How the light got in

How the light got in

Last night I put a few words here when I heard that Leonard Cohen had died.  Somehow I managed to delete them.  Not the biggest loss in the history of writing for sure!  I was sorry to hear he had died.  About ten minutes before I heard this news I had mentioned him in conversation with some people.  I was saying how much I admired him.

He was a wonderful weaver of words and so gracious in their sharing and maybe even openness to interpretation.  I can’t pretend to know everything he ever wrote, or anything close, but the bits I got to know and love made a huge difference to me.  For many years I have used his words in various settings as I tried to shape some of my own around them.  I felt he had a wonderful gift and I am a firm believer in the power of tune and lyric when brought together.

Certainly his music and words will continue to be part of my own journey and wondering about life.  Leonard said of himself one time that, as a child he had buried something in the garden at his family home and that he felt he had spent the rest of his life trying to find what was buried.  I have no idea what he referenced there but the journey sits well with the man.  In the coming days, I will link again to some of my favourite YouTube videos (many of them already on the blog – just put Leonard Cohen in the search bar) and bring a few of them and some of the thoughts around them together.

I travelled from Dublin airport tonight, having spent the past days in Honduras, and remembering some of what I met there, I coupled these memories with many of Leonard’s songs that are in my music collection.  Words like “The sprinters that we carry and the cross we left behind, come healing of the spirit come healing of the mind” and “Going home without my sorrow, going home sometime tomorrow, going home to where it’s better than before, going without my burden, going home behind the curatain, going home without the costume that I wore” – these, with some of the songs from his most recent album, speak of a man searching, trusting, doubting, wondering, dismissing, finding, believing …. in short, a man living.

He brought many sides of life with him, and travelled many roads of exploration but my prayer for him now is that in response to his lyrics in the first track of his new album (You Want It Darker) “I’m ready My Lord!”, the Lord smiles and says, “Leonard, I know ….”

Ring the bell that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack, a crack in everything

That’s how the light gets in

I can’t say this is my favourite piece but I like it because it’s Leonard making something of another’s words – respecting the author and keeping him centre stage, whilst allowing the message reach other ears and take the hearer to a place of wonder.  He does it well.

https://youtu.be/VGEWQRL2sJk?rel=0

You’d wonder what his speech would have been like, had he received the Nobel Prize (which I think he should have received) given the graciousness of these words.  If you’ve heard them before, listen again and, if not, prepare to be touched by a man’s gratitude.

Farms and farming 

Farms and farming 

We met, later in the morning, with some farmers who told us of their struggle to protect their farms and livelihoods from the threat of mining. 


Like the group we met earlier in the week they speak of limited success insofar as five municipalities have been declared mining and hydroelectric free. This has to be renewed however and there is always fear surrounding change of political power and/or corruption. They are anxious that there be international awareness of and support for their concerns. 

From there we made our final visit and stop on this trip. We went to a farming community comprised of women who have learned new skills and joined forces to farm together.


The sense of pride in themselves was clearly evident. They spoke of the crops they harvest and the chickens they produce. Chickens are passed from one to another to promote the number.


One of the women spoke to us about nutrition and weight control (pulled my stomach in as best I could!!) and especially in children. Through Trocaire’s help she has received training in this area and monitors the children’s weight, offering advice when required. 


We were treated to some of their produce in the form of corn that was harvested today. It was really tasty and I enjoyed it very much. 

as clearly did one of my travelling companions!


A number of women spoke about how much this work means to them and how thankful they are to God for the harvest. As was the case in most of our meetings children were present. They brought a lovely touch of innocence and, maybe hope, to what were difficult scenes. Children can focus our minds on the future but also on the need to mind them now. 

Chances are that, with water, are the common denominator in many of the stories we were privileged to hear over the past six days. 

In a picture which, like all pictures,tells a thousand words, I’ll leave the final word to the children:

Into last full day

Into last full day

Day has begun with a group of women who are involved in promoting the protection of women against male violence and femocide.   It is estimated that 90% of women have experiences of violence at the instigation of men. 

In 1991 the group designed and patented a solar powered oven. To this day, they manufacture and sell these to support their work. 

Gratitude to Trocaire for support. This has helped extend the work to children and to schools, with a view towards prevention. Lot of work with people preparing for marriage .

