Reflections on The Journey.

It has been a few weeks since our group departed from Iceland, saying good-bye to our hosts and wonderful new friends. As I begin to settle back into my routine of life back at home, some aspects of my trip keep coming up in my mind. Iceland is a beautiful place that has so many wonderful landscapes, and natural wonders, such as the Blue Lagoon, that took my breath away. However, the things that I think about most were the people.

The hospitality was so amazing. For a country to have gone through such a tough economic time, and yet show our group such generosity was awe-inspiring. The wonderful conversations that were had with colleagues in ministry/education. I enjoyed getting the chance to talk with pastors and seminarians that are in a church body that was different than my own. These talks gave me a since that, though we were different, the Church Universal was very much a reality. The idea that God moves and acts in people throughout cultural identities and the notion of the one body of Christ came to fruition with these conversations.

With all of these things in mind, the reflection I come to most often is how a short two-week trip has really opened my mind. I am aware of the broader since of the world, but I am also now aware of my lacking worldview. I was in a place that spoke a language that I could not begin to understand on a serious level. My saving grace was their ability to speak English very well. Yet I had a tugging pain every time I had to ask someone to speak my language in their home. I have become aware of the assumptions I have as a citizen of the United States. I have always been understood, even when I went away from home. Yet when they would speak amongst each other, I felt completely isolated. This has given me a deeper since of what it is like for someone to not have a clue what is going on, as like a stranger, traveler, or immigrant. My trip has given me a glimpse into what it is like to be surrounded by a sea of unknown. If not for our hosts we would have been literally and figuratively lost. For this I cannot thank them enough, and I realize my need to think in a broader sense.

All in all this trip was a wonderful, life-altering trip that will be with me always.

Gracious God, I pray to you a prayer of thanksgiving for the unbelievable experience that was given to our group those short few weeks ago. I ask for your Spirit to renew and continue to guide our hosts in their lives, as well as the ministries that they support and uphold. Give us all the ability to recognize your light in the whole world, and let us live in the knowledge that your grace stretches out to all humanity. In the name of your gracious Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ I pray, AMEN.

What I Have Gained

I learned many things during my time in Iceland. I have learned how hospitality is a wonderful gift to the church and how much of a blessing it is for the recipient. I have come to understand a different meaning of "parish" which I appreciate and has challenged how I have viewed it previously (an Icelandic parish is the community in which the church building resides, not just the people who attend worship). I have experienced new and innovative ways to approach worship and education, one of which is holding Sunday school at a retirement facility to encourage inter-generational education and fellowship. I have learned how misconduct of leaders in the church can be damaging not just for the time they are in the leadership role, but for generations to follow. I have experienced a different culture than my own from a wonderful group of people. I have learned how joining together with neighboring parishes can be both beneficial for the pastors and also for the surrounding community especially for the care of the poor and the hungry. I have eaten of the delicacies of Iceland and have come back a stronger individual. I am extremely grateful for all those involved in this trip, especially Gunnar for putting this together and for Erikur and Stefania for allowing Emily and I to stay with them. I want to thank all the pastors that we met with for allowing time in their busy schedule to speak to us about their ministry and their lives. Takk Fyrir! Bless bless!

God, thank you for this opportunity to experience your people and your church in Iceland. I ask that you guide their process for electing a new Bishop of Iceland and that this be a smooth process and will benefit your church in Iceland. Help those of us who were blessed to be a part of this trip to continue ruminating on all that we experienced and that we will never forget the kindness and hospitality given us by the Icelandic people. Amen.

Babies Sleeping Outside

As we were preparing to depart on Saturday, our hostess Stefania was putting little Styrmir down for a nap - outside. I thought she was joking at first, but five layers later he was ready to be tucked into the blankets and covered in the stroller to be set out on the patio for his nap.

Turns out babies in Iceland have always slept outside. "It supports healthy babies. And, well, that's the way it has always been done."

She was as shocked to hear this would likely be considered neglect in the US (yes, even when it's your own patio) as I was upon the realization she was being serious about putting the 10-month-old outside in Iceland. Right, cultural lenses and different traditions. Got it. (I wish we got to sleep outside more...)

