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.