News from East Jerusalem

WHAT YOU DON'T READ IN OUR NEWSPAPERS

2008-08-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

A typical scene with the Old City of Jerusalem in the background

At one of frequent house demolitions

Leaving families like this one in June without a home.

I received the following email from Pastor Mark Brown, the Regional Representative of the Lutheran World Federation in Jerusalem. It contains his reply to the letter he received from the head of the YWCA in East Jerusalem.

The incident described here has nothing to do with the house demolitions threatened by Olmert as a result of the bulldozer events. It is a depiction of what has been going on in the West Bank for a long time and continues as Israel takes over more and more Palestinian land in its efforts to ethnically cleanse and “redeem their land”.

“Dear Mira:
Thank you and may God bless and keep you. Your account of yesterday's events is heart-wrenching. Thank you for sharing so powerfully the anguish of the Abu Eisheh family and in fact the grief and ongoing trauma of the whole Palestinian people. Please know that your words are an encouragement to me and others not to give up, but in fact to redouble our efforts to struggle against the occupation and all its inherent injustices and for a lasting peace. Please know that you and your family and neighbors are in our thoughts and prayers. I will share your words with various colleagues and friends.
In God’s grace
Mark

-----Original Message-----From: Mira Rizeq [mailto:mira@ywca-palestine.org] Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 1:50 PM

Dear All

Please read this and share with your colleagues and friends. This morning, our family woke up to screaming voices at 4:00 a.m., and we started looking around and wondering what was happening, but we could not see anything.

So we went up to the roof of the house (our house is 3 stories), and we saw tens of Israeli soldiers, special troops, border police, ambulances, fire department cars, police cars, surrounding Abu Eisheh's house, who is our neighbor, ordering the family to leave the house because they wanted to demolish it.

For almost two hours, the families who live there refused to leave, and soon they were pulled out by force, and some were beaten and had to be taken to the hospital.

For the last few months, this case of Abu Eisheh has been in courts, and the family have taken the case to supreme court few weeks ago, but of course as expected lost the case. The Israeli government decided to demolish the house because it is "illegally" built. This is not the first Palestinian house to be demolished in East Jerusalem , and for sure it won’t be the last. Hundreds of houses have been demolished, claiming that they are built "illegally" when Israel continues to deny issuance of building permits to East Jerusalem Palestinian residents. Most houses where settlements have been built, have been the target for demolishing.

As you all know, the YWCA is also neighboring the Shim'on Essidiq tomb, claimed to be a very important Israeli site. The Israeli Government is now planning to build a settlement near the tomb, which will be 201 units, to house around 1,000 Israeli settlers, evacuating 20 East Jerusalem Palestinian families that presently live in and around that area. The YWCA building is facing this area, and could be eventually at risk, or could end up facing the Israeli settlement if kept "alive", and probably we will have to go through a thorough security system to be able to enter our premise.

Where on earth can this kind of thing happen? For those of us who forgot that East Jerusalem is occupied, I have tidings for you...we will continue to suffer all this until the Occupation is over. But I also hope that there still will be Palestinians in East Jerusalem to celebrate the day when the Occupation is over. Until then we will continue watching the expropriation of houses, land, resources and rights and just document and report on these stories, because we as Palestinians and the rest of the World have proven that we can do nothing about this?? Sadly, we don't even have a shepherd to guard East Jerusalem.

Until when will it continue to be the case that no one can stop Israel from violating International Law on a daily basis? The International Court in the Hague confirmed that the building of what is called the "Separation Wall" is illegal, yet Israel is continuing with this Wall, and instituting a whole system of entrance permits. We even stopped talking about it, and pass though it every day. This is our new reality.

Abu Eisheh's apartment building is 4 floors, and there are 8 families living there (4 of the apartments are rented/sold to other families). All of them were evacuated by force this morning, and stood out in the street watching their own house being demolished before their own eyes. One of the residents in one of the apartments is even traveling abroad, so when they return, they will figure out the new living mode on the street. All the furniture, personal belongings, memories and valuables of all the residents are in there, and soon will be buried under the rabble of stones.

This has been our story since 1948, and it looks like this will continue to be our story until Israel and the rest of the world realizes that there can be no peace with house demolishing, with making people homeless, with land confiscations. As Palestinians living in Jerusalem, we continue to be "residents" and not citizens, and Israel has the right to terminate our residency rights using different mechanisms, which they have been doing since 1967.

Lately, Ms. Mona Nasir, who is the daughter of Abla Nasir the previous General Secretary of the YWCA whom you all know well, has lost her Israeli Identity card coming home to attend her brother's wedding. Her child who was born in the States has been awarded a one month visa only, and Mona had to appeal 4 times to renew his visa so she can stay to attend her brother's wedding. Mona herself was told that after she leaves Jerusalem this time, she will be allowed to return only as a tourist. Imagine, someone who is born in a country has no right to return to it. The justification is that that she now resides in the U.S. (because she married a Palestinian there) and the U.S. is her center of life.

90% of the Israelis who are now living in Israel have emigrated to Israel after 1948 (establishment of the State of Israel) and most come either from Europe or the States or the rest of the world, and now these emigrants have more rights than the Palestinians who have been living in this land for hundreds of years. They can choose where to live, they are offered building permits, they have full citizen rights!!!

The press and UN observers came to the neighboring houses, and the roof tops were filled with people taking pictures, filming and watching. At 9:00 a.m., the army came to all our neighbors, and our street and closed it off, and ordered all people on roof tops (including us) to leave, threatening to shoot. Later, Palestinian politicians and representatives of the PNA and Islamic Awqaf came, and the army came rushing ordering them to leave. They closed off part of the main road (which links Jerusalem to Ramallah), and prohibited the press from covering the story. One of Abu Eisheh's sons was standing on the roof of our neighbor's house, taking pictures of what he knew very well will become the "used-to-be-his-home". I am not sure whether they or the rest of the residents of this house will have any roof to protect them tonight.

Usually, when the Palestinian receive notices for demolition, they are given the option of demolishing their own homes, which apparently the Abu Eisheh family is refusing to do. If the Israelis complete the demolishing today, they will send the bill to the owners, who have to cover the cost of demolishing, patrolling of police and all other related expenses. So on top of becoming homeless, people have to cover the cost of injustice. The other option is that they will crack the foundations, which they have been doing for the last few hours, and give him a few days to complete the demolishing.

It is almost noon, and I just came to work, realizing it will not be a normal day of work for me. Many of our days have not been normal days, yet we have to go on and on and on. Every day we have a new story to share, and every day there is a new family that suffers, new prisoners, new martyrs, and more sufferings. Today we are receiving the group who are visiting YWCA/YMCA on the Journey for Justice, and I have to share with them today our eternal journey of injustice, wondering if there ever will be justice in our land.

At 11:30 a.m., I had to put my mother in my car and risk driving down our street which was blocked with army cars, and where tons of army were standing, and to argue with them that my mother has to go to hospital for her dialysis session. At least 10 army rushed to my car when I got to the middle of the street, asking me to stop immediately. It took lots of arguments to convince the army to let us pass, which finally they did, but most of our neighbors were prisoners in their homes, and probably will not be able to leave until the "operation" is completed. I also wonder at what hour I will be allowed to take my mother back home, and hope that we will return in a decent hour.

My mother was saying that she still remembers when she left her home in Jaffa in 1948, she thought it was for few hours and that they will return home. Well she and the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were never able to return to this date, and today the Abu Eisheh family have been forced to leave their home, knowing they will have no house to return to. Every day we add more and more to the list of Palestinian refugees and homeless, and I wonder when will the day come when all these people will have the right to return??

Mira Rizek
National General Secretary
YWCA of Palestine
Jerusalem

www.ywca-palestine.org”

BULLDOZER RAMPAGE CREATES CHAOS, KILLS 3

2008-08-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

This was the slightly blurry photo of the Caterpillar scene in The Record, Kitchener-Waterloo’s newspaper, on July 3, two days’ after our return. It was the story of “a Palestinian labourer driving a construction vehicle” that “rammed into packed buses, tossed cars into the air and rolled over pedestrians in a deadly rampage yesterday that killed three people and wounded dozens in Jerusalem”.