I enjoyed leaving Iceland on a note of recognition that, though in many ways it seemed much like home, our histories and traditions are in vastly different. (Even putting aside the fact that Iceland has centuries on us here in the US...) It is exciting to recognize the similarities and differences between cultures and places of living. Already I am forgetting the harshness of the smell of sulfur as I brushed my teeth in the morning, and being amazed how quickly it became normal to shower amidst the smell. The first few mornings back I was relishing it, and now the memory of the smell is turning from sour to sweet and I debate boiling eggs to get a tease of it. The heart-shaped pepperkaker cookies we brought home are nearly gone, sadly. And we have yet to find a cheese and ham combo that compliments each other as well as those of the breakfasts abroad. (Not to mention Winston isn't here to offer cutting it for us...) Listening to CDs of our host Erikur is not the same as being with him and Stefania and laughing hysterically, but it is nonetheless very lovely and helps us to remember the warm hospitality we were shown. The joy of hospitality has stuck with us, and we've had guests nearly daily at our home.

It is good to be home, and it is beautiful to be able to feel at home while away because of the love and kindness shown to you by yesterday's strangers/today's friends. It makes you feel like you can go anywhere and things will be okay. That's what being shown Christ's love will do to you. Looking ahead to a new adventure for a year (God only knows where...) for internship - this is a beautiful reassurance. Takk fyrir to all who helped plant this seed of remembrance.

What Happens When One Leaves Iceland?

    Since returning from Iceland I have had a couple of inspirations. First, I have been exceedingly motivated to sleep.  We traveled quite a bit and the result was a state of exhaustion by the end of our trip.  I have slept well these last couple of weeks.  Secondly, I have been inspired to knit.  Icelandic women knit like crazy and, even though I am not an Icelandic woman, I was inspired to take up the Gandhi like profession of making some clothing.  Thirdly, I have been inspired to read more works from Iceland.  This started while I was in the country when I began reading some sagas.  I have read most extensively the saga of Grettir the Strong.  He is a wily character.
    I have also downloaded and begun reading another work by a more recently famous Icelander, Halldor Laxness.  He was Iceland's only Nobel laureate, awarded for his corpus of fictional books that give insight into Iceland, politics, oppression, mystical elements of life, as well as insight into oneself.  For the course we were required to read the book Under the Glacier which is a difficult read for its nonsensical chronology of plot, but fascinating for the depth to which it portrays the characters involved in the story.  However, as I found the book a little bit difficult to read, I took up the suggestion of my host, Guðni Már Harðarson, and picked up another of Laxness's books, Iceland's Bell.  Though the style is more terse than I am use to, it is nevertheless a very compelling read that is drawing me in for a couple of reasons.  First off, it gives insight into historical relationships between Iceland and other countries in western Europe.  Though it is a work of fiction, it gives a perspective of Iceland's place in history that speaks truth to real life experiences that were hinted at in our travels.
      Yet, Iceland's Bell also tells the tale of the main character leaving Iceland. He is accused of murdering the Danish King's hangman during a night of drunken revelry and, when given the opportunity to escape, flees to the continent.  When he leaves Iceland he does not have a good go of it.  He faces starvation and homelessness in Holland, is sentenced to death immediately when he crosses the border into Germany, and is immediately impressed into military service in Denmark after being derided for his Icelandic heritage.  All in all, his travels from Iceland meet undesireable ends.  So why do I find this character portrayal compelling?  Even though the events that befall the main character are not very good, his is nevetheless a tale in the first part of the book of one leaving Iceland for other parts of the world.  His fictional experiences have given opportunity for me to reflect upon what has happened and will happen now that I have left Iceland for Iowa.
      So far, aside from snowshoeing, indoor soccer, sleep and a lot of movie watching, the events surrounding my leaving Iceland have been thankfully quiet and nothing like those found in Iceland's Bell.  Yet, I do hope my experience in Iceland coupled with my present experiences back at home will lead to some changes.  For instance, to get by in Holland, the main character in Iceland's Bell learns the Dutch language in the year he sojourns there, learning to communicate with a people different from his own in a tongue different from his own.  It is easy in America to get sucked into thinking that English is the only language one needs in life for it is all one will really have to speak.  I hope to learn the language of another people so that I can think about the world in their terms.  Furthermore, I hope to remember from my time in Iceland experiencing the earth as constantly changing.  Though we did not feel any earthquakes or get stranded by any volcanic eruptions, it is nevertheless a present reality in Iceland that the land is constantly shifting and changing in noticeable ways.  The same is true in the middle of North America, though it is far less obvious.  I hope to continue to see the world as a place continual change in which the stability of our plans constantly faces the possibility of upheaval.
     Finally, having left Iceland, I hope that I will never forget the kind, quiet (except for Gunnar), generous persons that I encountered there.  It is wonderful to experience goodwill anywhere and it is even better to experience it everywhere.  I felt welcomed and can genuinely say that I encountered God in the least to the greatest of the Icelanders we met. It was a good trip.

