I wanted to write a quick update. I'm tired. It's not just the sun every day, or the long days of meeting with peace organizations and activists- I have had one good night sleep since being in Israel/Palestine. I'm not really sure why I'm not sleeping. I wish I could. I try. At first it was the roosters. The roosters crow every two minutes. I didn't grow up on a farm. I figured that there was some ingrained timing mechanism that all roosters have that make a rooster crow at dawn and never before. Well these rooster crow from 2-7 in the morning, right outside every window. (Not to mention the snorers- I'm really bad at sleeping with those who snore. I can never beat them to sleep, and then I'm stuck). Anyway, this post isn't anything magnificent. I just wanted to share that we're leaving Hebron in the morning to travel to small village called At-Tuwani. They have around 250 residents in a more desert like area. A settlement is built on the adjacent hill and the community has had problems with Israeli Settler attacks. CPT has a full time team in Tuwani to help curb some of the violence and harassment. We'll tour the village tomorrow, walk the kids to summer camp around the Settlement, and stay with one of the Palestinian families for dinner and hopefully a good night sleep. The next day we'll come back to Hebron for another day and half before going to Jerusalem.
I will leave with a few quotes from a reconciliation organization working in Bethlehem, Wi'Am. Zoughbi Zoughbi is the director and founder: "I am a Christian, but of a different sort from the Christians of the West. I am a Christian who believes in the resurrection but I see Jesus still on the cross. He is still on the cross because our political, economical, and social circumstances have been resurrected. This is our hope. We are thankful you are here (talking to CPT). It is important for the psyche of the oppressed to know other nations care for them."
"We have chosen hope, but hope has yet to choose us. In this way, we have chosen the nonviolent struggle. The land where the wall now protrudes into Bethlehem was the best place. Over 800 businesses have been lost to the construction of the wall in this section of Bethlehem. We are trying to maintain a shift away from guilt or victimhood toward communal responsibility. Blaming others is toxic, paralyzes us. I am on who would like to deny Israel an enemy. For me, nonviolence is a way of life and a strategy."
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Bedouin Update and New Encounters
As we concluded our stay in Bethlehem, we visited both Holy Land Trust and Tent of Nations. (As an aside, I went to the Church of the Nativity yesterday and had a beautiful night with new friends at manger square a local Italian (Franciscan) cafe). I have many things that I would like to say and not enough time to write it. First, during the middle of our tour of Tent of Nations, we received a phone call from a Bedouin activist. We had met with her last Saturday as we visited with three Bedouin communities in the Negev. The last community, Al-Arakib, welcomed us into their home. They shared with us their stories, how they had been on the land for hundreds of years (as evidenced by the cemetery with hundreds of graves on the adjacent hill) and their legal land acquisition from the Ottoman Turks. Before Israel was Israel, they knew the land, lived off the land. I met with Aziz as he introduced me to his wife and five children. He asked me to take his picture with his family in front of his house. He told me, "All I want is to be free. I want to live on the same land as my father and his father. If I move to a town, our way of life is ruined. The land is our home. Take our picture and share it with your friends in the West." So I did, but today his house no longer stands. These Israeli citizens had their home demolished this morning. The Israeli govt. said that they could not prove that the land was theirs, and it was legally owned by the state. 1500 soldiers, 2 helicopters, and 5 bulldozers leveled their homes. It is an extreme act of injustice in toward a peaceful people.