The article went on to say that “Israeli police said the assailant, a 30-year-old Palestinian from Arab East Jerusalem, apparently acted alone. Police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said the man was working on a railway project in Jerusalem”.

“The attack was a departure from suicide bombings and shooting sprees. ‘To our regret the attackers do not cease coming up with new ways to strike at the heart of the Jewish people here in Jerusalem’, said Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski.”

The article continued describing the scene, quoting witnesses and identifying those who were either injured or killed. What a terrible event. How deplorable the injuries and loss of lives!

The following day, this article appeared:

"Israel ponders next move after vicious attack

JERUSALEM: A day after a Palestinian’s deadly rampage, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert yesterday called for reviving the practice of demolishing the homes of attackers’ families and the chief deputy proposed cutting off Jerusalem’s Arab neighbourhoods.”

After recapping the events, the article went on to say “As a resident of East Jerusalem, the attacker, Hussam Dwayat, 30, had freedom of movement around Israel. The attack brought calls to reconsider some of the benefits the 250,000 Palestinians in Jerusalem receive. “I think we have to be tougher in part of the measures that we take against terrorists, especially terrorists who are part of our internal fabric of life,’ Olmert said. ‘If we have to demolish houses, we will demolish houses. If we have to revoke social rights, we will revoke soaicl rights. It’s inconceivable that we are slaughtered and they will have all the privileges that our society grants our citizens.’

This prompted Donna to write the following Letter to the Editor (limit of 200 words) which was published on July 15 in The Record.

“It was with dismay that I read of the Palestinian labourer Hussam Dwayat’s deadly rampage in East Jerusalem.

Living in East Jerusalem for the past nine months, I learned how misinformed I had been about Israeli policies and propaganda. Whenever an incident occurs, the Israeli press release immediately conveys the impression that Israel is again being victimized, without accepting any responsibility for the actual causes.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speaks of demolishing the home of the attacker’s family and revoking social rights and privileges to the Palestinians. What he doesn’t say is that they already demolish people’s homes on a regular basis in order to take over more Palestinian land in the West Bank. Palestinians are already second class citizens and are subject to daily restrictions of movement, inequalities before the law, and lack of privileges granted to Israeli citizens but denied to them. It is the daily stress from living under these conditions and lack of hope for improvements in the future that drive unstable and desperate people to commit such unspeakable acts.

If Israel truly wants its citizens to live in peace, it needs to cease its aggression and take the necessary steps to allow both nations to live in peace.”

O that it could be so!

REFLECTIONS FROM HOME

2008-08-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

HOME AS WE LEFT IT!

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been home for over a month already. We arrived at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on July 1 at 5:45 a.m. after a very pleasant direct 12-hour flight via Air Canada from Tel Aviv to Toronto. Fortunately we ran into no major problems leaving Tel Aviv and arrival in Canada also went smoothly. We forced ourselves to stay up all day enjoying a reunion with our daughters and family later in the day.

Since then life has been busy and at times hectic as we were thrown immediately into the issues and responsibilities that we’d left behind nine months ago. Our first task was to prepare a power point presentation on our experiences in Palestine to be given the following week at our Synod Assembly in London, Ontario. We’ve also been booked for several other presentations during the coming fall and we look forward to sharing our experiences with as many people as possible.

Our first intentions were to finally, after such a long hiatus, write a concluding entry to our blog. However, we’ve decided to continue, for a time at least, with reflections from this side of the world. We’ve decided that it might be worthwhile to try to present our perspective on news as we receive it here in Canada as well as any direct news from friends in Jerusalem. Hope you’ll continue to follow the occasional articles.

To those of you in Jerusalem and the West Bank, we want to express our gratitude for sharing your lives with us during our stay. To those of you at home, we appreciated your support while we were away. We look forward to maintaining both friendships throughout the years ahead.

GO ... AND FOLLOW ME!

2008-06-15T04:48:00.000-07:00

Pastor Julie Rowe has been working here in Jerusalem for almost 5 years; she started out as an Ecumenical Accompanier and has been working for the last 4 years as Assistant to Bishop Dr. Munib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. She will be returning to the U.S. at the end of June. Thanks to Julie we have been included in a wide range of opportunities that have opened our eyes to the situation here in the West Bank. She has given us permission to share the excellent sermon that she preached at the Church of the Redeemer on the 4th Sunday after Pentecost.

Go… and Follow Me

Rev. Julie Rowe, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
June, 2008, Jerusalem Genesis 12:1-9 and Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

The hymn we will sing in a few minutes, Here I Am, Lord, is one of my favorites. I used it at my ordination. So I was surprised one day when I was standing next to one of my favorite bishops in a service in Texas when he said, "I hate this song!"

I said, "Why?" It's a great song about God asking who will answer the call to serve the needs of God's people. But the chorus says, "I will go, Lord, if you lead me."

He said, there's no IF about it! God is always leading you!

So I said, "Well, we could just change the word from IF to WHERE… I will go, Lord, WHERE you lead me."

Well, that pleased him.

But about a year later, I found myself here in Jerusalem wondering what on earth I had gotten myself into….

As they say, be careful what you pray… or what you sing …

I think we have all been there … hearing a call, a voice, that tells you you need to leave the familiar place you are in and go to something or someplace new and different and scary. I've been here off and on for 5 years now, first with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel on a peace team, then for the last 4 years as assistant to Bishop Younan here of the Palestinian Lutheran church.

I'm here because I heard that call in the night, and I know that many of you have, too. For those of you who are visiting, this congregation is made up of people who have left the places they called home to come here, mostly to work with Palestinian Christians and Muslims and Israelis from the peace camp. It has been fascinating to meet these and others here who have left comfortable homes, jobs and retirement to come and work here in amazingly difficult situations, like people from CPT, who last night slept in an orphanage that has been threatened with closure because they are an Islamic charity accused of supporting Hamas.

Those of us who live here know that it is not an easy journey. Most of us are immediately overwhelmed by everyday realities that fly in the face of what we have always believed. Over these years I have been shocked and saddened by what I have seen done in the name of God, in the name of my own religion and in the name of my country. I have had to question some fundamentals of life and faith I had taken for granted.

Take, for example, today's Old Testament reading about Abraham and Sarah. One of the most familiar of all texts, where God calls Abraham and Sarah to a new land and promises to make of them a great and chosen nation.

For the last 4 years, I have worked every day with people, Palestinian Christians and Muslims, for whom that has meant they have lost – or worse, yet, are still threatened every day with losing - their homes, their land, their identities.

What does it mean for Christians – especially for Palestinian Christians – that God called the Jewish people as a "chosen people?"

To answer this, you have to read the whole chapter, the rest of the story. The key to me is the purpose: Abraham and Sarah were blessed "so that" Israel would become a blessing to all families on the earth. In the covenant with Abraham and the selection of Israel as the "chosen people," God was doing a new thing: creating a new vision of what it means to live as God's people in the world God "chose" the people of Israel to show the world how to live by faith with justice, equality, righteousness and love for God and one another.

In the Exodus story, for example, God is saying no to the wealth, monopoly, and oppression of Egypt's monarchy. God heard the cries of the landless, enslaved Hebrew people, and said, "Set my people free." God led them out of the bondage of Egypt to be a new community, founded not on the world's values of wealth, power and kings but on God's values of justice, love and righteousness. God called the people to redistribute the land every 50 years (the year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25) to counteract the inevitable inequities and injustice that the world's system generated. God asked the people to let the land lie fallow every 7 years so that those who had nothing could eat from the land themselves.