Prison

On our trip we had the privilege to meet with Iceland's pastor for prison ministries. Among his talents for ministering to those in prison, he is also an amazing chef which we experienced first hand when we visited his home. During our discussion of the prison system in Iceland we learned that there are only around 180 people in prison in Iceland at any given time. There is a waiting list for those who have committed recent crimes because there is not enough space for any more prisoners. The waiting list numbers in the 300s. Also, a figure that surprised some of us was that the sentence for murder is 16 years (I believe, however, it might be 18, I am not sure). Most prisoners, however, only serve around 1/2 to 2/3 of their sentence in prison and the rest on parole. The focus of the prison system here, however, is rehabilitation rather than punishment, which seems to be the focus of the system in the U.S.

In a discussion following our dinner with this pastor, we discussed how the victim would feel about the murderer only serving 16 years in prison. We discussed what punishment would be "enough" for murder, which stems from our U.S. cultural understanding of what prisons are for, namely, punishment. However, I believe there is something inherently wrong with viewing the prison system as a way in which the victims are supposed to feel the punishment of others as a balm for their own hurt. This is not a Christian understanding of reconciliation and forgiveness, this is a cultural understanding of feeling better by putting the other down. If we claim that we should receive healing from the hurt of another who caused us pain, this is, in a sense, making an idol of someone else's suffering whereby we seek comfort and healing from something other than God.

We are also called to forgive. We state in the Lord's Prayer, "forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." This is a bold statement which we should consider closely when we pray. We are asking God to forgive us as we forgive others (which is a scary thought). I am not saying, however, that this is an easy process. Forgiveness is a struggle, especially forgiving someone who has taken the life of someone you love. This is not to say, however, that we are not called to do it. We are called to do difficult things as Christians, and forgiving is one of them.

I think there is much to learn from the Icelandic prison system. I think it would be good in the U.S. to have the prisoner pay for therapy for the victims as part of the sentence so that the focus of healing is not entirely on the punishment of the prisoner. Also, it is hard to say how much time is necessary for rehabilitation of a prisoner, which was pointed out by the pastor of prison ministry. It might only take a murder one year in prison to understand how horrible the actions were that they committed. It might take longer than 16 years as well.

God, I ask for the healing of those who have been hurt by criminal actions. Help them to seek and obtain reconciliation, forgiveness, and wholeness. I also ask that those who have committed crimes to learn from their mistakes and to also forgiveness for their actions. Help us to not seek fulfillment through the suffering of others but to realize that fulfillment and healing are gifts from you. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Leif Erikson (the Inland Version)

