Easter in Kandahar, Afghanistan 2010

It's been some time since I posted so I will endeavour to recap some past events on future blogs. Today will be reported in real time...

I awoke to the sound of fighters launching themselves down the runway. It was uncommon to hear eight of them blast into the Afghanistan skies one after the other as usually it is two maybe four. Today, it would be a bad day for some bad people. The morning was uncharacteristically clear and devoid of the dust that has a tendency to linger in the atmosphere here at Kandahar.

This is my second Easter here in Afghanistan. And being in such a foreign land plays with the emotions. The isolation teaches you a lot about your strengths, your weaknesses and, if properly harnessed, can build. Unfortunately, it can also tear down so you have to pay some attention to that.

I was not caught up in work today and my mind wandered. I let it take me where it would and there is freedom in letting your mind do what it needs to do. Today was a "reset" day for me. Easter is a "reset" day - a renewal, a reminder of what is important and to set our sight on those things. To close my day, I attended the Anglican service in the rich tradition of the English Church. The service was calming and a fitting end to a day that should recenter us. I took communion and upon returning to my chair in the chapel, the sun was juxtaposed such that it beamed through the colored glass upon my face. It was a reaffirmation to me of what the day had been. This was a pure and clear light.

At the closing, the Priest prayed for two men, both 19 years old who had lost their lives in combat this week. Young men sent by their country to fight on this foreign soil. I will never understand the complexities of war and the manifestation of evil.

I am thankful that I will return home soon.

God's Peace,

RSN