Once in the land, however, the Israelites began to turn back to the world's values of wealth and power. Against the Prophet Samuel's warnings, they chose to have a king, and invested him with great powers. Then unrighteousness, idolatry and injustice ruled the land. The prophets warned that shunning the covenant responsibilities would bring about their destruction, but the people did not listen. So now, God took them out of the land, into exile. But in exile, when the people were landless and homeless once again, the prophets' message changed again to offer forgiveness and hope through the promise of returning to the land.

This time, instead of coming in to conquer those in the land, they came back to the land seeking to live together with those from other nations already living there.

This evolution shows that God values justice, love and righteousness above any one people. The Biblical message is different for different people at different times. For those who are landless and have no hope or home, God promises homeland and blessing. But those who have land, exploit it and covet more land, will lose it.

The history of salvation shows the clear movement from belief in a tribal, closed-in God to a more universal, inclusive God. The Bible is not a one-act play; it is a complex narrative with a storyline and a movement over time. So from the exile, you have the prophet Ezekiel, for example, giving a different vision of the Israelis living in the land after exile along with those who were already there:

"So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who reside among you and have begotten children among you. They shall be to you as citizens of Israel…" (Ez 47:21-22).

The prophet Isaiah clearly prophesies that they are to stretch their minds and hearts to all peoples. "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." (Is, 49:6; Is 42:6-9; Is 56:6-8)

He foretells a day when "on this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food (Is 25:6) and calls on Israel to be "a house of prayer for all nations" (Is 56:3-8).

Jesus takes this concept even further. Today, we hear him inviting the outcast tax collector to follow him and even eat with him. Jesus embodied a God who welcomes all to the table, in fact, says he came for the sinners, so that he could transform them with the power of love and grace. Both of these calls in the texts today…to Abraham to "go from your country to a land I will show you" and to Matthew to "follow me" still echo for us today.

Yet people interpret them in so many different ways, it is sometimes hard to discern where we are to go, what we are to do and which leaders we are to follow. More and more, religious leaders use these stories and words to justify injustice, theft of land, violence and hatred of the other. How are we to know which voices are right?

Look at what happens to Matthew when he follows. It shows us exactly what Jesus is about, and what we should be about.

First, Jesus chooses all, invites all to the table. In a world where we can't talk to terrorists, we shun nations and whole peoples as evil, where it is mostly only the wealthy and powerful that have places at the table, Jesus welcomes all, and then uses the power of God to transform and teach people a better way to live.

Second, Jesus heals all, even when it breaks the laws of society. The woman with the flow of blood for 12 years would have been an untouchable, an outcast of society because of ritual purity laws. Yet when she touched him, he didn't rebuke her, but encouraged her and healed her. Even called her "daughter," showing people that God's love and healing know no bounds.

Third, Jesus is in the resurrection business. He is about moving people from death to life, bringing health out of brokenness, community out of isolation, light out of darkness. Jesus is about transforming people into a new community of abundant life, justice and wholeness.

Jesus still calls all of us on our journeys of faith to follow into new and unexpected places, to go beyond our comfort zones and into the grittiness of daily life where real people live and laugh and cry and dream. But there's no guarantee it will be an easy ride. That's the hard thing about a life of faith … it's just that, a life of faith. Not a life of certainty, not a life of easy answers. A life of faith is a series of many leaps of faith.

What I Don't Like About Jesus … Gerhardt Frost

Let me tell you
What I don't like about Jesus.

He calls me to follow; I like to run around.
He lets me see a single step,
And sometimes even less than that;
I like to know the end.

I choose to travel by sunlight or headlight;
He gives me only starlight.

I like to set the pace;
He asks me to hurry, or worse – sometimes to wait.

He embarrasses me and gets me into trouble;
He sometimes makes a scene.

And just when I feel strong
He calls me to a cross;
I want a crown.

I don't know that I want a crown. But I sure want to see less of a cross. I want God to do something about all this! To stop the madness, the bombings, the rockets, the home demolitions, the land confiscation.

But luckily, in a life of faith, hope is not in the facts on the ground or the politics. A life of faith is in "hoping against hope" that God can bring new life out of barrenness and can call into existence things that do not exist.

To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, and kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places – and there are so many – where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act ... To live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory. Prof. Howard Zinn

So on those days when we see the worst, and we stand on a rock ledge, watching while a young child still in her puppy slippers watches her home being demolished, we can also remember the people who have acted magnificently and rebuilt some of those houses.

We can remember those who have lost loved ones who, instead of using their grief to fuel more bitterness and hate are instead working together to heal the nation from occupation and division.

And these people are able to do this because they feel a power and strength beyond themselves that helps them answer the call they hear.

And when it seems we can't find that hope, or that healing, or the courage to take that next step into the void, it is the hope and the grace and guidance of God that finds us, through others, through prayer, through coming together in worship and around the Bread and the Wine.

Because alone it is impossible. But together it is an incredible journey.

May God grant you grace and guidance for the road ahead, wherever it leads you.

Amen.

IT'S TIME FOR PEACE

2008-06-10T05:31:00.000-07:00

We were pleased to be able to participate in the Peace Clock which was held in Manger Square in Bethlehem on June 8. The ceremony was planned by the International Church Action for Peace in Palestine and Israel, a joint advocacy initiative under the auspices of the World Council of Churches.

Those of us who wanted to be involved were given a number from 1 to 60, representing time in years.

The number 60 represented the number of years since the Nakba, the catastrophe, for the Palestinians, and the Anniversary of the formation of the State of Israel in 1948. The number 41 represented the number of years of Occupation since 1967.

A Swede and 2 Canadians positioning ourselves before the event.

The people in the centre of the circle represented the hands on the clock. As the hands moved from 1 to 60, the person on the end lit the torch of the person marking each year.

A drum beat every 15 seconds was the signal for the hands of the clock to move on and light the torch of the next year.

This continued around the face of the clock. The message of the letters on the clock hands was only clear when viewed from the front.

At that time, the theme "It's Time for Palestine" was visible.

When the torches for each year were lit, we all read the following: It's time for Palestine.

It's time for Palestinians and Israelis to share a just peace.

It's time to respect human lives in the land called holy; it's time for healing to begin in wounded souls. It's time to end 60 years of conflict, oppression and fear. It's time for freedom from occupation.
It's time for equal rights; It's time to stop discrimination, segregation and restrictions on movement. It's time for those who put up walls and fences to build them on their own property. It's time to stop bulldozing one community's homes and building homes for the other community on land that is not theirs. It's time to do away with double standards.

It's time for Israeli citizens to have security and secure borders agreed with their neighbours. It's time for the international community to implement 60 years of United Nations resolutions.
It's time for Israel's government to complete the bargain offered in the Arab Peace Initiative. It's time for those who represent the Palestinian people to all be involved in making peace. It's time for people who have been refugees for 60 years to regain their rights and a permanent home. It's time to assist settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to make their home in Israel. It's time for self-determination.

It's time for foreigners to visit Bethlehem and other towns imprisoned by the wall. It's time to see settlements in their comfort and refugee camps in their despair. It's time for people living 41 years under occupation to feel new solidarity from a watching world.

It's time to name the shame of collective punishment and to end it in all its forms. It's time to be revolted by violence against civilians and for civilians on both sides to be safe. It's time for both sides to release their prisoners and give those unjustly accused a fair trial. It's time to reunite the people of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It's time for all parties to obey international humanitarian and human rights law.

It's time to share Jerusalem as the capital of two nations and a city holy to three religions. It's time for Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities to be free to visit their holy sites. It's time in Palestine as in Israel for olive trees to flourish and grow old.

It's time to honour all who have suffered, Palestinians and Israelis. It's time to learn from past wrongs. It's time to understand pent-up anger and begin to set things right. It's time for those with blood on their hands to acknowledge what they have done. It's time to seek forgiveness between communities and to repair a broken land together. It's time to move forward as human beings who are all made in the image of God.

All who are able to speak truth to those in power must speak it. All who would break the silence surrounding injustice must break it. All who have something to give for peace must give it. For Palestine, for Israel and for a troubled world, it's time for peace.

