I attended a rigorous, church-run boarding school in Lebanon when I was a young boy. Most of the students disliked the school and its staff. The staff, from the headmaster down, seemed to harbour resentment towards the students. There was little to no love at that school, and it was evident in the general atmosphere.
The priests were a mix of local Lebanese and clergy from other parts of the world. They were generally kinder than the lay staff, who often administered severe physical punishment. It was barbaric and inhumane. I was around eleven at the time, and even now, at fifty-eight, I can still hear the sounds of students being beaten echoing in my ears. Strangely, every part of that school was always cold, even in the summer. Most students wore their coats in class to stay warm. Even the on-site church was always cold. I distinctly remember the hostile and eerie feeling that hung in the air, and I could not wait for my parents to take me out of that hellish place.
Years later, I met a former student from the same school. He was familiar with the experiences I had gone through: the cold, the harsh treatment, the absence of empathy, and more. He revealed something I had not known before. Years after I left, there was a scandal involving the abuse of students by at least one of the priests. It had gone on for some time, and when it finally came to light, those in power ensured that no one was prosecuted. Perhaps the abuse, along with the negativity that permeated the school, explains why the place always felt so cold.
“Dear reader, I would like to stress that my intention is not to criticize the Church or Christianity in any way. Instead, I hope to demonstrate how energy—whether positive or negative—can have a lasting impact on us and our surroundings.”
