Journey Back to Eden.pdf - St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church Chicago

SEPTEMBERA TIME OF UNCERTAINTYFirst ImpressionsSEPTEMBER 3, WEDNESDAYMy plane landed two days ago in Alexandria. It’s unusual to flyto Egypt and land in Alexandria rather than in Cairo, I gather,though it seemed to me to be a good idea to come first to the citywhich is more ancient; to enter Egypt through its historical door,and then to go later to Cairo. Besides, Father Douglas, one of themonks at St. Vincent’s, has some contacts in Alexandria and hethought it would be good for me to come to Egypt by being welcomedin Alexandria first.My host for the moment, a doctor, is ambivalent toward me.He is very gracious, even excessively so on some external level, butwhen I speak about the work I’m doing, he seems uncomfortable.He says things like, “The Copts are the past of Egypt. A venerableinstitution,” he calls them, “which everyone reverences, but it isnot the living Egypt. The living Egypt is Islamic and Arabic.” Hedoesn’t understand who I am at all. When the time comes in a mealto offer toasts or extend good wishes, he even keeps proposing thatI might one day find a fine wife and have many kids, although I’msure he knows I’m a priest.I’m disappointed with the city, I have to say. It’s very large, butthere’s nothing left of the Pharaonic times, not even of the laterRoman or Greek times, and nothing of the Byzantine times tonote. There’s nothing romantic about the city of Alexandria exceptits name and the sea. Its name I associate with the novel series, TheAlexandria Quartet, but it’s a big, sprawling, third-world city with5