Working with schools the group has discovered that children explain what they have learned and share how they will implement it. They do this through writing poetry and drama. 

In the past many NGOs worked with women only but this group believes in wider outreach.

Their Projects include:

 1. Violence against women

 2. Food safety

 3. Monitoring infants’ weight development. They wantto increase to 5 year olds

 4. Protection of nature

 5. Protection of water sources

If woman is dependant on man, this leads to violence. Hence the need for education.

They have widened their involvement from women only to husbands, children and schools. Their belief is the power of education to improve the plight of women. They also work with couples preparing for marriage. 

One of their chief concerns is around the high degree of impunity shown in cases where husbands kill their wives. This rate is as high as 93%. 

They have conducted a survey but had limited support, by way of practical help, from the police. They will be presenting the results of their survey later this month. 

Trocaire is among the partners offering financial support to this group of advocates. 

Quoting from some of their own experiences it became clear this is a group of committed human rights defenders. 

Journey continues

Journey continues

An early start had our group leaving hotel at 5.50am and heading for the airport to take a flight from the capital to San Pedro Sula.  In three hired cars we travelled to Omoa Cortés, a small community of some 85 families that is situated on the shore line of the  Caribbean.

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All things being equal it would be an idyllic and much sought after place to live but the uncertainty of the ocean combined with an extended rainy season makes it a nightmarish place to live.  Houses, homes – basic in construction, dot the shoreline and run the constant risk of flooding if not total devastation.  When floods come the only road for access can become unusable and dangerous, effectively cutting the people off completely, resulting in undoubted hardship and death.

 

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We were met in a Community Centre that had been the local school.  Surrounded by grass and showing the signs of flooding, the centre was not readily accessible.  That said, a very large gathering met us there. You could not but be taken by and impressed with their resilience and graciousness.  The loveliest of people. Language barrier aside, they communicated a lovely nature and were unquestionably welcoming of us all, especially the representatives of Trocaire, who have been a source of strength and solidarity.

 

One of the ways Trocaire has helped is by co-sponsoring with the local minincipal council and other religious and non-profit agencies, the development of a canal that can link the iinhabitants with safety.  One man spoke of this and whilst grateful for the hope this offers his people he made the point that the boats they have can only take twenty-five people at a time and the return journey is ninety minutes. This time exposes his people to heightened risk.

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They asked us to encourage support for their plight through supporting Trocaire’s Lenten Campaign which, in 2017, will  focus on this community and its specific needs. We had the opportunity to meet the girl who will be featured on next year’s campaign box and literature.  A delightful child and lovely family. Will come back to this again.

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Later in the evening we visited Cuyamel, the name of a town and river.  We met with a committee that is trying to reclaim its river from an international company who has taken control of its rights (committee would say due to corruption) and this has led to the devastation of the river.  It was a very impassioned presentation and the need for support for this community and the protection of the river were at its heart. “the war of the future “, one man told us, “will be for water” and it was hugely impressive to see so many committee members there, men and women and especially the younger people.

As we left that meeting we met a group of young people who had been practising  their routines for a marching band. Though they had finished their session, they agreed to play for us and played a number of pieces, the final one lasting over eleven minutes.  I hope to put it on YouTube but signal not good enough to do that now. Watch (literally) this space.

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Somewhere out there

Somewhere out there

I don’t know where I am right now!

Well that’s not altogether true. I’m in the sky somewhere between Houston and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I’m sitting at the window seat and occasionally look out at cloud formations and the ocean beneath. I’m part of a group that is on its way to visit Trocaire workers and some of their projects and people in Honduras. I am well out of my comfort zone!

only a shadow

only a shadow

Feeling a bit nervous but grateful too for the opportunity to see and hopefully be touched by another side of the world and the lifestyle.
Our group is ten – two of Trocaire’s Irish based staff, two women (from Monaghan and Limerick), a permanent deacon from the diocese of Elphin and five priests. Most of them I had not met until a briefing day in Maynooth a few weeks ago. Have to say, it’s a very pleasant group and easy company to be with.

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In an hour or so we will land in the capital of Honduras and take it from there, “day to day” as one of the group said to me a while ago. He’s right, that’s the only way to go. I hope to make a few notes as we travel and take a few photos. These, I’ll try to share as time and wifi allow.
I willl keep an eye out for the woman in the red Cilica that Hector met:)

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