the person.”
As the Bantu Youth Council grows, its message of acceptance remains strong and clear.
“One can look at them and think of them as so exotic and different from us because of their experience and where they come from – and if you’re really small-minded, because of the color of their skin,” says Byrnes. “But guess what? They’re just like us.”
Madeleine Burns is a sophomore at City Honors.