CYPRUS: A PLACE TO DISCOVER

2008-05-29T05:12:00.001-07:00

Join us on an overview of a delightful trip to Cypus. Such a beautiful island, it's no wonder that over the 10,000 years of its history so many civilizations wished to possess it, leaving behind such a rich heritage.

Arriving in the early morning, we walked along the Foinikoudes promenade in the Laiki Geitonia (the traditional pedestrian quarter).

People were already renting their lounges and umbrellas and settling in for a day in the sun, sand, and waters of the Mediterranean. Tempting as it was to join them, having only five full days to see the island, we decided to devote our day to seeing as much of Larnaka as time and energy allowed.

Armed with our city map, we began our tour with Agios Lazarus Church in St. Lazarus Square. Built in the 9th century and restored in the 17th, it is one of the most remarkble examples of Byzantine architecture in Cyprus.

St. Lazarus is said to have come to Cyprus after being resurrected by Jesus, became a bishop and lived here for 30 years. His tomb can be seen under the sanctuary. We visited many of the main sites over the rest of our time in Larnaka, too many to include here.
The next day we joined a tour which took us to the eastern and northern sections of Cyprus which was invaded by the Turks in 1974 and which occupies 37 per cent of the island. We drove through the part of Famagusta (Ammochostos) called "the Ghost Town" where Greek homes were left empty when they were forced to flee south during the invasion. These homes have remained unoccupied with the Turks using them as a negotiating card. There are 200,000 Greeks living in refugee camps in the Greek section of Cyprus waiting to return to their homes in the north.
We were given free time to explore the Venetian Walls in the old part of town and
wander through the centre of town and explore the ruins of the Venetian Royal Palace. Here, the former St. Nicholos church has been the Lala Mustafa Pasa Mosque since 1298 with both the exterior and interior retaining its Christian achitecture.
We drove through the main potato-producing area on the island known as Kokkinochoria, meaning "Red Soil villages" thanks to the fertile red earth in which they are grown. Felt some nostalgia for P.E.I. back home!

At Bellapais we stopped to explore Bellapais Abbey, built in the 12th century AD by the French King Hugh III, a fine example of gothic architecture.

It also offers breathtaking views of the northern coast of Kerynia.

We stopped in the city of Kerynia with its more than 3000 years of Greek history, had lunch and wandered through town

to the picturesque harbour and the Castle of Kerynia. Time and space do not allow the inclusion of more views of this beautiful city.

The next day we took our second tour which took us first to Nicosia (Lefkosia), the capital of Cyprus since the late Byzantine period (11th century). The history of this city dates back to the Bronze age.

We walked into the old city where we visited the Panagia Phaneromeni Church, wandered through the shopping district which headed for the Turkish occupied section of the city.

As you leave the Greek side of the city, there is a section under UN control (indicated by the coloured banners); the cones mark the entrance into the Turkish section. Passage into this part of Nicosia has been allowed only since January of this year. We walked into the Turkish section--no one indicated at that time that we needed passes--only to discover on our way out that we should have obtained them. After looking at our passports, the soldier on duty fortunately allowed us back into the Greek section to continue our tour!

Our next stop was the picturesque village of Kakopetria, a well-preserved village dating back to the 14th century.

We drove through the beautiful Troodos mountains where we stopped for lunch in the Troodos centre and continued on to the village of Omodos, dating back to the 4th century, and built around one of the oldest monasteries in Cyprus, the Holy Cross.

Here we were given an explanation by our guide at the Wine Press in the village as Omodos is known as one of the best wine producing areas of the island. Free wine tasting was available at the Gerolemo, Olympus, and Marion wineries.

The next morning, we rented our little Demio Mazda, our first experience with a right-hand drive car. We were forever turning on our windshield wipers with the lever on the left of the steering wheel when we wanted to change lanes. When we finally mastered using the turn signal lever on the right, the challenge was remembering that it's down for a right turn and up for a left! Undoing years of conditioning wasn't easy!!

The 2-hour drive to Pafos on a beautiful 4-lane highway went smoothly; however, trying to find the entrance to Kato Pafos, the Archaeological Park, proved somewhat challenging. But we made it! Above are the ruins of the House of Theseus, one of the three houses dating from the 2nd to the 5th centuries AD accidentally discovered by a farmer in 1962.

Here in the House of Dionysos is an example of the many mosaic floors for which the three houses (the third being Aion) are famous, and are considered masterpieces of mosaic art. Some of the mosaics in this house depict the god of wine.

St. Paul's Pillar, according to legend, is where the Apostle was flogged before converting the then Roman governor Sergius Paulus to Christianity. It is located in the ruins of the Chrysopolitissa/AG Kyriaki Church which was built in the 13th century over the ruins of the largest Early Byzantine basilica on the island.

The Tombs of the Kings are one of the major archaeological attractions of Pafos. These monumental underground tombs carved out of solid rock date back to the 3rd century BC and some like these are decorated with Doric pillars. As they were used by high-ranking officials, it was the magnificence of the tombs that gave the area its grand name.

On the return to Larnaka, we followed Aphrodite's Cultural Route, stopping at breath-takingly beautiful Petra tou Romiou, Aphrodite's birthplace.

The last stop of the day was at Kourion, an important city-kingdom in antiquity. This magnificent Greco-Roman theatre was built in the 2nd century BC. The House of Eustolios which consists of a complex of baths and rooms with beautiful 5th century AD mosaics, and the ruins of the Roman Agora are nearby.

On our last day, we visited the Hala Sultan Tekkesi Mosque located just outside Larnaka on the Salt Lake. It was built in 648 AD on the spot where Umm Haram, related to Mohammed, fell off her mule and died. The construction of the mosque was immediately ordered on the spot. It is now one of the most important holy places of worship for Muslims, ranked immediately after Mecca and Medina (Saudi Arabia), and Al Aksa (Jerusalem).

The Angeloktisti Church in Kiti Village is an 11th century Byzantine church erected over the ruins of an early Christian basilica. Unfortunately taking photos of the rare 6th century mosaic of Virgin and Child between the 2 archangels Michael and Gabriel--which equals the mosaics of Ravenna, Italy--was not allowed inside the church.

The Choirokoitia Neolithic Settlement is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Five characteristic cylindrical-shaped dwellings have been reconstructed using the same construction methods and materials used in Neolithic times.

Remains of all phases of the Neolithic age are evident in the settlement, providing insight into living conditions in the region during prehistoric times.

The return to Larnaka was made more interesting by the beautiful oleander and bougainvillea planted along the highway.

After returning the car, we stationed ourselves at one of the many cafes along the promenade and enjoyed a leisurely meal across the road from

the Mediterranean Sea until it was time to take a taxi to the airport for our return flight. If you're interested in seeing any more of the hundreds of photos not included here, please let us know when we return home. :))

Day of Pentecost Sermon

2008-05-21T03:09:00.000-07:00

FEAST OF PENTECOST – 2008

This sermon was preached on May 11, 2008. Please pardon the tardiness in posting it. And please pardon the use of upper case. I’m not shouting at you. I write in capital letters so that my aging eyes can more easily see the text.

TODAY WE ARE CELEBRATING THE FEAST OF PENTECOST. IT IS ONE OF THE 3 GREAT CELEBRATIONS IN THE CHURCH CALENDAR. THE OTHER 2 CELEBRATIONS ARE CHRISTMAS AND EASTER, OF COURSE.

THE WORD PENTECOST COMES FROM A GREEK WORD THAT MEANS 50 AND WAS THE NAME FOR THE JEWISH HARVEST FESTIVAL CALLED “SHAVUOT” THAT IS CELEBRATED 50 DAYS AFTER THE JEWISH PASSOVER. IN FACT, THAT’S WHY SO MANY PEOPLE WERE GATHERED IN JERUSALEM IN OUR 2ND READING FROM ACTS – THEY WERE THERE TO CELEBRATE “SHAVUOT”. SO, WE CHRISTIANS ADOPTED THE WORD PENTECOST AS THE NAME FOR THIS DAY WHICH COMES 50 DAYS AFTER THE RESURRECTION.

