Coptic church in Aswan, Egypt

While catching up on the news on Palm Sunday, Ray and I learned about the horrific terror attack on two Coptic churches in Egypt, killing at least 47 people. Our family is Catholic, but we felt moved to go to the local Coptic church to show our support.

We went in with hopes that we would be welcome, but to be honest, I had no idea what to expect.The Coptic religion is one of the oldest, and has remained mostly unadulterated. The service was very different then what we are used to and absolutely beautiful!  Though most of the service was in languages I don't understand, the had screens set up to translate. The men of the church took turns reading the scripture aloud, and even asked Ray if he would like to read also. They sang about the greatness of God's love. 

When the service ended, many people came over to greet us and were overjoyed that we came to visit. They invited us to join then for their Holy week celebrations and introduced our daughters to the other children who were just as welcoming as their parents. It felt like we took a time-machine back in time where church was more simple, and truly about loving God and being part of a community. 

Our family truly appreciates the kindness we were shown that day. After the experience, Ray and I felt closer to God and to each other. It also showed us that among the hustle and bustle of the DMV area there are still sanctuaries where people break bread together and enjoy the word of God.