Beautiful Egypt 316 – “The Faithful Son” – 2/10/2019

Throughout our journey across the history pages, we pass by incidents and times, having our attention captured mostly by “man” in this wondrous journey. Incidents are results of people’s actions in all moments. Across our life journey, which may be long or short, people vary in their stances, principles, and decisions, that history – whether it is fair or not – is only a part of their lives.

Today, I want to have a little pause, my words are unleashed to speak about a son, a brother and a faithful friend, who passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, 24/9, leaving behind the world, and heading towards eternity, where peace, rest and happiness do exist: He is the deacon minister, the one of firm Orthodox faith, the son of Anba Rewis region, the one I have known since his childhood, who lived his life keeping the doctrine, efficient in Coptic language he learnt from his uncles Dr. Fawzy Sadek and Dr. Fakhry Sadek, he was talented in memorizing tunes and the praise and was so dear to Saint Pope Kyrillos VI: Eng. George Farid, Broadcast Director at ME Sat Channel in Egypt and all its branches and satellites all over the world. The world may be unaware of his name, he is probably known through ME Sat Channel as one of the staff. However, he was one of the men who worked faithfully and honestly to present that satellite channel for the Egyptians to reach and extend to other parts of the world.

Eng. George Farid had started his work and served the channel before it began broadcasting; he is one of the few staff members who worked hard, day and night to bring the channel to light. I still recall those days and nights that he spent working tirelessly with love for the success of the work; he was trained and trained many, and was an administrator with a strong personality. It applies to him, as I mentioned before, the words: “Greatness in the life we lead or write about lies in the style each person chooses for his life, walking while bearing a message and a mission that he must fulfill them perfectly.”

Eng. George Farid has always been a role model of bearing responsibility and fulfilling one’s role as good as possible. Actually in life, there is no big roles or small roles, as all roles integrate together for serving humanity. For example, I have read about the Australian Donald Taylor, known as Don Ritchie, who was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2006 for his great humanity covered all people. Ritchie lived in a house next to the Gap region in the Australian New South Wales, where a severe cliff is found, and was famous for being a destination attracting the suicides and caused committing suicide attempts to increase!

Ritchie – who was formerly enlisted in the Australian Navy in the Second World War, then he worked in sales – decided to keep an eye on this region. Whenever he noticed someone approaching the cliff trying to commit suicide, he immediately left his house and crossed the road and talked to that person in an attempt to change his intention to commit suicide; Ritchie mentioned that he got used to visiting this region, and if he noticed someone acting weirdly and suspiciously, he got closer to him and began to chat with him, then inviting him to have a cup of tea at his home. Ritchie uttered his famous words: “One cannot stand still without interference, while he sees someone killing himself! We must try to save him; this is the minimum we can do.” According to official documents, Ritchie was able to save nearly a hundred and sixty people! While his family declares that the number far exceeds that, reaching nearly five hundred people! It is such a rare kind of bearing responsibility of others; a responsibility that stems from great humanity firmed in the depths of those who realize that they have a role towards people, albeit unknown to others. 

Letters and words are nonsense when I try talking about George Farid, who has worked in love, silence, ultimate faithfulness, and was incomparably devoted wholeheartedly to work, bearing the responsibilities in great patience and punctual commitment. He is a rare character in all times, to you, dear son George Farid, I say: “Your faithful work and devotedness will ever remain in the hearts of all who have known you, yes, we do miss you a lot in this world, but it is not the end yet. One day, we will all reunite in an endless life. You will remain in our hearts, as really what we do for ourselves perish with us, while what we do for others and the world remains immortal forever.”

And… Stories never end in beautiful Egypt!

The General Bishop

Head of Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center