CHRISTIANS THINK OF THAT 1ST PENTECOST WE READ ABOUT IN ACTS AS THE BIRTH OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, AND SO TODAY WE ARE ALSO CELEBRATING OUR CHURCH’S BIRTHDAY. THAT’S WHY WE HAD A CAKE WITH CANDLES FOR THE CHILDREN TO BLOW OUT.

WE YOU GET TO BE AS OLD AS I AM, YOU ALWAYS STOP AND TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR LIFE WHEN A BIRTHDAY ROLLS AROUND. AN ACQUAINTANCE OF MINE WROTE AT THE BOTTOM OF AN EMAIL HE SENT ME RECENTLY – IT‘S BETTER TO BE OVER THE HILL THAN UNDER IT. THAT’S TRUE!

BUT SERIOUSLY, ON MY LAST FEW BIRTHDAYS, I’VE ASKED MYSELF: HAVE I GOT WHERE I WANT TO BE IN LIFE? HAVE I ACCOMPLISHED THE TASKS THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT ASSIGNED TO ME? IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR ALL OF US ON OUR BIRTHDAYS!

WELL, ON THIS 2008TH BIRTHDAY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH – SINCE YOU AND I ARE THE CHURCH – I’D SAY IT’S A GOOD TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE CHURCH’S LIFE, AND ASK OURSELVES “HAVE WE GOT WHERE GOD WANTS US TO BE AS THE CHURCH, AS THE BODY OF CHRIST?”

BEFORE WE TRY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, LET’S REFLECT ON THIS MORNING’S READINGS. I THINK THAT PART OF THE ANSWER IS THERE.

IN THE 1ST READING FROM NUMBERS SOME TATTLETALE COMES RUNNING TO MOSES. “FATHER MOSES!” HE SHOUTS BREATHLESSLY. “ELDAD AND MEDAD ARE PROPHESYING IN THE CAMP.” ELDAD AND MEDAD! DO YOU THINK THOSE ARE REAL NAMES OR ARE THERE JUST FOR COMIC RELIEF?

PROPHESYING MEANS HEARING THE WORD OF GOD AND PASSING ON THE WORD OF GOD TO YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS. IN MOSES’ TIME, ONLY CERTAIN PEOPLE WERE CHOSEN TO BE PROPHETS, SO IT WAS BELIEVED. MOSES CERTAINLY HEARD THE WORD OF GOD AND SHARED IT WITH THE ISRAELITES. AND ACCORDING TO THE READING, THE SPIRIT HAD DESCENDED UPON 70 ELDERS GIVING THEM LICENSE TO PROPHESY, BUT ELDAD AND MEDAD WEREN’T AMONG THE 70. AND THERE THEY WERE, IN THE CAMP, PROPHESYING! HOW DARE THEY?

THE TATTLETALE WHO CAME RUNNING TO MOSES WAS OFFENDED. ELDAD AND MEDAD DIDN’T HAVE THE CREDENTIALS. SO, MOSES WAS EXPECTED TO ISSUE A PROPHETIC RESTRAINING ORDER TO THESE PROPHESYING SCALLYWAGS.

MOSES’ RESPONSE WAS PROPHETIC IN ITSELF. “I WISH THAT ALL GOD’S PEOPLE WERE PROPHETS AND THAT GOD WOULD SEND THE SPIRIT TO THEM”. MOSES BROKE WITH PROPHETIC TRADITION AND WISHED THAT WE WERE ALL PROPHETS.

THE READING FROM NUMBERS IS A SET-UP. IT PREPARES US FOR A MORE SPECTACULAR OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT – JUST WHAT MOSES WISHED FOR. WHEN JESUS WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE HIS DISCIPLES AND ASCEND INTO HEAVEN – WE WERE WITNESS TO THIS ON ASCENSION DAY AND LAST SUNDAY TOO – JESUS TOLD THEM TO GO TO JERUSALEM AND WAIT FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT. JESUS TOLD THEM THAT THEY WOULD BE HIS WITNESSES TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. BUT THE DISCIPLES DIDN’T REALIZE JUST HOW INCLUSIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS GOING TO BE. THEY WEREN’T GOING TO BE THE ONLY ONES.

AND SO, ON THE FESTIVAL OF SHAVUOT, 50 DAYS AFTER THE PASSOVER, WHEN JERUSALEM WAS BURSTING AT THE SEAMS WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE KNOWN WORLD, THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME IN THE FORM OF FLAMES THAT DANCED ABOVE THE HEADS OF THE DISCIPLES, AND THEY BEGAN TO PROPHESY, TELLING OF GOD’S DEEDS OF POWER. THE STRANGE THING WAS THAT EACH PERSON THERE IN JERUSALEM HEARD THE GOOD NEWS IN HIS OR HER OWN LANGUAGE.

THE CROWD WAS SO INCREDULOUS THAT THEY SHOUTED OUT, “THESE GUYS ARE 3 SHEETS TO THE WIND. THEY’RE FULL OF NEW WINE”. WELL, AS YOU HEARD, PETER COUNTERED WITH “IT’S ONLY 9 AM. THE PUBS AREN’T EVEN OPEN YET. THEY’RE FOR REAL. REMEMBER WHAT THE PROPHET JOEL SAID. I SHALL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT UPON ALL PEOPLE AND THEY SHALL PROPHESY”. WELL, THERE IT WAS, THE FULFILLMENT OF JOEL’S PROPHESY AND MOSES’ WISH. THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME, NOT JUST UPON THE DISCIPLES, BUT UPON ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH. THE CHURCH WAS BORN. SO, THE QUESTION WE ASK OURSELVES ON OUR 2008TH “ARE WE LIVING UP TO GOD’S EXPECTATIONS? ARE WE INDEED PROPHETS?”

GOD’S MIGHTY DEEDS THAT THE INSPIRED DISCIPLES, AND THE INSPIRED CROWD IN JERUSALEM TOLD OF ARE GOD’S INCARNATION, AND GOD’S LIFE AS A HUMAN BEING, AND GOD’S CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION - ALL TO SHOW US GOD’S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE THAT TAKES AWAY OUR SIN AN GUILT, AND PROMISES US ETERNAL LIFE. THOSE ARE GOD’S MIGHTY DEEDS. AND THE PEOPLE WHO HEARD THE DISCIPLES PROPHESY ON THE 1ST PENTECOST WENT OUT AND SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS. THIS IS THE OBVIOUS WHEN IT COMES TO PROPHESYING

BUT THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT PROPHESY THAT ISN’T QUITE SO OBVIOUS. PROPHECY ISN’T JUST WORDS – IT’S ACTION TOO. IN FACT A CHRISTIAN’S ACTS, I SUBMIT, ARE MORE IMPORTANT, MORE PROPHETIC, THAN HER OR HIS WORDS. BELIEVING THE RIGHT THING AND ALWAYS USING THE RIGHT WORDS TO EXPRESS ONE’S BELIEF IS CALLED ORTHODOXY. DOING THE RIGHT THINGS BECAUSE OF ONE’S BELIEF IS CALLED ORTHOPRAXIS. I THINK THAT ORTHOPRAXIS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ORTHODOXY . ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.

SOUTH AMERICAN AND CENTRAL AMERICAN LIBERATION THEOLOGIANS LIKE BOFF AND GUITERREZ HAVE SCOLDED US FOR ALL THE TIME AND ENERGY WE’VE WASTED ON WORDS. FOR THE 1ST 451 YEARS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, CHRISTIANS FOUGHT OVER WHAT WORDS TO USE TO EXPLAIN HOW JESUS COULD BE BOTH GOD AND HUMAN BEING. FINALLY, IN THE CITY OF CHALCEDON, TURKEY, IN 451, THE DEFINITION OF JESUS AS BOTH DIVINE AND HUMAN, THE DEFINITION YOU AND I ACCEPT, WAS ENDORSED BY A MAJORITY PRESENT.

