The past few days we have met with pastors and deans, active lay ministers and workers in companies who truly care, a CEO who is also a hostess of ours, even the President of Iceland. In each place we are invited to experience the love of God in different ways.
As we drove up the president's drive - 45 minutes early - we were greeted by a friendly german shepherd as the first lady waved to us and hiked off in her fur boots for a photo shoot. She was darling and hilarious. She greeted us inside later and is definitely not one you quickly forget. We enjoyed a cup of tea with the president, and he graciously gave us nearly an hour and a half of his time. He showed us his copy of the original Icelandic Bible, printed in the 1500's. Julius the security guy had told us there were only 500 printed, and only 30 remain today. Icelandic is thought to be the 13th language the Bible was translated to.
We have also enjoyed countless visits with local pastors. We concluded a visit with Siggy with prayer around the altar and prayed the Lord's prayer together in several different languages. I love it when the people of the world gather together to praise our one God. Absolutely beautiful. Another visit and meal at Hallgrimskirkja the pastors shared passages that have had great impact on them, and lessons they've learned that they wished they'd known upon completing seminary and being ordained. One of these men is one of the most dear I've ever met, and oozed humility and kindness.
Another pastor introduced us to the marvelously tasty Icelandic crepes - which we were able to choose the fillings for, meats and veggies and cheeses and oh-my-tasty-goodness. He spoke with us about prison ministry, which spurred countless discussions that have continued since. He informed us there are only ~180 prisoners in Iceland (out of ~320,000 population). As of a few years ago, they started a waiting list. Currently there are about 360 persons awaiting the opportunity to complete their prison sentence. Bizarre.
One of the things we are hearing repeatedly is the impact of the financial crisis in 2007/2008. For instance, before the crash the unemployment rate was 0%. Now it is 7-8% nationally, and up to 12% in the area we visited yesterday. It has had a profound impact on nearly the entire population, and placed strain on the support structure that had been in place. People continue to find new ways to make things work, however. There are also some positive effects, such as the reality that kids are doing better now as parents are unable to do other things and are spending more time with their children. The church is certainly among those who feel pressure from the economic downturn. It seems the government does its bit to make it more difficult as well, such as withholding a substantial percentage of the taxes that each family contributes to the church. While this cut in funds has complicated things, it has also bred some creative and innovative ways to reach out to the community and encourage volunteer action on behalf of one's neighbor.
We are nearing the end of our stay here in Iceland. I will be sad to say goodbye, but there is certainly no way to be disappointed or let down in our time spent here. It has truly been a profound experience.
Good and gracious God, thank you for your creation. Thank you for delightful people, for gracious (and hilarious) hosts, for encouraging us to work together in love, and for uniting all people. You continue to amaze me. Great job on the Blue Lagoon, by the way. I pray for renewal, strength and peace for all the pastors and daily ministers we have met and the vocations you have called them to. Thank you for inspiring us and for being active in our daily lives. You are awesome and I love you. Amen
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