Resistance and Reconciliation

I'm in my last full day in this land. I have spent time in Ramallah, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, Be'er Sheva, and a little beach close to Gaza... Ashkalon, I think it's called.

Wednesday night with the Lutheran young adults up at Augusta Victoria on the Mount of Olives was a highlight. We played volleyball, ate, and chatted about everyone's backgrounds and projects.

Today I'm going to visit at least one of two organizations that I want to share with everyone.

I'm definitely going to Tent of Nations with a group led by Jeff Halper and Bob Hofstetter. I'm really excited to learn more about this project.

I may not get to visit Musalaha, but I really enjoyed the videos they have linked to their site like this one of kids in at a summer camp in Beit Sahour and the intro video that's on their home page.

I have heard compelling arguments from different organizations about what is the first priority in responding to the occupation: reconciliation, justice, a pragmatic viable solution? I definitely think that having groups listen to each other's narratives (as Musalaha emphasizes) is an enormously important step.

Our separate ways

Last night after dinner, Craig led us in a beautiful concluding worship service in the basement of our hotel in the heart of the old city of Jerusalem. We were struck that Christians have been worshiping here for nearly two thousand years, often in underground settings like the one we were in. The scriptures were especially relevant and powerful after where we have been and what we have seen: Jeremiah 14: 19-22 and 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. I recommend looking those up in a physical or electronic bible.

Now Craig should be on one or another connecting flight between here and DFW. The Eatons are on their way to Austin. Larry and the Esponozas will be leaving tonight. Kay, Barbara, Bar, Phillis, Ron, Dianne, Suzanne, and Marian are on a bus to Petra, Jordan. I will do a little backpacking in Israel and the West Bank for the next week and visit friends here.

We have learned so much and heard from so many brave, hopeful, intelligent people. We have a lot to bring back to the US, to our friends and congregations, to the Presbyterian General Assembly, and to our representatives in the US government.

Blogging will be a little more complex now that I am going to be traveling on the cheap; however, I hope that others and I will continue to post about things that we saw during the past two weeks and our new experiences as well.

Via Dolorosa and enlightening interview

For our biblical visit today, we visited the Via Dolorosa and entered the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It was crowded and touristy, but there was beauty in the traditions and the stones that moved some of us. Others were mainly turned off by the noise, rush, and ornamentation.

We also listened and asked questions of Danny Seideman, an American-born, Jewish, Israeli attorney who is an influential expert on the politics of Jerusalem. Overall we were very impressed with his pragmatic, approach and his vast knowledge of East Jerusalem. I want to compare notes and return with a summary of his points... so that will be a later post.

I do want to share this interview in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz with former Knesset member and Jewish Israeli peace activist, Uri Avnery. His comments on Netanyahu's handling of the raid on the aide boats last week are enlightening. I also take heart from his statement of hope for the future of the Israeli peace movement. Disclaimer: I am relatively new to these issues. I am sharing this article and one the other day as a novice. If there is something terribly problematic about any of the articles I'm sharing, please let me know.

Rabbi for human rights

This is an exciting interview and a hope-inspiring movement, however small it may be right now. Unfortunately, I don't expect that we will meet with this inspirational man.

http://www.jpost.com/Features/InThespotlight/Article.aspx?id=176769