An impressive site – above the clouds Mt. Etna stands. Each time we came to the mountain or spoke to it we had a response – the most significant was when a vent that rarely ‘vents’ called ‘New Mouth’ expressed itself. We would have loved for there to have been a proper eruption while we were there as a ‘sign’ but anticipate that might occur fairly soon as Italy takes her position. Let’s see!
A little shout from ‘Bocca Nuova’ (had not ‘spoken’ in a long time but did when we first visited the volcano) and was accompanied by a reasonable sized earthquake – 4.5) screenshot below:
The reflections that follow will be selective (4 months in one post?) and likely not to be short. Some of this might have been read in a post or a WhatsApp but I hope to keep your interest and that some of it will be helpful, but I acknowledge it is virtually impossible to give a report that gives a total representation of our little adventure.
Plans
We thought that we would be based in 1 (maybe 2) situation(s) and then travel from there. We also anticipated that we would be able to camp as the beloved search engine said ‘camp site open’ but open they were not. This meant practically in the 126 days away from home we were in more than 30 different rentals; some good…others… including one we had to leave after one night due to consistent sewer smells… ah well not all plans work out!!!
Second aspect that we had not calculated was that the island is BIG – for UK people 25% bigger than the size of Wales, so the idea of being based in one place was not practical. We crossed on the ferry and then we were looking at each other – ‘do we go West or do we go South?’ As we got off the ferry – ‘let’s go West.’ West we went to Marsala. Although I had read 2 books on Sicily before arriving we had not clocked that this was where the unification of Italy began in 1860 with the arrival of Garibaldi. This was to be key.
On the way to Sicily we had input that invited us to consider a border en route. As we weighed that input we considered it was an ancient border – and settled on one south of the papal states (between Rome and Napoli) called the border of ‘the Two Sicilies’. We spent two days there before continuing south. This was important and Marsala connected with this as Garibaldi came to conquer the ‘Two Sicilies’ from there.
Input and guidance
We are very grateful for every encouragement, ideas, suggestions and prophetic insight that people gave us – invaluable.
When in Marsala – the place where Garibaldi entered – I had a dream where an angel came bearing a huge and very heavy book. Struggling to the point of exhaustion to deliver it I thought that if I were that angel I would have given up. As I thought that the angel assured me that having come thus far the task would be fulfilled and with that managed to heave it up on a lectern so that it could be read. The book had been carried, supported at three corners, pressed in to the angel’s stomach and then with two arms extended to the limits. Later we understood that to symbolise the three extreme points of the island that have been recognised from ancient times. The book symbolised the story of Sicily – thus far – with the final pages blank calling for us to come and write about the future. The persistence of the angel proved to be a major energising aspect in keeping us focused and moving forward as we became more tired toward the end.
Two days after that dream Garibaldi showed up in a dream to simply say ‘what I have done cannot be undone’. True at one level but at another level the past cannot simply dictate the future.
The map indicates the three recognised points of the island with the meeting point being the city of Enna in the centre of the island.
The book the angel brought was reflective of Sicily but we also carried with us that Sicily, being physically in the middle of ‘middle earth’, also represented in some way the wider world of Europe and perhaps beyond. As one author described Sicily:
The stepping stone between Europe and Africa, the gateway between the East and the West, the link between the Latin world and the Greek, at once a stronghold, clearing-house an observation point. It has been fought over and occupied in turn by all the great powers that have striven over the centuries to extend their dominion across the Middle Sea… Sicily is probably less unhappy than she has been for many centuries, but though no longer lost she still seems lonely, seeking always an identity which she can never entirely find.
Europe – the centre of the world!!
No not really!! Timelines are important and different parts of the world are on different timelines. (Personal convictions shaped by experiences and dreams have developed what follows.)
The gospel came within the Hebraic culture and world (with a big affirmation of humanity, the planet, creation and redemption… redemption of the world / all things); it then spread throughout the ‘oikoumene’ of the Graeco-Roman world (oikoumene being the oft-used term for that which was within an Imperial boundary – this is what Jesus was offered: in short bow and worship and he could be the next Caesar – no better position from which to spread the good news!!! Hence the huge dangers in Christendom – and of course for us a very denial of Paul’s gospel).
The importance of Europe is not that it is the centre of the world but that we have a wonderful opportunity to see truly the end of Christendom and find a way to recover the Pauline gospel, a gospel set in a multi-faith context of conflicting ideologies concerning the transformation of the world. A little task?