Now for something completely different...We met with the Tent of Nations this afternoon. I was extremely impressed with this organization. Due to some very smart manuevering during the Ottoman Empire, the Nassar family purchased and received legal documentation for the ownership of 100 acres 9 kilometers from Bethlehem. Today, this 100 acres still belongs within the Nassar family despite Israeli attempts at trying to confiscate the land. Tent of Nation is on a hill overlooking a palestinian village in the valley and surrounded by 3 illegal Israeli Settlements. In 1991, the govt. claimed all of the land as state property. Legal battles have continued ever since. At this moment, their are demolition orders on 8 buildings. The govt. demolished any building that isn't built under a 'proper' permit. For Palestinians, these permits are rarely given and are very expensive. In the meantime, the Settlers have uprooted over 250 Olive Trees, damaged their water cisterns, and harassed the family with guns. Yet, they do not respond in violence. The Tent of Nations was formed on this land in order to channel pain and frustration into productive means. Their farm is a place of encounter to build bridges of peace and reconciliation from all nations. They are not dependent upon city municipalities. They have made water cisterns to collect rain water. They have built caves to both live and hold classes. They just received electricity for the first time through German donated solar panels. Their farm provides dates, apricots, grapes, figs, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, and host of other foods grown on the property. In the meantime, they have become a place of hope. There motto, "We refuse to be enemies," encapsulates their longing for reconciliation. They host children's camps and school field trips. They give the children an avenue in which to begin to tap into their creative spirit by bringing them together in new encounters with the other. They also host groups to both teach and act out reconciliation. They invite Israelis, Palestinians, and internationals to visit and begin talking to each other. Together, they have planted over 1000 trees this year. The military is always looking for provocation, so they keep things calm. The director said to us, "Do not resist evil with evil, but resist with good. This is the nonviolent way." Their determination to continue to live in the midst of struggle gave me immense hope. If these Palestinian Christians can live sustainable lives in the middle of govt. oppression to bring Israeli's and Palestinians together, certainly I have something to learn from them. Perhaps our differences in the states are not so insurmountable.
Now for something completely different...We met with the Tent of Nations this afternoon. I was extremely impressed with this organization. Due to some very smart manuevering during the Ottoman Empire, the Nassar family purchased and received legal documentation for the ownership of 100 acres 9 kilometers from Bethlehem. Today, this 100 acres still belongs within the Nassar family despite Israeli attempts at trying to confiscate the land. Tent of Nation is on a hill overlooking a palestinian village in the valley and surrounded by 3 illegal Israeli Settlements. In 1991, the govt. claimed all of the land as state property. Legal battles have continued ever since. At this moment, their are demolition orders on 8 buildings. The govt. demolished any building that isn't built under a 'proper' permit. For Palestinians, these permits are rarely given and are very expensive. In the meantime, the Settlers have uprooted over 250 Olive Trees, damaged their water cisterns, and harassed the family with guns. Yet, they do not respond in violence. The Tent of Nations was formed on this land in order to channel pain and frustration into productive means. Their farm is a place of encounter to build bridges of peace and reconciliation from all nations. They are not dependent upon city municipalities. They have made water cisterns to collect rain water. They have built caves to both live and hold classes. They just received electricity for the first time through German donated solar panels. Their farm provides dates, apricots, grapes, figs, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, and host of other foods grown on the property. In the meantime, they have become a place of hope. There motto, "We refuse to be enemies," encapsulates their longing for reconciliation. They host children's camps and school field trips. They give the children an avenue in which to begin to tap into their creative spirit by bringing them together in new encounters with the other. They also host groups to both teach and act out reconciliation. They invite Israelis, Palestinians, and internationals to visit and begin talking to each other. Together, they have planted over 1000 trees this year. The military is always looking for provocation, so they keep things calm. The director said to us, "Do not resist evil with evil, but resist with good. This is the nonviolent way." Their determination to continue to live in the midst of struggle gave me immense hope. If these Palestinian Christians can live sustainable lives in the middle of govt. oppression to bring Israeli's and Palestinians together, certainly I have something to learn from them. Perhaps our differences in the states are not so insurmountable.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Meeting with the Bedouins
So, I haven't posted in a few days. A quick update- yesterday was a busy day. We spent the morning on an alternative tour with ICAHD (Israeli Committee against home demolitions), in which we drove through West Jerusalem (the majority are Israelis) and East Jerusalem (with the majority being Palestinians with the exception of several Israeli Settlements in once inhabited Palestinian homes). Quick Stats about East Jerusalem- 78% of the children are growing up underneath the poverty line. 50% failure rate for education. The schools that are fortunate to exist have no air or heat. The municipality spends 480 NIS per Palestinian child on education and 2850 NIS per Israeli student. Settlements are built in less than a year, while one school has taken 6 years to build and is still not open. Also, joined a protest with the Women in Black in West Jerusalem. They have been doing this protest to end the occupation every friday since 1988. We then joined a larger protest in Sheikh Jarah against recent and planned evictions and Israeli Settlements. Those present included Orthodox Jews, Rabbis for Human Rights, CPT, and The world Council of Churches. Heard the owner of the house talk of his eviction. He had a contract to live in the house between Jordan and Israel. He had been living there since 1962. An Isreali family now lives where his children used to sleep. They did not recognize his legal right to his home.
