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

A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY 17him of my desire to do anthropological study, offered him all myrespect, assured him of my carefulness in doing the work, andasked for access to the monasteries.He looked at me and paused a moment and finally said, “Couldyou grow a beard?” Then he asked, “Do you have a religioushabit?” These were his “requirements.” He didn’t say they werebut, by the tone of his voice, these seemed to be his two requirements:that I grow a beard and wear a religious habit. I presume itwas his intent that I would not be uncomfortable myself, nor wouldI make anyone else uncomfortable by the way I presented myself.So I assured him that I have a religious habit and that I would wearit in the monasteries if I had his permission to do so. He laughed atthe idea that he needed to give me, a Catholic monk, permission towear my religious habit. He thanked me—actually a polite order—for wearing it from now on, whether in Cairo or anywhere else inEgypt, and for making it the only garb that I would wear. And healso told me that, from here on, I was not to shave, because it is inappropriatefor monks to be clean-shaven. Whether that be theWestern custom or not, it’s not something Egyptians are familiarwith, or appreciative of, in a monk.Those were his big interests. My philosophical point of view,my social science point of view, or my theological point of view—none of these seemed to be particularly important to him. But afterwe had come to terms on these two points, he proceeded to takeout some beautiful stationery bearing his insignia, and wrote me aletter. Well, actually, he wrote a letter for me to carry, to present toany of the heads of the monasteries which I will visit. In a beautifulscript, in cursive Arabic characters, Pope Shenouda wrote:To the Heads of all the Monasteries of Egypt, and to theirLeading Officials:Grace and Peace from your Father and Brother.This letter introduces Mark Gruber, a monk and priestfrom one of the Catholic monasteries of America. He desiresto study in our monasteries. Please receive him somedays in your monastery, and make available to him all thathe needs for his work.I am sure that he will find his sojourn among us enrichingboth spiritually and culturally.Shenouda III