The Lausanne Global Conversation is on the World Wide Open Network
Auteur: Sadiri Joy Tira
Date: 15.03.2010
Category: Diaspora
I just arrived from a two week trip in the Arabian Peninsula – UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. My journey started on February 22nd and culminated on March 7th. During this trip I went through six international airports from both sides of the Atlantic and the Arabian Gulf; I was also a member of “The Flying Community”. Here are my experiences and discoveries.
THE AIRPORTS
Toronto’s Pearson and London’s Heathrow are two major crossroads for airline passengers. These two international airports are connecting points in North America and Europe for millions of passengers.1.
The airports of Dubai, Manama, Kuwait and Doha receive millions of travellers as well. These airports connect the east and west, north and south hemispheres. The uniqueness of these modern airports is that they have become the entry points for millions of economic migrants and contract workers into the Arabian Peninsula. Here, I saw waves of people disembarking from jet liners – non-stop flow of people from different points of the globe. It seems the world has descended into this region.
The departure areas are full of people who are tired, overwhelmed, some upset, downcast, lonely and mixed feelings. The arrival sections are lively, excited and have many signs displayed for welcoming passengers.
While in Dubai International Airport, I spoke with many Filipinos who work at the duty free shops. I also talked with a man who just came from Mecca, Saudi Arabia. He was full of joy after recently having become a Hajji. Then I met a Korean man who seemed to be “raking” in thousands of Kuwaiti dinars. He said “Business here is good, lots of money here.” In Doha, I saw hundreds of Indonesian ladies sitting on the floor while their immigration documents were being processed. Westerners too come and go at these airports; many of them are men with crew cuts – they just came from Iraq and nearby Afghanistan.
THE PASSENGERS, CREW AND PLANES
When I left the Pearson International Airport in Toronto, I boarded one of Air Canada’s Airbus 330. There were some 250 of us inside the plane. The passengers reflected Toronto’s diverse multiethnic, multicultural, and transnational community. After seven hours of a trans-Atlantic flight, the passengers rushed to disembark. I wonder how many of those passengers would be together again (unless they travelled together). On my way home from Dubai to London Heathrow, I was on board Emirates Boeing 777. It was a full flight. As a frequent flyer, I observed that Emirates Crew are more hospitable, helpful, and seemingly hard-working, compared with some other airline personnel that I have encountered.
Before take-off in Dubai, the pilots introduced themselves as “Captain John” and “First Officer Peter” – they were obviously non-Arabs. The pilot went on to announce the flight path and inform us that there are twelve (12) nationalities representing their crew. They came from Egypt, Vietnam, China, Philippines, Romania, India, Turkey, Lebanon, U.K., etc. They speak multi languages – a very impressive multinational crew.
Half an hour after take-off, I walked around the cabin to see all kinds of nationalities – a wonderful rainbow of colour -- black, brown, yellow, white and red. There were men and women, children, youth, seniors. Some were strong, some in seemingly normal health, and few were handicapped. Here the plane became a multicultural community but only for a little over seven hours. We lived and travelled together, but our actions were disjointed – some slept, some read books, others watched movies and listened to their iPods. The workaholics tirelessly worked on their laptops preparing for their business meetings or lectures at their destination. The alcoholics indulged themselves with their favourite Cognac, Brandy, beer etc. The restless children did their own thing -- they played, spilled their drinks and some cried for hours relegating their parents helpless. Still the pious passengers demonstrated their faith – the Roman Catholic nuns prayed with their rosaries while the Muslim men held their beads and spread their mats facing Mecca from 36,000 feet above sea level.
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
I have been travelling extensively these past six months but the recent trip impressed me with a few 21st Century realities.
Sadiri Joy Tira (D.Min., D.Miss.) is the Senior Associate for Diasporas of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization; the Diasporas Specialist of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada; and the International Coordinator for the Filipino International Network.