Today we drove south to The Negev. We visited and ate with three bedouin communities. After 1948, the Arab Bedouins (who had been on the land for hundreds of years) were forced to either leave or been restricted to an area called the Siak (?). The siak is an area of the Negev that is tremendously smaller than what is needed to maintain there lifestyle. The Israeli govt. has given them Israeli citizenship but refuses to recognize any Bedouin that lives in a village rather than a town. A town is much smaller and condensed with little access to the land. It would mean an entire cultural change that has lasted over centuries. Rather than discussing the blatant injustice (like destroying a man's house two days before his wedding- no new structures are allowed to be built), I want to talk about their hospitality. At each village, we were welcomed into their home. We sat down with them as they told us their story. As we talked, we were served water, tea, and fruit (dates, cactus fruit). Three times today I sat down and received their offer of friendship and hospitality. In return, they asked that I tell their story. The Bedouins are often not talked about. The last village we met with has just received a demolition order. Some time in the next two weeks, bulldozers will come and destroy their homes. I talked with Aziz. His grandfather purchased their land back when the Ottoman Turks were still ruling. The British respected their rights, but Israel will not recognize their deed. They say it unable to be authenticated. He has five children and shared his desire to live peacefully with and on the land of his family. The land is their home. It is where they have history and memory. The land is part of who they are. It could be gone next week.
Tomorrow, I head to Bethlehem. We may get a call later this week to help the Bedouins in nonviolent resistance. For now, we're going to continue with the itenerary. To Bethlehem.
Today we drove south to The Negev. We visited and ate with three bedouin communities. After 1948, the Arab Bedouins (who had been on the land for hundreds of years) were forced to either leave or been restricted to an area called the Siak (?). The siak is an area of the Negev that is tremendously smaller than what is needed to maintain there lifestyle. The Israeli govt. has given them Israeli citizenship but refuses to recognize any Bedouin that lives in a village rather than a town. A town is much smaller and condensed with little access to the land. It would mean an entire cultural change that has lasted over centuries. Rather than discussing the blatant injustice (like destroying a man's house two days before his wedding- no new structures are allowed to be built), I want to talk about their hospitality. At each village, we were welcomed into their home. We sat down with them as they told us their story. As we talked, we were served water, tea, and fruit (dates, cactus fruit). Three times today I sat down and received their offer of friendship and hospitality. In return, they asked that I tell their story. The Bedouins are often not talked about. The last village we met with has just received a demolition order. Some time in the next two weeks, bulldozers will come and destroy their homes. I talked with Aziz. His grandfather purchased their land back when the Ottoman Turks were still ruling. The British respected their rights, but Israel will not recognize their deed. They say it unable to be authenticated. He has five children and shared his desire to live peacefully with and on the land of his family. The land is their home. It is where they have history and memory. The land is part of who they are. It could be gone next week.
Tomorrow, I head to Bethlehem. We may get a call later this week to help the Bedouins in nonviolent resistance. For now, we're going to continue with the itenerary. To Bethlehem.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
First Day
I want to write about two things.
First, riding into Jerusalem, I allowed myself to drift to thoughts about the land. What is it about this land? It looks similar to places in the United States. The shrubbery seems to grow out of the rocks. the dry arid soil exposes itself. It's a contradiction in ways: it feels more alive then first impressions. Unlike the US, this soil speaks to us. The past been preserved in the memory of its inhabitants. There are memories in these hills. Some are not so pleasant. Memories of pain and suffering, violence and death abound. The cries of the dead rise from the earth, looking for redemption, hoping against hope. The pattern across the years has been firmly established; violence is the norm. Listening to these hills, these people, is now my primary task. Can we learn from these memories, or will the dead go unheard?