BUT SOME DIDN’T AGREE, AND THE WASTE OF TIME AND ENERGY OVER THE RIGHT WORDS GOES ON. SOME BRANCHES OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH STILL BELIEVED THAT JESUS HAD ONLY ONE NATURE, EITHER HUMAN OR DIVINE, BUT NOT BOTH. IN FACT, JUST AROUND THE CORNER AT THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE, THE OPPOSING SIDES STILL SQUABBLE OVER WHAT TO BELIEVE ABOUT JESUS. CHRISTIAN UNITY – ISN’T THAT THE PREFECT OXYMORON!

SUCH A WASTE OF TIME WORRYING ABOUT HOW TO DESCRIBE JESUS’ NATURE, LIBERATION THEOLOGIANS TELL US. WE CHRISTIANS, WE THE CHURCH, SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT JESUS DID – WE SHOULD’VE FOCUSSED MORE ON HIS ACTS OF LOVE AND FORGIVENESS, HIS FELLOWSHIP WITH THE MARGINALIZED OF HIS SOCIETY, HIS MESSAGE OF HOPE TO THE POOR, HIS STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE FOR THE OPPRESSED. THESE ARE GOD’S MIGHTY ACTS. JESUS SAID, “THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE, AND THE ACTS OF JESUS ARE THE LIBERATING ACTS THAT MAKE OPPRESSED PEOPLE FREE.

THIS IS THE NOT SO OBVIOUS MESSAGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE 1ST PENTECOST WHEN THE CHURCH WAS BORN. THE HOLY SPIRIT, I BELIEVE, CALLS US TO DO MUCH MORE THAN JUST TELL THE WORLD WHAT WE BELIEVE. GOD CALLS US TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS, NAMELY TO DO WHAT JESUS DID.

THE DISCIPLES AT PENTECOST DIDN’T NEED TO BE REMINDED WHAT RIGHT ACTION WAS. THEY HAD BEEN WITH JESUS, AND THEY WENT OUT INTO THE WORLD AFTER PENTECOST TO BE AS MUCH LIKE JESUS AS THEY COULD. AND SOME OF THEM, LIKE STEPHEN, PETER, PAUL AND JAMES GAVE THEIR LIVES BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY DID.

WHENEVER I DID A UNIT ON DISCIPLESHIP WITH MY CONFIRMATION CLASSES, I FOCUSSED ON DIETRICH BONHOEFFER, OR OSCAR ROMERO, WHO DIDN’T JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY BELIEVED – THEY LIVED THEIR FAITH IN THEIR LOVING ACTS, AND GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE PROCESS. OR MOTHER THERESA! I DOUBT THAT MOTHER THERESA CONVERTED ANY OF THE POOR OF CALCUTTA TO CHRISTIANITY THROUGH WORDS – BUT I’LL WAGER THAT SOME BECAME CHRISTIANS BECAUSE OF MOTHER THERESA’S ACTS OF LOVE. FOR CHRISTIANS BELIEVING THE RIGHT THINGS IS IMPORTANT, BUT, DEAR FRIENDS, DOING THE RIGHT THINGS – DOING AS JESUS DID, IS ESSENTIAL.

IF I WERE PREACHING THIS SERMON BACK IN CANADA, I’D SAY TO THE CONGREGATION, “DON’T EVER THINK THAT ONLY PASTORS ARE CALLED TO PROPHESY. THE HOLY SPIRIT CALLS ALL OF US. BUT IT’S EASIER FOR ME BECAUSE I’M PROPHESYING TO THE CHOIR, SO TO SPEAK. I’M PROTECTED BY MY OFFICE AND THE TRADITIONS OF THIS CHURCH. I CAN TRY TO EQUIP YOU AS BEST I CAN FOR THE TASK, BUT YOU’RE THE ONES WHO HAVE IT TOUGH. YOU’RE CALLED TO PROPHESY IN AND TO A SECULAR, SOMETIMES HOSTILE WORLD OUT THERE. BUT JUST REMEMBER! YOUR LOVING ACTS WILL SPEAK LOUDER THAN ANY WORDS.”

IT’S DIFFERENT HERE IN JERUSALEM. IT’S A TOUGH, UNJUST, UNKIND, UNLOVING, WORLD OUTSIDE THESE DOORS, BUT SO MANY OF YOU ARE HERE IN ORDER TO ACT OUT YOUR FAITH, TO DO AS JESUS DID, AND WHERE JESUS DID IT. YOU’RE HERE TO DO YOUR BIT TO BRING JUSTICE AND PEACE TO THIS RAGGEDY OLD HOLY LAND. YOU ECUMENICAL ACCOMPANIERS AND CHRISTIAN PEACE MAKERS AND MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND WORLD VISION WORKERS AND SEBEEL, ALL OF YOU WHO WORK FOR CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND CHURCHES – YOU ARE ON THE FRONT LINES - ALL OF YOU ARE HERE TO SET GOD’S PEOPLE FREE.

I BET YOU DON’T TALK VERY OFTEN ABOUT WHAT YOU BELIEVE, BUT, THEN, YOU DON’T HAVE TO. YOUR ACTIONS SPEAK LOUD AND CLEAR.

THE HOLY SPIRIT CALLS US ALL TO PROPHESY. OF COURSE, WE ARE CALLED TO SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE ON THIS FEAST OF THE PENTECOST IS TO REMEMBER TO CONFORM OUR LIVES TO JESUS’ LIFE AND, LIKE JESUS, LET OUR LOVING ACTS SPEAK FOR US.

ROBERT, A DOCTOR FRIEND OF MINE, TOLD ME HIS SON THOUGHT HE WAS CRAZY FOR COMING HERE. IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS. ROBERT IS GOING HOME THIS WEEK, BUT WHEN HE RETURNS IN SEPTEMBER, HIS SON, ALSO A DOCTOR, IS COMING WITH HIM TO TEACH WITH ROBERT AT THE PALESTINIAN AL QUDS UNIVERSITY. ROBERT SAID WITH A SMILE, “HE DIDN’T LISTEN TO WHAT I SAID, HE LISTENED TO WHAT I DID.”

SO, ON THIS OUR 2008TH BIRTHDAY, WE THE CHURCH ASK OURSELVES, HAVE WE LISTENED TO GOD’S CALL? HAVE WE GOT TO WHERE GOD WANTS US TO BE? AMEN

OUT AND ABOUT

2008-05-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate to be able to join the Hope Lutheran congregation from Ramallah in a day-trip to the Golan Heights. Although it was difficult for them to get the necessary permits to go into Israel and to cross the checkpoint at Kalandia, 104 of us, in two buses, enjoyed a wonderful day together.

The first major stop was at the Manara Cliff cable car which allowed us a tremendous view of the valley.

Crossing into the Golan Heights, we enjoyed a different countryside.

Many of our group enjoyed rafting at Beit Hillel.

A view of the Sea of Galilee on our way to Tiberias.

Another excursion gave us the opportunity to visit the Lutheran World Federation's Vocational Training School located in Beit Hanina. This facility was opened in 1964 and has provided vocational training for many Palestinians in auto mechanics, carpentry, metal work, and more recently in the communications industry.

A visit to the Shu'fat Refugee Camp which is home to over 20,000 people.

A walking tour of the Camp.

A boys programme creating computer animation in the community centre. Here we had an opportunity to watch them at work and also to interact with them and get their opinions on their life there and their future.

Theatre and Hall in the Community Centre

Visit to the village of Idna where Toshiko who lives here at the Guest House has been working on a project to help the ladies living there to develop a cooperative to sell their beautiful sewing and embroidery. Toshiko, an accomplished designer and seamstress has helped them create designs and patterns which will appeal to the international market. Their work is superb.

