In de laatste dagen voor het vertrek heb ik het startpunt verlegd van Portopalo naar Pachino. Pachino ligt niet zo ver van
Pozzalo, het transit centrum van de boot vluchtelingen die Fort Europa zijn binnengeraakt, eerste deel van hun tocht volbracht of is het overleeft? Klaar voor verder te trekken richting een betere toekomst. Het centrum bied plaats voor 600 mensen gedurende 48 uur. De realiteit is anders: vele blijven er langer, enkele dagen geleden werden er 4000 mensen op 2 dagen geregistreerd. Nee
You never walk alone. maar de omstandigheden zijn niet voor ieder gelijk!
The famous pilgrim struggled
to find his way, made wrong turns, got lost, was often confused,
sometimes trusted in those who he shouldn’t, and was helped a great deal
along the path. In the end he reached his goal. I hope to do the same,
but I have to confess that my hope is tempered by a great amount of fear
and trembling. And yet, as I struggle, as I suffer, I plumb the depths
of my soul, I learn about myself, my weaknesses, my pride, my fears, my
true hopes. Suffering crystallizes what I need to know and shows me in
what or whom I have been placing my trust. In short, suffering is a
bright light that helps to illuminate the path. Though I do not ask for
suffering, and I certainly do not enjoy it, I have to say I would not
trade any suffering I have had for the world. I am thankful and grateful
for what it has wrought.
I also have to say that my
suffering, though often painful to me, pales in comparison to the
suffering experienced by so many others. I wish for a world of no
suffering. And yet, I long even more for a world in which people
honestly, naturally, from the depths of their souls, love each other
truly.