Other portals… Monotheistic faiths
From Europe it is this non-Christendom experience that has to travel and it was not too long before we realised that the next portal has to be Istanbul with a focus on the Hagia Sophia mosque. Originally a Christian / Christendom house, once Islam was able to inhabit that house it was able to spread more rapidly; hence Istanbul calls (a visit in May?).
There are three monotheistic faiths that claim Abraham as their ancestor: Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Christianity in its Christendom form linked to those others only strengthens their expression (we were not insensitive to the current war while in Sicily, nor unaware of the current contest to see where European nations will land). Into those three religious expressions Jesus-aligned followers become essential in breaking open that three-fold cord (appreciate that is shorthand and expresses our ‘world-view’). The middle east is a powder keg as its destiny is to be a place of reconciliation, reconciliation not based on the domination of one over another but of togetherness amidst difference.
Prior to coming to Sicily we saw what was to take place in that island was to sow fresh seed that needs to enter the portal of Istanbul and then to travel east. That view is only strengthened since being there.
Power out
In previous communications we have written about the ancient map of Europe with Spain as the head and the rolling up of that map with the consequent major power outage in Spain & Portugal. Signs are important (I pause to consider Etna one more time!) but we really want to see not simply signs but substance. So to the heart of our prayers in the land.
Colonisation
Words do have (in part) intrinsic meaning (do cringe when the preacher says the Hebrew / Greek means… without showing how it is used) but the key is in the usage. Colonisation manifests in the classic sense of a power taking a piece of land that was previously under another ‘flag’, but the core of it is that of taking a gift / sphere / territory that was not yours to take (we might be able tor eplace the word colonisation with one of the three ‘sin’ words of Scripture: trespassing). Colonisation can be subtle and can even use truth to take, colonise and disempower. A classic example in our current world is that of the self-evident truth that ‘all lives matter’. No one can deny that… but by replacing ‘black lives matter’ with the phrase ‘all lives matter’ is to disempower the original phrase and the necessary rebalancing that is being called for. ‘All lives matter’ is true as a phrase but has colonised the original phrase to simply maintain the status quo of oppression.
Sicily has a literal history of colonisation, from the earliest time – 1 original tribe, then from some 3000+ years ago a second that takes land to a third that pushed the original indigenous people into the centre of the island; then we can travel through the successive empires (at least 10) right thorough to the colonisation of Sicily to create the modern Italy (Garibaldi’s invasion of 1860)… as so often happens the resources (gifts) of the land were taken and Sicily moved from being highly prosperous to experiencing widespread poverty in a very short period time (25% of the population had to leave in a 10 year period due to poverty).
Yes we prayed into that… but we discovered other stories. Not unique to Sicily but that of the abuse and subjugation of the feminine. (Gayle would be much more eloquent in expressing this but she is getting ready for Malaysia so you got me…) Prior to touching on the specifics – back to Paul’s gospel. (I use this phrase for two reasons – the resource we have in those letters, but also that he is outworking the implications of the life, death, resurrection of Jesus in the context of Imperial power – our setting.) He is clear that the only thing that counts is ‘new creation’ to such an extent that there is no ‘Jew/ Greek, slave/free’. He saw a world (as did John in Rev. 21) that was transformed by the resurrection. It was a world of creation that had come to an eschaton but was more than a restoration of the supposed original – in the same way Jesus was the ‘second Adam’ but also he was the ‘eschatological Adam’. He became a life-giving Spirit – he became an expression of humanity beyond Adam (male and female) – who was a living being. This is the task of the body of Christ – prayer and action and context coming together to move this world toward the coming world where all divides (dualisms) end… and at the heart of it is Paul says and ‘no male and female’. This is central and core. The realignment of the current dualism (and spectrum) – has to be done because ultimately the divide of ‘heaven and earth’ is to end when there is a glorious coming together.
Saints. Not my world! We encountered some female saints – notably Lucia and Agatha. All with the same story. A young woman being preyed on by a male figure. Abused, raped and even in one situation placed in a brothel to punish her. Protected by a superior ‘female power’ but with a horrendous loss of life and even when protected experiencing a total loss of identity; then later in history held up as a saint and protector and then honoured as such today in the various cities.
Anyway to cut it all short – the stories gave us leverage to pray. (And vitally we were joined in this phase by three wonderful women.)
