Hidden Lives 3: Afraid of the dark

 This assembly is the third in a series I wrote on urban refugees which seems to fit in nicely with the Book of Ruth.

In this assembly, we are going to think about the issue of darkness and the first question I want to ask you is ‘Are you afraid of the dark?’

Reader 1: I wouldn’t say I am particularly afraid of the dark, but I must confess I don’t like walking home from Youth Club in the dark. Even though the streets are familiar, they seem scarier in the dark. You can’t see what’s lurking in the bushes or whether the person walking towards you is carrying a knife. I know it’s just my imagination working overtime, but I’m always glad to reach my front door safely.

Reader 2: Well, I have a real problem with the dark. I’ve never been able to sleep without the light on. I know it’s stupid and I’ve really tried, but when the light goes off, I start seeing strange shadows and hearing weird noises and I get so scared. I feel like a fool at sleepovers but the night is the most frightening time of the day for me and there’s nothing I can do about it.

Reader 3: I love the dark. Going for a walk in the moonlight is so cool. Everything seems different, more mysterious and magical. Everyone acts different in the dark too. They do things they wouldn’t do in the light. I love the sense of adventure that the night brings. Mind you, people think they can get away with being stupid and dangerous in the dark and sometimes, it doesn’t end well, I have to admit that.

Leader: I wonder how you feel about the dark. It certainly does change our perception of our surroundings and for many, adds a feeling of anxiety, fear or foreboding into our experience.

The Hidden Lives Homepage shows the photographs talked about in this section.

During 2012, the award-winning photographer Andrew McConnell visited cities in eight different countries around the world to take photos of urban refugees for his exhibition Hidden Lives.

What do you notice about these photographs? What do they all have in common?

Yes, that’s right. All of the photographs are shot at night. In the dark. Deliberately. This is not because these individuals only go out at night, although in some cases, some of these refugees do prefer the cover of darkness to avoid being stared at or persecuted.

In fact, in some of these areas, going out at night is positively dangerous. In an interview, Andrew McConnell tells of his experience in Eastleigh, a violent suburb of Nairobi in Kenya. He was downright scared of being on the streets after dark and the crew could not take their time over getting the perfect shot. They could not even stand still for long for fear of drawing attention and being attacked.

But the reason McConnell shot all of these photos at night was to use the literal darkness to convey a metaphorical darkness. You’ve all heard the expression ‘light at the end of the tunnel’. Well that does not mean a literal light at the end of a literal tunnel. It refers to the light as a sense of hope when you are surrounded by the fear, anxiety and despair that can feel like the darkness of a tunnel.

Each of these urban refugees has a story to tell. Many have fled their own home, having faced unbearable suffering or persecution. Many have had to leave family and friends for the safety of their own lives. But living as a refugee in a foreign city can still feel like living in the darkness. Isolated. Ignored. Rejected. Without hope. Without a future. In fear of persecution and deportation.

Abdi Mohamed Ahmed, an Ethiopian refugee living in Kenya, describes his daily life in this way –

‘I cannot walk freely, I cannot go where I want in this country, there is always a security issue.’

Many refugees are captured and deported to Ethiopia. Some are left to suffer indefinitely in detention centres.

And this is Lanier Lovely, whose home in Haiti was destroyed in the earthquake in 2010. She moved to live in the safety of the refugee camp on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. One night, when the people around her had gone to the countryside for a funeral, Lanier was threatened with a knife and raped. She tried to scream but he just closed her mouth with his hand. She didn’t want anyone to know what had happened and by the time anyone found out, she was two months pregnant.

Her little boy is called Lovinsky and she loves him very much. However, she can’t help thinking that if she had had a family, this wouldn’t have happened. She never saw the rapist again, but she doesn’t feel safe anymore. She worries the same thing could happen again. The camp definitely needs more security and lights at night.

Lanier has every reason to be afraid of the dark, and for many of these refugees, they feel that they are living their whole lives in darkness. They have no sense of security or safety. They miss their families. They have no jobs, no sense of self-worth.

There are many people around us in the world every day who feel that they are living in darkness. The challenge to each one of us today is: How can we shine as a light in the darkness? Listen to these suggestions as you reflect on this question now.

Reader 1: How can we shine as a light in the darkness in our city today?

Reader 2: We can smile at a stranger, give someone our seat on the bus or buy a copy of the Big Issue.

Reader 1: How can we shine as a light in the darkness in our community today?

Reader 2: We can thank our community policeman, put our litter in the bin or help our neighbor with their shopping.

Reader 1: How can we shine as a light in the darkness in our school today?

Reader 2: We can show respect to our teachers, clear away our plate at lunchtime or be a supportive friend.

Reader 1: How can we shine as a light in the darkness in our home today?

Reader 2: We can let our mum choose on TV, have a chat on the phone with our Grandad or play on the Wii with our little brother.

Leader: Let us conclude our time together with a short prayer. You may make these words your own if you wish.

Dear God,

We remember the refugees living in difficult circumstances in big cities all over the world.

Many feel as if they are living in the darkness.

May they see a light at the end of the tunnel.

We thank you for the work of Andrew McConnell and pray that his exhibition would help the light shine on urban refugees.

Help us to be aware of the darkness around us.

Help us to shine as a light.

Help us to be there for someone else today.

Amen