Holy Week on Kwaj
Holy Week on Kwaj
This morning I awoke to look down and see a broken Polly Pocket doll in the palm of the one hand of mine that was hanging somewhat open over the side of my bed. Startled at this find, I looked up to a bewildered and tearful little 5-year-old wondering if I could fix it because “...otherwise Ariel's head doesn't fit on the other Polly Pocket doll's bodies.” Well, if you have known me for even a day, you know I am NOT a morning person, so it took me a minute to focus and figure out what exactly the crisis was and not resent the interruption to my last few precious minutes of slumber. Sadly, the doll was beyond repair, as pieces of its torso literally broke under the pressure of being dressed by 5-year-old fingers one more time. After reassuring my daughter that “no, it can't be fixed, but yes, I would somehow find a way to make things right again” (thinking in my head that probably means finding another one of these someday on a trip off-island, if she even remembers to ask), tears were wiped away and she moved on to find the next thing to play with in her room. But can I really make things right again? Is there a fresh start in Ariel's future?
WHAT on earth does this have to do with Holy Week on Kwaj? Well, actually, everything. You see, while this sounds like an oversimplification, there are generally four kinds of people coming here to live on Kwaj for a while (besides those who were born here or are native Marshallese of course). 1) There are those who grew up here during better days and returned as adults to resurrect their own nostalgia. 2) There are those who are just plain out for a great adventure. 3) There are those who are looking desperately for a fresh start....a place where their uneventful employment history doesn't necessarily follow them (depending on their job, of course...those working directly to protect our nation are screened quite well), a place where they can make a fresh start with new relationships, a place where they can try to not bring their pain from the States (but they do), where they can move on from whatever hurting place they were in before. 4) And then there are those who are a combination of some subset of the first three categories. Asking Kwaj to help you move on from whatever pain or disappointment or failure you are escaping is a very tall order and pretty unreasonable expectation, but you would be surprised how many “Number 3-ers” there are. To some extent, we came here to escape the pressures of American suburban life for a while, to not buy gas, to save money, and honestly to see if we had it in us to simplify our lives for a while. We longed to shed most of our belongings for a few years and start fresh. If you follow our blogs, you can judge for yourself how successful or not we have been. So, I truly understand people thinking ahead of time that this tiny “tropical paradise” was a utopia of sorts. But, as you look around, it becomes quickly obvious who came here for what reason, and in the end, there are a lot of broken Polly Pockets waiting to be fixed. But unlike in the hit series “LOST,” our island does not have science-fiction powers to heal those who arrive here.
This brings me, in a very long-winded way, to Holy Week. First, I want to say, that I am SO IMPRESSED that our little population celebrates Holy Week the way I picture it. Yes, there are egg hunts and the Easter Bunny makes an appearance at the Easter Brunch this Sunday, but candy is limited, and Easter is very toned down compared to all of the commercialization in the States. I have noted this about other holidays here as well. It is so refreshing. My kids do not see endless advertisements about the latest toys. No, instead they have the opportunity to see a “Living Last Supper” on Maundy Thursday, where each disciple gets to talk a little about his walk with Jesus. They can experience “Faces around the Cross,” reenacting the events of “Good Friday” when Christ was nailed to the cross. And there is a sunrise Easter service right on the beach, followed by baptisms in our lagoon and a breakfast together! Where else could a sunrise service be so beautiful? I can't wait to experience it! You see, so many people here are in despair because they came here to get answers or get away from something, and so many pink slips are being handed out as the island goes through a depressed time and time of transition. People here cannot rely on knowing the job is secure, and everything they came here for is now in question, but that has not stopped those who believe in the message of Easter from keeping the story alive here. In some cases, they came here in good health and received a diagnosis of poor health upon arriving. They have learned that this island itself is not a healing balm for the ills of life, but there are people here who know how to get their Polly Pocket body back together again. They can only come to the cross. And then there are those who are figuring this out slowly. The church here is a beacon for those feeling so tossed about by changing contracts and shifting loyalties. Some of those changing the contracts and shifting the loyalties also attend, but that's the beauty of it, isn't it? It doesn't matter what side of the red tape you are on; the cross is for everyone. The pastor brought a professional from off-island to offer “Living with Ambiguity” seminars to offer hope and structure to those feeling tossed about at sea. People are helping each other. Perhaps the cross means more to them this particular year than in other seasons of life.
Right now the horizontal bar is missing from the cross in the Protestant service. Sunday will be a glorious day when we see the horizontal bar returned and Jesus is not there because He is alive. It is undeniable that His presence is very much felt and celebrated here on Kwaj. I have felt conflicted about living here and struggled with the process of adjustment these many months, but Holy Week has far exceeded my expectations so far. It has been a reminder of what goes on beyond ourselves, no matter where we are, and I can't wait to put pictures up on the Web site of Easter sunrise! If you celebrate the risen Christ, may your Easter be blessed, beautiful, and full of rich meaning to you as well!
[A few photos from the baptisms at our Easter sunrise service are included below.]
Friday, March 21, 2008
Easter Sunrise Service