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Many of my memories of the school are associated with a strong sense of community; a closeness to the natural beauty that surrounded us; a fascination with travel; and an appreciation for the love and commitment displayed by several staff members who left an especially strong impression.

I attended boarding school at Murree from the age of six. Looking back, I realize that people react to such experiences in different ways. Nonetheless, many if not most of the "missionary kids" that I have met over the years do seem to grow up with a sense of community, spiritual wholeness, and affinity with the natural world that is difficult to recreate as an adult.

In the book you mention a time the school was closed because of war in 1971. How will its current temporary closing affect Christians in the region?

MCS briefly closed just prior to the December 1971 war between India and Pakistan. However, this was not enough to really disrupt school life, and it opened again by spring. Recent events are much different, involving a violent attack on the school with a clear intent to kill. I hope for the best but can't help but wonder whether the school will in fact be able to re-open at some future point.

What tensions do you remember being present in Pakistan when you were there?

Some Far and Distant Place alludes to certain underlying tensions, usually in connection with broader events taking place on the world stage—violence in the Middle East, wars between India and Pakistan, etc. In addition, there was always a distinct feeling that we were part of a tiny minority floating, usually but not always peacefully, within the much larger sea of Islam. I expect that Muslims living as a minority in Western countries have sometimes shared in this same sense of isolation.

What changes have you seen in Pakistan's Christian-Muslim relations?

Muslim-Christian relationships were much less polarized when I was growing up in Pakistan during the 1960s and 1970s. The notion of wanting to "bear witness" to one's faith seemed comprehensible to our Muslim neighbors within their own spiritual framework. And, when local newspapers suggested that certain pressing issues should be "attacked" with "missionary zeal," they meant it in a highly positive way as something involving a commendable level of energy, enthusiasm, and commitment. Increasingly, these attitudes appear to belong to another age.

One thing I have noticed is a widespread ignorance in the U.S. and Europe about Christian and other minorities living in the Islamic world. This is also a missing element in more recent attempts by schools and media in North America and Europe to "educate" people about the world of Islam.

The Christian population in Pakistan numbers around three million. In percentage terms, the proportion of Christians living in Pakistan is equal to the proportion of Muslims living in the U.S. Divided roughly equally between Catholics and Protestants, the Pakistani Christian community has its origins mostly in 19th-century missionary activity during the British Raj. The church is rooted in Pakistan and has been for many decades. Christians have made their mark in education and medicine, among other fields. Some have served with distinction in the military and on the sports field. But to a large extent the community exists at the very bottom of Pakistan's social order. Visitors are often surprised to find a Christian church in virtually every city and most towns—and even more surprised to learn that almost every sweeper and toilet cleaner in the country comes from either the Christian or Hindu community.

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September (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46