The wedding of Art and Beverly from Toronto, Canada. Art has been coming to the West Bank for several years as a member of Christian Peacemakers Teams. He was actively involved in the situation with the orphanages in Hebron. It was an honour and a privilege for Dale to participate in the wedding ceremony at Redeemer, Jerusalem, and for Donna to play the piano for fellow Canadians, and to join their families and friends at the reception in Bethlehem.

Dale, Suzanne, and Sr. Monica at the Lebanese Restaurant in Abu Ghosh where we began our adventure one Sunday after church to see the possible sites of Emmaus where Jesus first appeared after the resurrection. There are several possible locations based on the distances from Jerusalem.

Notre Dame de l'Arche d'Alliance at Abu Ghosh. This is supposed to be the site where the Ark of the Covenant rested during the reigns of Kings Samuel, Saul, and the beginning of David's. Although the grounds were open, the church was closed on Sundays.

Ceiling of the arches at the entrance to the church.

Notre Dame...

Entrance to the Trappist Monastery at Latrun.

Closed on Sundays.

Donna, Dale and Sr. Monica in the garden at Latrun.

Emmaus-Nikopolis, another one of the possible sites where Jesus met the disciples on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection. Today Emmaus Nikopolis is a Muslim village with excavated ruins of a Byzantine basilica with Crusader renovations, a small archaeological museum, and a modern Trappist monastery. Because of the distance from Jerusalem, it is considered unlikely to be the location of the Emmaus from the Bible story. Also closed on Sundays, we'll have to return another time to see the interior.

Canada Park in Israel, near Latrun. A huge beautiful park which made us feel proud of a park with this name until we learned of the history of this area. The three villages of Dayr Ayyub ('48), Yalu and Imwas ('67) were captured and destroyed by the Israelis. All traces of these Palestinian villages were wiped out and the former inhabitants driven out and forced into refugee camps.

Valley of Springs in Canada Park

School assembly on May 15 at Beit Sahour commemorating the Nakba (catastrophe) caused by the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.

Part of the Power Point presentation prepared by the students of the Social Studies programme showing the land that was originally to be given to the state of Israel in 1947.

One of the many refugee camps that resulted in 1948 when villagers were driven out of their homes and forced to flee after the state of Israel was created as the Zionist policy was implemented. Some people were forced to live in caves until tents and food and clothing were eventually provided by UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

Beit Sahour Dance Troupe performed at the assembly. They are part of a group that will be travelling to Finland in June to sing and dance. I have worked with the group on a few occasions to practise their English and prepare for their trip, as English will be the common language of communication while they're away.

That brings us up to date. We've enjoyed the variety of experiences and are looking forward to new ones coming up soon.

HEBRON REVISITED

2008-04-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hebron Girls' Orphanage and School

(also housed the women's sewing centre)

Boys' Orphanage and School

School gardens

Sports and recreation centre

Newly built school for 1200 girls

Gates welded shut by soldiers

Warehouse which stored three huge refrigerator units filled with food

Ransacking of the warehouse kitchen

Warehouse doors damaged by soldiers breaking in

Warehouse emptied of clothing and supplies

Computers and office space emptied plus storage on upper floor

Entrance to first destroyed bakery

Second destroyed bakery

Boys living in 30-unit apartment building under threat of eviction

30-unit apartment building with 2nd destroyed bakery

plus grocery store still in operation

A couple of weeks ago, a Christian Peacemakers Team from Hebron attended our worship service at Redeemer and made us aware of a current situation in Hebron, a city of 200,000 people located south of Jerusalem in the West Bank.

The Islamic Charitable Society (ICS) which was established in 1962 to take care of orphans and needy families in Hebron has expanded through the years to become responsible for 2 orphanages, 3 schools, a dairy, sewing workshop, 2 bakeries, mall, 30-unit apartment building, and a newly completed school for 1200 girls scheduled to open this fall.

On February 26, the Israeli Army issued six military orders of closure and eviction for these facilities charging that the ICS supports terrorism, and on March 6 proceeded to carry out these orders in spite of the fact that the matter is currently before the courts and no decision has yet been reached.

So, on Sunday afternoon we joined a small group to visit Hebron and have a look at the situation. It was unbelievable to see what had been done. The newly completed girls school stands empty with its gates welded shut. On their raids on the warehouse, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have confiscated clothing, refrigeration units and shelves full of food stuffs, computers, stationery, and other supplies intended to fill the needs of the children, and have destroyed two bakeries. The confiscated goods alone were worth over $300,000, and the damage that was done to the warehouses and bakeries is beyond our estimation.

We were told that twenty per cent of the monies donated to support the orphanages and schools comes from the local community while the other eighty per cent comes from Europe, the U.S., and Middle Eastern countries. The IDF basically stole these donations and carted them off for whose use? Such wanton destruction is appalling. But to see it done outside the jurisdiction of the courts! Just another example that we’ve seen of the lack of human rights in the West Bank.

For further details and video, go to http://www.elcjhl.org/ “Orphanages, Services to Needy Children and Jobs under Threat in Hebron”

Just In: HEBRON At 1:00 am this morning, April 30th, the Israeli Military raided the Hebron Girls' Orphanage near the intersection of Salaam and Al Adel (Peace and Justice) Streets. Acting on orders issued by Major General Shemni, soldiers looted the workshop of all its sewing and processing machines, office equipment, rolls of cloth, finished clothing and supplies. CPT members documented, with still photos and video, approximately 40 Israeli soldiers emptying the workshop contents into 2 - 40ft. trucks. The estimated value of the physical material taken is $45,000 US. The cost in terms of the fear and terror instilled in the hearts of the little girls living above the workshop is much higher. For further information go to www.hebronorphans.blogspot.com

A WEEKEND IN THE SINAI

2008-04-20T05:46:00.000-07:00

Taba

Gulf of Aqaba

St. Catherine's Monastery

Mt. Sinai in the background

And up we go!

Sinai Rose's Bedouin stop--end of camels
On foot from here on up.

The end is in sight!

At last--we've reached the summit!

On top of the world!

Let's rest awhile!

On the way to the Coloured Canyon

You mean the Canyon's down there?

Wow!

You mean we go through there?

No wonder we're exhausted!

Ahhhh!!!

Nuweyba on the Gulf of Aqaba

Shopping at the Bedouin Market

This is the life! Waiting for Dale..

Ma 'is salame - Au revoir!

Time is running out--only two and a half months until we fly home! Got to pack in as much as possible in the remaining time! Hence only two weeks after our trip to Jordan, we were off to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt for a 4-day weekend.

We were joined by a friend we met at Redeemer. Suzanne is a UCC (United Church of Christ) pastor from Connecticut here for a year of study. We made an awesome threesome!

Not to waste any precious time, we caught the 7 a.m. bus from the Central Bus Station in West Jerusalem for the four-hour drive to Eilat, Israel, where we crossed into Egypt. The border crossing was less troublesome than the Allenby Bridge to Jordan, but when is border crossing easy, especially in this part of the world!

We arrived at our resort in Taba—the Sol y Mar Sea Star—just before 2 p.m. where we discovered that we’d gained an hour and were there just in time for a wonderful buffet lunch! So after unpacking and resting a bit, we luxuriated in the all-inclusive features of the hotel. After booking our tour for the next day, we enjoyed the beautiful pools and deck chairs, walked the short distance to the hotel’s beach on the Gulf of Aqaba where we tested the waters and met some cute Bedouin kids, took advantage of the open bar for “happy hour”, and had a delicious buffet dinner. Exhausted after our early start, we turned in, unable to enjoy the luxury of a T.V. of our own. (That tells you how tired we were!)

The next morning at 8 a.m. we were off to St. Catherine’s Monastery. Located at the foot of Mt. Sinai, St. Catherine's Monastery was constructed between 527 and 565. It is built around what is thought to be Moses' Burning Bush, which has a chapel built over it. It is a spectacular natural setting for priceless works of art, including Arab mosaics, Greek and Russian icons, Western oil paintings, paintings on wax, fine sacerdotal ornaments, marbles, enamels, chalices, and reliquaries. But of even greater significance is that it houses the second largest collection consisting of 3500 volumes of illuminated manuscripts (The Vatican has the largest). The Monastery even has a small 10th or 11th century mosque which was probably built to appease the Islamic authorities of the time.