(Annie Macintosh (Scotland) and Elizabeth Coveney (Wales) – 2 of the 3… Jenny Rettig also was with us a few days – sorry somehow have no photo of you, but your input was invaluable.)
The need to pray to remove the toxic masculine… and the toxic feminine was vital, and most importantly the sowing of personal stories into the land was a big part of it. Important for Sicily, and as Sicily is focused for Europe not a small side-act…and as the coming together of heaven and earth awaits the ‘no male and female’ aspect of new humanity this whole phase was enormous.
‘Not male and female’: central to that of undoing colonisation.
Wider Europe
We have been and continue to carry a focus on Spain; we do not have a naive belief that politics are the answer – the vision of Revelation is that Jesus (as Lamb) overcame the powers so as to open the seals to unlock the book of human destiny… but we are deeply supportive of Pedro Sanchez and the leadership he is giving within wider Europe. (Long story would unfold how Paul’s vision was wonderfully infecting those who were not believers with a vision of ‘new creation’. A great part of the unfolding future is Jesus-aligned people in partnership with those who can ‘see’ humanity.)
Our prayer in Sicily / Italy was that there would be a following of Spain’s lead… Italy to follow… then others within Europe. We also prayed into the northern lands – the two arms of the ‘queen’ map of Europe were Italy and Denmark. We have noted the response of Nordic lands in these recent days.
Little interlude… and connecting to the previous newsletter to charismatics
I think Paul’s gospel and also tracking the past 20+ years suggest that we should expect and look increasingly to those who do not have faith to be those who speak (prophesy?) concerning the future.This ties with how I understand where Paul positions the ekklesia – to take responsibility for the future, not responsible to bring it in, but to hold the shape so that it can manifest. Exciting days – so we are looking and expecting that the voices for the future will be in the mouths of the artists and politicians.
We noted that Rosalia, a Spanish singer, named after one of the female saints of Sicily (Rosalia – patron saint of Palermo) won a major award at the BritAwards for her album. In it she sings in numerous European languages, including Italian and Sicilian…the comments in the chat said ‘this is Europe, baby’. Indeed the call is for Europe – different languages, but the same song.
I just got to now include the tattoo I had put on my shoulder in Marsala, the place where Garibaldi landed is the place I wanted to mark as new creation – with the sun rising and ‘I saw a new creation’. Surely that concept is more than enough to get one out of bed in the morning.
As well as the three women joining with us, Steve and Kathy Lowton joined us December 26th into January for some key days – we initially stayed in a city where there were numerous concrete benches cast as open books (a nice reminder) – and Steve came back with Noë Limiñana (from Calpe) for the final phase into the north east in March. All who came gave us a major boost.
Here is a photo of the final gang sitting on a ‘big bench’ looking at Etna:
Got to become as children! And a dream Gayle had some 2 years back we continue to carry – it ends with a plea to the economic / banking world – to get rid of the suit, the shoes and to play with the children in the grass… and if this can be done then ‘everything else will follow’. We continue to pull for a new economy – not a tweaking of what is here (the foundations of which taps into the spirit of Moloch and increased exponentially with debt as a foundation… historically to fund war). I saw a new creation!!!???? Who knows what we will see, but if we ‘see’ something then perhaps we can redemptively move in a direction.
The final photo is of us overlooking the strait to mainland Italy. In that place a major pylon is on the Sicilian side and one on the mainland side, the pylons connecting power lines connecting the island and the mainland… so, yes, power outage was our prayer. Our final act as we ate together was again to roll up the map.
What did it all achieve? The wonderful aspect of our faith is simply that – we walk by faith and one day will find out! I close with – we… and you… will never know what effect we truly make. But by faith we do whatever it is we are convinced to do – small or big. One sows, one waters, BUT GOD…
Martin – so much to absorb and (try to) understand. I’m sure that more will be revealed.
One aspect that stood out to me was colonisation referring to the act of trespassing and taking. But there is another term that speaks to the underlying ideology: colonialism.
So even when a land or people are practically free from their colonial powers, that (colonial) ideology can remain embedded within systems, culture and attitudes. In that sense, even if colonisation is no longer actively taking place, colonialism can (and very often does) persist.
It’s a small distinction in wording, but hugely significant as we reflect on the way we engage: TO, FOR, and WITH.
Great point on colonialism embedded in a system after colonial powers have gone!