After a long night's sleep, it was good to wake up to sunshine. The situation in Gaza continues to worsen, but some telecoms services are being restored, so stories from the past 48 hours of the on-going nightmare are now being told. A UN spokesperson has stated that 84 aid trucks have now passed through the Rafah crossing. The system is working, but too slowly to make much difference in the face of the overwhelming crisis facing two million Gazans.
I drove to St German's to celebrate Mass on this Bible Sunday. The church was bathed in sunlight throughout the service. There were thirty five of us including a young Indian couple who presented themselves at the altar for a blessing. The man didn't seem to know what to do, and presented his hands to receive the sacrament, the woman asked for a blessing motioning to her companion to bow his head. He then opened his hand which still contained the host, so I took it back and blessed him instead. An odd situation. I don't recall this happening before. St German's welcomes young Africans and Asians to services. There are students and also hospital workers living in the vicinity, and some of them are devoutly Christian.
There have been occasions celebrating Christmas Midnight Mass which a group of young Asians have turned up, always well behaved and evidently a mixed faith group. Most will come up to the Communion rail, and some bow their heads for a blessing. I wonder if they have been briefed by their Christian friends on how to behave. I wonder if they are repeating a young people's festive season social custom from back home in some big city where there's a prominent Christian church. They don't stick around long enough after the service for me to enquire, however.
It was nearly half past one by the time I reached home after the service, as our latest asylum seeker was upset and needed support, which I was best able to offer through a long discussion with Hilary who has befriended her. Salmon for lunch as ever, but a gorgeous apple crumble for pudding. After we'd eaten, I got to work on a batch of bread dough, then went out for a walk. Rain was forecast by my Accuweather app so I took my brolly, but there was no rain at all, not even light drizzle, and blue sky. The app has been less than accurate recently.
After supper the dough had risen enough to be ready for a second kneading and put into tins ready for the second raising before going into the oven. While I watched antiques roadshow, Clare was busy making fudge for Christmas gifts, and then joined me to watch the second part of 'The Devil's Confession' about the trial of Adolf Eichmann, architect of the Holocaust, and the recorded evidence which emerged only after the trial in which parts of the tape transcript were admitted into the evidence condemning him.
Very powerful and painful to watch. It gives essential background to the understanding why Israel is so determined to pursue and destroy Hamas and put an end to its genocidal ambitions. It doesn't however, explain why the majority of civilians in Gaza are made to suffer so cruelly. It's as if the Israeli government and military are blind or indifferent to the presence of helpless civilians overwhelmed by the war being waged not of their making.
I took the cooked bread from the oven towards the end of the documentary. It will last us for a week if not longer, most of it stored in the freezer until needed. Then the news. Most memorable quote from a citizen of Gaza tonight. 'We're no longer asking ourselves where can we go that's safe, but rather where do we want to go to die.' How much longer must this cruelty continue?
No comments:
Post a Comment