Second, I was able to meet with the founders and directors or Sabeel, a Christian Palestinian organization looking at ways to build peace here in Jerusalem, Israel, and the rest of the world. I was able to celebrate the Eucharist with Naim Ateek, a Palestinian Liberation Theologian and Episcopal Priest. I sat next to a woman during the service. I asked her her name (Yattas), and we talked for a bit. When she heard that I was American she scowled: "We do not need anymore US Policy's here. We need Christians to live the truth." The truth she was talking about regarded the truth of the Way of Jesus as nonviolent justice oriented. I like her.
Quick aside: I just got back from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Western Wall- two amazing experiences.
First, riding into Jerusalem, I allowed myself to drift to thoughts about the land. What is it about this land? It looks similar to places in the United States. The shrubbery seems to grow out of the rocks. the dry arid soil exposes itself. It's a contradiction in ways: it feels more alive then first impressions. Unlike the US, this soil speaks to us. The past been preserved in the memory of its inhabitants. There are memories in these hills. Some are not so pleasant. Memories of pain and suffering, violence and death abound. The cries of the dead rise from the earth, looking for redemption, hoping against hope. The pattern across the years has been firmly established; violence is the norm. Listening to these hills, these people, is now my primary task. Can we learn from these memories, or will the dead go unheard?
Second, I was able to meet with the founders and directors or Sabeel, a Christian Palestinian organization looking at ways to build peace here in Jerusalem, Israel, and the rest of the world. I was able to celebrate the Eucharist with Naim Ateek, a Palestinian Liberation Theologian and Episcopal Priest. I sat next to a woman during the service. I asked her her name (Yattas), and we talked for a bit. When she heard that I was American she scowled: "We do not need anymore US Policy's here. We need Christians to live the truth." The truth she was talking about regarded the truth of the Way of Jesus as nonviolent justice oriented. I like her.
Quick aside: I just got back from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Western Wall- two amazing experiences.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
I have Arrived
This is going to be a quick post. I'm borrowing my Team Leader's computer. Thought I'd share that I have arrived safely. I slept about 2-3 hours sporadically on the plane. I'm currently sitting on a roof patio in the Old City of Jerusalem after an afternoon hike up the Mount of Olives. We're about to have a curry veggie dinner with pita bread and fresh fruit. Very excited about this. Wanted to post something on the relationship between memory and history...but I don't have time to fully think and write it out. perhaps I will journal about anamnesis later this evening. Peace.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Reflections on Being Safe
More so than any other time in the United States, we are obsessed with our own safety. Perhaps the attacks on 9/11 had something to do with the increasing awareness of our perceived state of vulnerability. Perhaps the 24 hour news service that has invaded our home has created an alternative consciousness of fear. Maybe the fact that we have now been involved in the longest lasting war in our nation’s history has perpetuated an overwhelming sense of our own mortality. Naturally, our reaction is to put up our defenses, bunker down, and ‘be safe.’ I often times wonder if ‘safety’ is really what we are to seek as ones who proclaim Jesus as Lord.
This question has bumped around in my head for a while now for several reasons. First, my wife and I just moved to an area of Nashville called Antioch. We are really excited about living here and getting to know those around us. It is an extremely diverse area. For example, Joy will be working at the local elementary school in which over 20 languages are spoken. Several immigrant populations are also trying to find the resources to live- not an easy task when first arriving to new home. At the same time, Antioch does not have the best reputation. We knew that Antioch has had issues with violence, crime, and home invasions. In the past few days, we have been told by several people to ‘be safe’ in our new residence.
Likewise, I am about to embark on a trip to the Middle East with Christian Peacemaker Teams. My conversations with others have varied tremendously. I have met and talked with Pro-Israel Christian Zionists who warn me about all Muslims trying to kill the ‘infidel.’ And, I have heard from the more liberal leaning Pro-Palestinian side of the danger of meeting the Israeli Defense Forces. Whatever image comes to mind when I mention my trip, I am always told to be careful- to be safe. At what point do we as Christians who are to live a life faithful to the calling of the Crucified One draw a line between safety and recklessness?