1. Pearson International served over 30 million passengers in 2009 – see http://www.gtaa.com/en/gtaa_corporate/statistics/; London Heathrow served 65 981 077 passengers by November 2009 – see http://www.airports.org/cda/aci_common/display/main/aci_content07_c.jsp?zn=aci&cp=1-5-212-218-224_666_2__
Mots-clés: diaspora, airports, migrants, contract workers, communication, interaction, multicultural, discipleship, mission, strategy, transnational
Vues: 14247
Commentaires: 9
Recommandations: 3
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États-Unis
I read the document "Flying Community" and that’s been my expereince in my travels as I travel to Asia with my ministry. We need to be more intentional and make every effort to reach them with practical ways, means and methods.
I am also reading your second document in the same line.
09.09.2010
États-Unis
Joy - Thanks for sharing your experiences and reflections. It’s amazing to see the vast numbers of people who are traveling each day - and the many nations and people groups represented. Their "movement" from one place to another offers those who travel a wonderful opportunity to share Christ in word and deed.
Many of those people are from other faiths. This month’s Lausanne World Pulse provides articles on how to loving share Christ: http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/themedarticles.php/03-2010. Some great articles!
Thank for your leadership in this area!
17.03.2010
Canada
@ NaomiA:
Thank you Naomi. You have always been affirming and encouraging. You have supported the LCWE Diaspora agenda in so many ways. As we all race towards Cape Town, may God grant you wisdom and the power needed to soar.
14.05.2010
Philippines
I can relate to your experience seeing the flying communities as I traveled to Singapore, Bangkok, Malaysia and China recently. Kunming airport and HK airports are places where millions of people pass to travel to places and back to their homes and communities demarcated only by imaginary lines as global citizens. Flying church anyone?
23.04.2010
Canada
@ Noel_Pantoja:
Dear Rev. Pantoja, I am glad that you have a similar experience. Keep flying and maintain your membership with "the flying community."
14.05.2010
Nigéria
Thanks for sharing your experience and reflections. One may wish to add that there is a need to focus on those with potential for movement. For instance, a Priest needed to penatrate a Denomination in the city but was posted out through "Churchlitics" to the village. Instead of complaining, he chose the examination classes of the churches in the village and discipled them, knowing that in about two years most of them will move to the city. So in about three years there were so many young men asking questions similar to the questions the Priest was asking and the Denomination was literally forced into a great revival.
Suppose, for example that there is a mission group targeting specific groups (with potential for migration) among a migrating people such as the Igbos of Nigeria. Suppose this mission group creates extensive awareness (which currently lacking) among them and disciples as many as possible (knowing that they may soon migrate) - there are several ways of doing this especially inflencing the leaders. Wont this be a viable way to sending missions conscious christians accross the globe at minimal cost?
I personally tried the model. I went to St Philips Anglican Church in Mmaku near Enugu and trained out a team of eighteen young men and women, giving them a global perspective. Today four of them are priests, one is married to a priest, and five are actively involved in Missions programmes. obilising and training may have some of the answers. May the good Lord grant us more perspectives!
25.03.2010
Canada
@ besoman:
I appreciate your comments all the way from Nigeria. Do you know that I have family in "diaspora" born in Nigera? My sister actually married a Nigerian gentleman and she moved to Kano with him. My niece and nephew are real Filipino-Nigerians!
As for your observations, I salute you for your initiatives in training migrating people. It is so important for "people on the move" to be trained before they actually move to a new location. The role of your parish is critical and strategic to make this training happen.
Go for it! Please look out for my future blogs, and blogs of others who I have asked to contribute. We need to keep talking and listening to each other.
If you are actually going to Cape Town, I would like to meet you personally, Lord-willing.
14.05.2010
États-Unis
Without a doubt, our world is getting smaller and smaller day by day. I agree with author Sadiri Joy Tira’s expereience. As startegy coordinator, I travel extensively in south Asian countries and it has been my expereince too. However, the challenge remains the same that these "Flying Community" need to be reached one way or the other. Like the "Disciples of Christ" the Christians among this Flying Community are gathering as small groups, fellowships and as house churches to remain true to their faith and thus trying to spread the Word in spite of unavoidable cirmcumstances. They need our support, encouragement and above all, our prayer.
19.04.2010
Nigéria
@ Samuel_Bandela: Thanks Samuel for sharing your experience. Is there no way of making an in-road into these small groups to make them more missions conscious? Many among them are equipped and they are already spreading the word but is it not possible to find a method for equipping more of them and making their imput more strategic?
29.04.2010
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