a new post...finally! adventures with the parents and a prayer/peace walk

I've been busy. Not that busy, though. I should've posted weeks ago. Sorry, but I'm doing it now instead. Better late than never, right?

a picture from the Belfast Botanic Gardens

My parents are currently here visiting. It's been great. We've been going, going, going to say the least. We've visited Downpatrick, gone to church a ridiculous amount of times (5 out of the 7 days they're here we'll have gone to church), gone to the 174 for Disabilities Club, and seen Belfast Castle, murals, peace walls, the Botanic Gardens, the Ulster Museum, Victoria Square and City Hall. The Botanic Gardens is in full bloom with the exception of the Rose Garden and is simply beautiful. Tomorrow we're going up to the North Coast and Giant's Causeway. But today we had an especially great experience that I'd like to share.

We gathered at Clonard Monastery a bit before 5:00 this afternoon for a cross community prayer/peace walk. Clonard is located very near the peace wall that separates the Shankill (a Protestant neighborhood) from the Falls (a Catholic neighborhood). Clonard is located in the Falls and is an incredibly beautiful worship space. I hadn't been in it yet this year and after seeing it I don't know why I didn't go sooner! I also don't know why I didn't take any pictures of the inside to post for you. Check out the link to see their website and the astonishing space.


the group heading down the Falls Road

We started the walk at Clonard and headed from there to the Falls Road. The Falls Road is the major road through the Falls and, as it is a Catholic/Nationalist area, it's not uncommon to see signage with both English and Irish. I think this is pretty cool.

We marched down the Falls Road carrying crosses, slowing down traffic, and doing our best to spread a message of peace as some of the crosses that were carried read "Peace Be With You".

 


the Falls Road murals

The walk eventually turned off the Falls Road and onto Northumberland Street where we walked past some of the Falls Road murals. Even though the murals we passed weren't antagonistic, as some in the city are, given the background and original purposes for the murals, I thought it was incredible to be marching right past them with Catholics and Protestants side-by-side.

We crossed through the gate in the peace wall on Northumberland Street and moved from the Falls into the Shankill. After a few blocks on Northumberland Street we met the Shankill Road, the main street traveling through the Shankill. There were people watching curiously from each side of the street on the Shankill Road and from the crowd I heard someone call my name. I looked over and saw two of the boys that come to the cross community football club at the 174 Trust. I shouted "Hey!" to them and began hoping that the next time I see them we can have some conversation about the walk. If nothing else, I was happy that the boys were able to see me taking part in the walk as the peace effort in Belfast and Northern Ireland is certainly something I've become passionate about.

As we moved through the Shankill, one of the organizers came up to me, Patrick and Ellison and asked if we'd like to carry the cross that was at the front of the walk. Seizing this unique opportunity, we moved the front of the line. Soon enough we each had a turn at leading the crowd, taking up the cross (literally) and following our police escort (one of the everything-proof Landrovers that PSNI uses). As I carried the cross I saw some students from Glenwood Primary School where I do monthly assemblies for the P4 to P7 classes. Like the boys from the 174, these students waved and called out to me and Ellison (who I am so grateful to have help me with these monthly assemblies). I always like to be spotted by kids from the school in the area because I think it helps the kids to understand that not only am I trying to be part of their community but that even though I am very much an outsider by nationality, I am a part of the community. And I am thankful to be part of the community and walk alongside its members. 

As the walk left the Shankill we walked through a gate in the peace wall on the Springfield Road that was opened especially for the event. In the picture on the right here you can see the gates open and the crowd coming through. Normally these gates are closed and there is a small pedestrian gate in the wall open that one person at a time could go through. Margaret, the minister at Woodvale, made the comment to me that she'd never seen those gates open before. To see them open for the peace walk gave me hope that, though it will take time, the peace efforts in Belfast can one day not only open gates in the peace walls but bring the peace walls down.

The walk continued up the Springfield Road and then back to Clonard. The walk was an outstanding event that I am happy my parents were here to be a part of. It was also an event I will be sure to remember from my YAV year.

After the walk we had a terrific dinner with Jaime and Simon. Another thanks goes out to them and Leanne for taking care of us this evening! We then attended the Good Friday service at Shankill Methodist (our fourth service of the week). All in all, an wonderful day.

Mom and a local walking along the peace wall and chatting