My mind easily wanders to the martyr accounts of the first few centuries of Christian living. One in particular, The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas, has caught my attention. This is a remarkable text, not only for its historical value as one of the earliest Christian accounts written by a woman, but also for its astounding theological value and insight. Perpetua was executed in Carthage in 203 CE; after being mulled by wild beasts, her life finally ended at the end of a gladiator’s sword. Having been arrested for her profession of Christ as Lord, the text weaves in an out of visions, prison, and the family relationships. One such relationship rests between Perpetua and her father: “My father returned from the city spent with weariness; and he came up to me to cast down my faith saying: Have pity, daughter, on my grey hairs; have pity on your father, if I am worthy to be, called father by you; if with these hands I have brought you unto this flower of youth- and I-have preferred you before all your brothers; give me not over to the reproach of men…This he said fatherly in his love, kissing my hands and grovelling at my feet; and with tears he named me, not daughter, but lady. And I was grieved for my father's case because he would not rejoice at my passion out of all my kin; and I comforted him, saying: That shall be done at this tribunal, whatsoever God shall please; for know that we are not established in our own power, but in God's. And he went from me very sorrowful.”
This is actually the second interaction between father and daughter. The first account has the Father leaving the jail cell “with the arguments of the devil.” I in no way wish to compare any of my experiences with martyrdom. Martyrdom is never sought out, but in a world that continues to exist in violence and oppression, martyrdom sometimes occurs. I only wish to point out the embodiment of a hope far greater than earthly safety. In this account, the Father is wishing for the continuance of his daughter’s life. This is easily understood as a type of ‘parental love’ that always seeks out the best for those we love. But in this case, it was a temptation to Perpetua to deny her following in the footsteps of the cross. Christianity for the early Christians wasn’t ‘safe.’ But it did leave to an everlasting rejoicing in the knowledge of Christ and the sharing of his sufferings. In summing up three cases of modern martyrdom (Paul Schneider, Oscar Romero, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer) Jurgen Moltmann explains: "This tells us that the martyrs anticipate in their own bodies the sufferings of the end-time, which come upon the whole creation; and dying, they witness to the creation which is new. Anyone who participates in 'Christ's sufferings' participates in the end-time sufferings of the world. The martyrs anticipate this end for their own time, and in so doing they become the apocalyptic witnesses (martyria) to the coming truth against the ruling lie, to coming justice and righteousness against the prevailing injustice, and to coming life against the tyranny of death."
I only recount this narrative to draw back to the current obsession with our safety. I do not think this mentality is worthy of the gospel. Rather, a disciple of Jesus recognizes the pattern of self-giving love to both neighbor and enemy and gives of himself/herself in the same fashion. Whether it be moving to a neighborhood that has higher rates of crime and poverty, or a traveling half way around the world to protest the world’s constant reliance on violence as a way of life, the appropriate response is not ‘Be safe,’ but rather ‘Be faithful.’ Or as a friend of mine put it last night, ‘be peaceful,’ which when we read the narrative of Jesus may be a road fraught with violence.
This question has bumped around in my head for a while now for several reasons. First, my wife and I just moved to an area of Nashville called Antioch. We are really excited about living here and getting to know those around us. It is an extremely diverse area. For example, Joy will be working at the local elementary school in which over 20 languages are spoken. Several immigrant populations are also trying to find the resources to live- not an easy task when first arriving to new home. At the same time, Antioch does not have the best reputation. We knew that Antioch has had issues with violence, crime, and home invasions. In the past few days, we have been told by several people to ‘be safe’ in our new residence.
Likewise, I am about to embark on a trip to the Middle East with Christian Peacemaker Teams. My conversations with others have varied tremendously. I have met and talked with Pro-Israel Christian Zionists who warn me about all Muslims trying to kill the ‘infidel.’ And, I have heard from the more liberal leaning Pro-Palestinian side of the danger of meeting the Israeli Defense Forces. Whatever image comes to mind when I mention my trip, I am always told to be careful- to be safe. At what point do we as Christians who are to live a life faithful to the calling of the Crucified One draw a line between safety and recklessness?