     I did not notice on our flight in, but Iceland's main international terminal at Keflavik airport is named after the great viking explorer, Leif Erikson, who happened upon American shores hundreds of years before the any other European.  It is an interesting name for a terminal as I know of no other terminals named after vikings (they kind of had a bad reputation in most parts of Europe).  The name is also interesting because I feel like it compels the air traveler to head west, not east.  Though Leif Erikson himself only made it to the eastern shores of Canada, settled there for a few turbulent years and decided to return to the peacefully harsh climates of Iceland and Greenland, his name has made it further inland.  In fact, the street on which I grew up was named 'Leif Erikson Drive'.  For me, at least, traveling from Iceland to Iowa is to follow in the footsteps of Leif Erikson himself as he seems to forever mark my way home.
      Unfortunately, I think the only sagas to be written about our journey will be the few short blog posts that we have published to this internet archive over the past weeks.  There will be no stories of how we cracked heads with axes, stole Irish women and slaves, or traversed the icy seas in open vessels.  I doubt our travels will ever inspire such glorious modern works like The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit which were inspired by the poetry passed down from the history of the Icelanders.  There is unlikely to be anyone looking to the group led by Gunnar the Strong on tours through the churches in Iceland for inspiration the same way that J.R.R. Tolkien looked to Snorri Sturluson in writing his great works.  We encountered no gollums, trolls, hidden people or elves in our adventures (though some in our group would argue that we met giants).  Our travels were not epic in these ways.
     Yet, I must reiterate that I feel carried back to Iowa by the legacy of Leif Erikson.  There were elements, many elements, of our studies and travels that will stand out in our own lives as epic.  Though they may not make the history books the same as other epic sagas, they nevertheless are a noticeable part of history, even if only our own.  We are changed.  We have met others across the sea with whom we have laughed, prayed, lived, dined, shared and loved.  Our conversations and experiences were epic and they will be recorded as sagas in our hearts and minds for years to come.  Though I have no plans to settle in Nova Scotia anytime soon, the epic journeys of the vikings are what I must compare our experience to as we have returned to Iowa.  We left our axes at home but our hearts went willingly into the great wide open and the stories of our lives are all the better for it. 

Drottin, thank you for the brave ancestral souls who have spanned worlds and crossed oceans, setting examples that we continue to follow today.  There is much that we do not know of our lives and of ourselves, but we are able to see ourselves more clearly when we share with others.  Thank you for the opportunity to do so in Iceland and thank you for the opportunity to do so once again in Iowa.  You are a generous God and there is no end to the love that you have shared through others in this world.  I thank you for this.  I also give thanks that our travels were safe and pray that our future journeys may be as blessed as our trip to Iceland.

Near and Far - We Are United in Christ

In many ways our time in Iceland was much too short. As we pulled away from the bus station headed to the airport my heart was full of mixed emotions. On one hand I was excited to see my family and share my experiences. However, I also began to grieve the loss of my new friendships, especially Gunnar and his family. Throughout my two weeks stay I was treated like a member of their family. They made me feel at home, they fed me, and always made sure I was comfortable. I pray that I can return the favor someday and I am confident that the relationships that have been created during this wonderful trip will be relationships that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

   

A few days ago I wrote about the darkness the Icelander’s endure during the winter season. I also mentioned that the darkness had affected me. It was hard to sleep and at times it was difficult to comprehend the difference between morning/evening/nighttime hours. And just as my body seemed to be acclimating to the darkness, it was time to leave and journey west to a lower longitude with more sunshine.

The last church we visited in Iceland, Lindakirkja, was the pinnacle of the entire visit for me personally. The visit began with a presentation from Toshiki Toma, a Japanese man who married an Icelandic woman, moved to Iceland 20 years ago, and is now serving the national church by providing support to immigrants moving/transitioning into the country. Also, the visit included a tour of the new church which was still under construction in many areas. Immigration and mission development are two areas where I feel my heart being pulled toward as I journey through seminary. It was wonderful to learn/see how the church is creatively overcoming the struggles of the economic downturn, while at the same time becoming the fastest growing church is the country.  

As I reflect on the darkness, the Icelandic culture, my hosts, the people of Iceland whom I have met, and the wonderful things that I have experienced here, I am drawn into the humble picture below. The picture is from Lindakirkja’s new sanctuary, which is still under construction, yet is finished enough to conduct events/services from time to time. The church did not have the resources to purchase chairs or pews as planned and asked the community for extras that the church could use until the resources were available to purchase new seating. The community responded. We were told that many people and businesses donated chairs and now the sanctuary is a collage of different colored, sized, and shaped seating. This image continues to move me deeply. To me, the picture represents not only the community of Iceland supporting the church, but also how the body of Christ throughout creation including Icelander's, seminary students, and professors from faraway lands, are all united in Christ regardless of color, shape, or size. What a perfect end to an amazing journey!

Lord God, in you all things hold together. Thank you for the opportunity to learn from our brothers and sisters in Iceland and thank you for returning us home safely. May this experience remind us now, as well as far into the future, that we are called to love you and our neighbors regardless of geographic location, race, color, or nationality. Remind us always that we are united in you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen