I’m sorry, Egypt, and please accept my apology. Perhaps you will view this as only a half-apology, so allow me to give my excuses first.
We were not here this summer, spending two months in the United States. It was a very nice time, but full of travel, conferences, and professional development. My computer crashed in the middle of it. And yes, there was vacation also. It was very refreshing.
You see, Egypt, you can be quite demanding. I guess I’m moving from excuses to pent-up frustration – but I’ll assure you, this is still excuse. The past three years I have rejoiced with you, wept with you, and at times felt like cursing you.
You have had a habit of moving from one crisis to the next. As soon as one horror passes, another surfaces. It has been exhausting.
But I have always prayed with you.
That is, I trust you are praying also. I have tried to find the prayers of all people in your society, and honor them in navigating the complicated pathways of politics, religion, and culture. It has not been easy; you are deeply at odds with yourself.
But this summer you gave a respite. Things calmed down. You stayed out of the news. I know not everything is right with you, but you could take a perverse comfort that others were much worse. Maybe I took that comfort with you.
So while I was away, it was easier to trust that things were ok. And maybe they were, though I knew also that not everyone agrees. But I could go on with my business and keep a bit of emotional detachment.
This isn’t the sort of thing that is good to admit, I know.
Believe me, I didn’t forget you. Every day I checked the news, though truth be told it was often just the headlines.
And every day I prayed for you. Well, most every day. But I failed to write them down and share with others. This is what I apologize for. I didn’t know the details well enough – I wasn’t connected enough – to publicly pray beyond the generalities.
Maybe that is an excuse as well. If so, it was also the reality. I hope the important thing is a restoration going forward.
I am back, and back to work, but still catching up. I will aim to restart Friday Prayers next week. Please pray them with me again. I hope others will as well. I seek your good, even if I don’t always know what it entails.
Please forgive me. Are we ok?
Jayson Casper 