My mind easily wanders to the martyr accounts of the first few centuries of Christian living. One in particular, The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas, has caught my attention. This is a remarkable text, not only for its historical value as one of the earliest Christian accounts written by a woman, but also for its astounding theological value and insight. Perpetua was executed in Carthage in 203 CE; after being mulled by wild beasts, her life finally ended at the end of a gladiator’s sword. Having been arrested for her profession of Christ as Lord, the text weaves in an out of visions, prison, and the family relationships. One such relationship rests between Perpetua and her father: “My father returned from the city spent with weariness; and he came up to me to cast down my faith saying: Have pity, daughter, on my grey hairs; have pity on your father, if I am worthy to be, called father by you; if with these hands I have brought you unto this flower of youth- and I-have preferred you before all your brothers; give me not over to the reproach of men…This he said fatherly in his love, kissing my hands and grovelling at my feet; and with tears he named me, not daughter, but lady. And I was grieved for my father's case because he would not rejoice at my passion out of all my kin; and I comforted him, saying: That shall be done at this tribunal, whatsoever God shall please; for know that we are not established in our own power, but in God's. And he went from me very sorrowful.”
This is actually the second interaction between father and daughter. The first account has the Father leaving the jail cell “with the arguments of the devil.” I in no way wish to compare any of my experiences with martyrdom. Martyrdom is never sought out, but in a world that continues to exist in violence and oppression, martyrdom sometimes occurs. I only wish to point out the embodiment of a hope far greater than earthly safety. In this account, the Father is wishing for the continuance of his daughter’s life. This is easily understood as a type of ‘parental love’ that always seeks out the best for those we love. But in this case, it was a temptation to Perpetua to deny her following in the footsteps of the cross. Christianity for the early Christians wasn’t ‘safe.’ But it did leave to an everlasting rejoicing in the knowledge of Christ and the sharing of his sufferings. In summing up three cases of modern martyrdom (Paul Schneider, Oscar Romero, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer) Jurgen Moltmann explains: "This tells us that the martyrs anticipate in their own bodies the sufferings of the end-time, which come upon the whole creation; and dying, they witness to the creation which is new. Anyone who participates in 'Christ's sufferings' participates in the end-time sufferings of the world. The martyrs anticipate this end for their own time, and in so doing they become the apocalyptic witnesses (martyria) to the coming truth against the ruling lie, to coming justice and righteousness against the prevailing injustice, and to coming life against the tyranny of death."
I only recount this narrative to draw back to the current obsession with our safety. I do not think this mentality is worthy of the gospel. Rather, a disciple of Jesus recognizes the pattern of self-giving love to both neighbor and enemy and gives of himself/herself in the same fashion. Whether it be moving to a neighborhood that has higher rates of crime and poverty, or a traveling half way around the world to protest the world’s constant reliance on violence as a way of life, the appropriate response is not ‘Be safe,’ but rather ‘Be faithful.’ Or as a friend of mine put it last night, ‘be peaceful,’ which when we read the narrative of Jesus may be a road fraught with violence.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Christian/Muslim Relations
The past few months in Middle Tennessee exemplify contrasting personalities. On the one hand, the flood gave the opportunity for residence of Nashville to work together and share genuine hospitality with one another. One the other hand, disturbing news drifted across the pages of the Tennessean: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100621/NEWS06/6210329. Due to the growing population of Muslims within the Nashville area, there have been several attempts to build new mosques and Islamic Centers in Brentwood, Antioch, and Murfreesboro. Some within these communities (and unfortunately, it seems like the loudest portions of these communities) have expressed their discontent with the new places of worship. Within many of their voices, fear manifests itself in hatred.
I believe one of the greatest hindrances to peace in the world is the perpetual misunderstanding of each other. To be forthright, most Americans do not know anything about cultural Islam, the Quran, or a Muslim’s way of life. And if we do not take the time to know these people who are also loved by God, how can we adequately love in return? Rather, we rely on news snippets about Muslim terrorists. These news organizations do a poor job of portraying the religious foundations of Islam, painting in broad strokes the racist sentiments that all Muslims are terrorists or religious extremists out to make war on the West. This is simply false. Allow me to use this analogy that I heard back in high school. Violent Muslim extremists are to Islam as the KKK is to Christianity. We certainly do not agree with the violence and racism that is propagated by the men in white hoods. Yet, what if the KKK was the only ‘Christian’ group being talked about in other places in the world? Would not their existence become synonymous with Christianity in the minds of those who hear the stories? The fact remains that the KKK was in the extreme minority. So it is with Islam. Violent Muslim extremists are in the minority, yet we paint a picture of all Muslims everywhere thinking the same. We are too quick to judge our new neighbors without learning to understand our new neighbors. One of my Muslim friends has shown me nothing but love, respect, and grace. His life is oriented around the Quran- which has taught him to follow a life of righteousness and justice for all people. I think this story is also worth hearing.
Within the next week, I am traveling to Israel/Palestine. I will be meeting with Jewish and Muslim peace activists who are legitimately proclaiming an end to violence so that a dialogue of peace and justice may resume. As a Christian pacifist, I do not condone violence of any kind- whether it is done by Jews, Christians, or Muslims. I believe Jesus’ death on the cross was God’s protest against the perpetual violence that humanity inflicts upon itself.
Finally, I cannot help but think about Jesus’ interaction with the Roman centurion (Luke 7). I believe this story could be a kind of guide for our interaction with people’s of varying faith traditions. The gospel account records a centurion who had a respected servant lying on his deathbed. The centurion, hearing about Jesus, went to him to ask for healing. Jesus, on seeing that he was not a Jew (obviously he was Roman), did not say to him, “First, convert to Judaism, receive circumcision, and then I will heal your servant.” No, Jesus was amazed by this man’s faith. Jesus had compassion on him, loved him, and healed the man’s servant. Essentially, Jesus shows us how to be good neighbors. I’m not so sure protesting the erection of a new Islamic Center is being a good neighbor. Surely Christians and Muslims disagree on a lot of things- so did Jesus and the centurion. But our differences are not so great that we cannot also show love. Many within the Middle Tennessee area have shown what has been pegged as ‘Islamaphobia.’ But Jesus preaches a different gospel. Jesus did not show fear, nor was he afraid of a living among those different than himself. Rather, he exemplified the Christian mantra that perfect love cast out all fear. This is where the rubber meets the road. Fear paralyzes us, and puts us on the defensive. When we fear, we do not think. Fear grips our hearts and we cannot love. Ultimately, it comes down to love- love your neighbor as yourself and in this way we love and honor God. I am disturbed by the recent outcry against our Muslim neighbors. I feel as if we ought to reach out in compassion and healing, and perhaps there might be a little reconciliation.
I believe one of the greatest hindrances to peace in the world is the perpetual misunderstanding of each other. To be forthright, most Americans do not know anything about cultural Islam, the Quran, or a Muslim’s way of life. And if we do not take the time to know these people who are also loved by God, how can we adequately love in return? Rather, we rely on news snippets about Muslim terrorists. These news organizations do a poor job of portraying the religious foundations of Islam, painting in broad strokes the racist sentiments that all Muslims are terrorists or religious extremists out to make war on the West. This is simply false. Allow me to use this analogy that I heard back in high school. Violent Muslim extremists are to Islam as the KKK is to Christianity. We certainly do not agree with the violence and racism that is propagated by the men in white hoods. Yet, what if the KKK was the only ‘Christian’ group being talked about in other places in the world? Would not their existence become synonymous with Christianity in the minds of those who hear the stories? The fact remains that the KKK was in the extreme minority. So it is with Islam. Violent Muslim extremists are in the minority, yet we paint a picture of all Muslims everywhere thinking the same. We are too quick to judge our new neighbors without learning to understand our new neighbors. One of my Muslim friends has shown me nothing but love, respect, and grace. His life is oriented around the Quran- which has taught him to follow a life of righteousness and justice for all people. I think this story is also worth hearing.
Within the next week, I am traveling to Israel/Palestine. I will be meeting with Jewish and Muslim peace activists who are legitimately proclaiming an end to violence so that a dialogue of peace and justice may resume. As a Christian pacifist, I do not condone violence of any kind- whether it is done by Jews, Christians, or Muslims. I believe Jesus’ death on the cross was God’s protest against the perpetual violence that humanity inflicts upon itself.
Finally, I cannot help but think about Jesus’ interaction with the Roman centurion (Luke 7). I believe this story could be a kind of guide for our interaction with people’s of varying faith traditions. The gospel account records a centurion who had a respected servant lying on his deathbed. The centurion, hearing about Jesus, went to him to ask for healing. Jesus, on seeing that he was not a Jew (obviously he was Roman), did not say to him, “First, convert to Judaism, receive circumcision, and then I will heal your servant.” No, Jesus was amazed by this man’s faith. Jesus had compassion on him, loved him, and healed the man’s servant. Essentially, Jesus shows us how to be good neighbors. I’m not so sure protesting the erection of a new Islamic Center is being a good neighbor. Surely Christians and Muslims disagree on a lot of things- so did Jesus and the centurion. But our differences are not so great that we cannot also show love. Many within the Middle Tennessee area have shown what has been pegged as ‘Islamaphobia.’ But Jesus preaches a different gospel. Jesus did not show fear, nor was he afraid of a living among those different than himself. Rather, he exemplified the Christian mantra that perfect love cast out all fear. This is where the rubber meets the road. Fear paralyzes us, and puts us on the defensive. When we fear, we do not think. Fear grips our hearts and we cannot love. Ultimately, it comes down to love- love your neighbor as yourself and in this way we love and honor God. I am disturbed by the recent outcry against our Muslim neighbors. I feel as if we ought to reach out in compassion and healing, and perhaps there might be a little reconciliation.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Christian Peacemaker Teams- Two weeks and Counting
Over the past couple of years, I have been increasingly burdened by what Pope John Paul II has called our ‘culture of death.’ On average, the world witnesses 25-30 wars per year. In the last decade, 40 million political refugees have had to flee their countries to escape violent conflict. My work at Vanderbilt has revolved around this perennial question: What truth, if any, can the church proclaim in an age of destruction? Leaning on such theologians and practitioners as Jesus, Ireneaus of Lyons, Justin Martyr, John Howard Yoder, Jurgen Moltmann, and John Wesley, I have come to believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus is God’s divine ‘no’ to the patterns of violence and oppression in our current culture and God’s divine ‘yes’ to life and peace. Furthermore, the church must stand as a witness to God’s loving presence in the world. Next year, I will begin writing my senior project, “A Holiness Theology of Nonviolence.” In preparation for this culminating work, I have applied for and received a grant from Vanderbilt Divinity School to travel with a peacemaking delegation to the region of Palestine/Israel with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT).
CPT is rooted in the Mennonite, Brethren, and Quaker traditions, aiming toward participation from all denominations of the Church in seeking organized, nonviolent alternatives to war. CPT’s motto, ‘Getting in the Way,’ symbolizes both the physical aspect of nonviolent peacemaking and the spiritual foundation of the work as following ‘The Way’ (as early Christianity was called). They ask the question: What would happen if Christians devoted the same discipline and self-sacrifice to nonviolent peacemaking that armies devote to war? In this way, they train and deploy full-time and part-time peacemakers in areas of world conflict: Iraq, Palestine/Israel, Colombia, and Ontario, Canada. These teams have been invited to join with local peace and human rights workers in nonviolent direct action, working to reduce violence, documenting oppression, and undoing racism/sexism.
The following weeks will be devoted to this trip. I hope to be able to share with you my experiences as they happen. In the meantime, I plan to document my questions, thoughts, concerns, and theological inquiries prior to my July 20th departure on this blog. If you want, let the comment section be a place for open dialogue. I look forward to sharing this time with you. May the peace of Christ be with you always.
CPT is rooted in the Mennonite, Brethren, and Quaker traditions, aiming toward participation from all denominations of the Church in seeking organized, nonviolent alternatives to war. CPT’s motto, ‘Getting in the Way,’ symbolizes both the physical aspect of nonviolent peacemaking and the spiritual foundation of the work as following ‘The Way’ (as early Christianity was called). They ask the question: What would happen if Christians devoted the same discipline and self-sacrifice to nonviolent peacemaking that armies devote to war? In this way, they train and deploy full-time and part-time peacemakers in areas of world conflict: Iraq, Palestine/Israel, Colombia, and Ontario, Canada. These teams have been invited to join with local peace and human rights workers in nonviolent direct action, working to reduce violence, documenting oppression, and undoing racism/sexism.
The following weeks will be devoted to this trip. I hope to be able to share with you my experiences as they happen. In the meantime, I plan to document my questions, thoughts, concerns, and theological inquiries prior to my July 20th departure on this blog. If you want, let the comment section be a place for open dialogue. I look forward to sharing this time with you. May the peace of Christ be with you always.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