St. Catherine's is a formidable fortification, with granite walls 40 to 200 feet tall, surrounded by gardens and cypresses. Unfortunately there were so many bus loads of tourists that it was impossible to move on our own and take time to view the works of art in the chapel where we were forbidden to talk and take pictures. Our guide had to give his explanation outside the monastery. Also, the mosque was closed and so we felt that we had a very rushed and inadequate view of the interior.

From there it was off the short distance to mount our camels for the 1 ½-hour ascent up 7,497-foot Mt. Sinai, believed to be the mountain on which Moses received the Ten Commandments. After dismounting our camels about 2/3 of the way up, we walked several hundred metres along a winding path until we reached the 750 “steps” that would take us to the summit where the Chapel of the Holy Trinity was built in 1934 on the location of the original chapel built in 363 and rebuilt by Justinian in 530.

After many stops and much huffing and puffing, we finally arrived at the top and were rewarded by a truly breathtaking view. The only problem with reaching the top was that we also had to descend and this time no camel eased the way. So, we clambered slowly down the rock “stairs”, and then following a different path from the one taken by our camels, arrived after several hours back at St. Catherine’s, rewarded all the way down by the amazing scenery.

The three-hour drive back to the hotel gave us a chance to rest so that on our return we could reward ourselves with a glass of wine—did I say “a”?—by the pool before enjoying another delicious late dinner.

The next morning we were off again, this time to the Coloured Canyon. The description sounded like a nice easy day compared with the trek up and down Mt. Sinai. At Nuweyba, our taxi transferred us to a 4x4 van. At first, the road to the Coloured Canyon was well paved, snaking through magnificent mountains and rock-formations of awe-inspiring beauty. Then, by a cluster of date palms, it turned onto a bumpy gravel road for about 15 minutes.

As we shakily descended from the van, we were shocked with the realization that in order to start our trek through the canyon, we had to descend 820 feet to reach the canyon floor!! Oh no! Twenty minutes later, we were ready to enter the 800-metre canyon. It felt like walking through a dry riverbed with walls reaching some 20 stories in height and rock formations varying from sandstone to limestone and granite with veins of basalt.

Except for a few obstacles, it was a fairly easy hike. At one point, we had to slide down through a vent, where the two sides of the canyon almost touched each other leaving a narrow opening which dropped several feet to the path below. A few minutes later, another obstacle appeared where we had to squeeze through an opening in the satiny smooth rock created by a huge rock and drop another two metres. So much for an easy hike!

We finally reached the end of the canyon and looked up only to realize that our 4x4 was waiting for us 820 feet above us! Fortunately a Bedouin tent and a cool drink awaited us at the top where we regained our breath in the 34-degree heat.

Our trip ended with a visit to the Bedouin market in Nuweyba. Sitting in a comfortable open-air tent on the Gulf of Aqaba, we regained our energy with our less-than-appealing box lunch, but made up for it by browsing through the shops before returning to the hotel.

We spent the rest of our weekend enjoying the resort and nursing our sore muscles; soon it was time for the 4 ½-hour bus ride back to Jerusalem. The excursions were tougher than we’d expected, but are we proud—we rode a camel for 1 ½ hours, climbed Mt. Sinai, and hiked the Coloured Canyon! Were we or were we not an awesome threesome!

Ramblings from a Police State

2008-04-16T01:03:00.000-07:00

Kurt is an Ecumenical Accompanier. His job, along with his fellow EA’s from several European countries, is to monitor any situation in which abuse is meted out by Israelis against Palestinians. Kurt and his colleagues go to checkpoints to observe the countless ways in which Israeli soldiers dehumanize individual Palestinian men, women, and children. They can’t intervene, but they can report on what they see. Needless to say, the Israeli military doesn’t like Ecumenical Accompaniers.

Donna sees dehumanizing abuse every day at the Bethlehem checkpoint which looks like a huge military compound. Last week she saw an elderly man refused entry into Jerusalem because he had bought too much produce outside of Jerusalem. You see, Palestinians in Jerusalem must buy Israeli fruit and vegetables, and it’s more expensive. So, until recently, they would brave the checkpoints and buy less expensive Palestinian produce in Bethlehem or Hebron. The Israelis caught on and passed a law that Palestinians, or anyone else for that matter, cannot bring more than one kilo of produce into Jerusalem. The man Donna saw was forced to empty all his bags containing the fruit and vegetables to show to the soldiers and then was turned back. This time Donna expressed her dismay to the soldier who checked her passport. Good for her for taking the risk! Every day Donna witnesses episodes like this while she’s on her way to school in Bethlehem, and this one was the proverbial straw.

Back to Kurt! He reminds me of a young Max von Sydow. He’s strong and stoic. He never says much, but a couple of days ago he was visibly shaken. In his capacity as an EA, he had been asked to witness the demolition of a house belonging to a Palestinian family. The family was given no notice. Soldiers suddenly arrived, threw all of their possessions out of the house, and razed it to the ground with a couple of bulldozers. They owned the land but they had not obtained a building permit. Kurt said that the screams of the wife and daughter will resound in his mind for the rest of his life.

House demolitions happen all the time in East Jerusalem. It’s part of Israel’s intentional policy to make Palestinians “disappear”. What happens is that Palestinians who own a piece of land in occupied Palestine want to build a family home. Or they want to put an addition on an existing house. So, they apply to the Israeli authorities for a building permit, pay a large fee, and wait. The permits are never issued. Sometimes, after years of waiting, frustration prevails, and they build without a permit. It may take the Israelis a while to bring in the bulldozers, but the demolition eventually happens.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is in Israel now. Winner of the 2002 Nobel peace Prize, he came to broker peace. The Israelis don’t like Jimmy Carter. Not long ago he authored a book called Palestine: Peace not Apartheid which exposed Israel’s internal policy regarding occupied Palestine, much to Israel’s dismay. Of course Israel doesn’t acknowledge the existence of Palestine. Israel calls Palestine “Judea and Samaria”, and considers it part of Israel. Jimmy Carter hit the nail on the head in calling Israel’s policy “apartheid”. All we need to do is look at a United Nations OCHA map to see what Israel has done to occupied Palestine. The apartheid wall, the illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory, the exclusive settler roads that join the illegal settlements to one another, and the ubiquitous checkpoints have turned occupied Palestine into a series of “Bantustans”, just like in apartheid South Africa. This is an ongoing Israeli policy in spite of a number of UN motions asking Israel to cease and desist. So, there is no chance of a two-state solution because there is no state for Palestinians to live in – just a series of isolated “Bantustans”. Jimmy Carter was right on! Of course, the top Israeli leadership ignored President Carter, and publicly insulted his ability.

What is frustrating about all of this is that everybody here, observing all the things I’ve described above, knows what is happening. But the story doesn’t get out. There’s never more than a muffled whisper in the North American press of what’s really happening to the Palestinian people in their own country. The Israeli lobby in North America and influential organizations like the Canadian Jewish Congress do a good job of stifling the truth and upholding Israeli propaganda. When the Israeli Air Force attacks Gaza City with smart bombs and kills dozens of Palestinian civilians, the Israelis are described as courageously defending themselves against an implacable enemy. When the Palestinians launch their homemade rockets, attack a checkpoint, or, worst of all, find an individual who is so dehumanized by Israeli aggression and oppression that he is willing to launch a suicide attack against his enemy, the North American press calls it terrorism. A simple definition of terrorism is “the act of instilling terror in the hearts of the enemy”. If Palestinians are terrorists, then the Israelis are even more so.

Jewish organizations that record acts of anti-Semitism now include all anti-Israeli statements as anti-Semitic. If any of these organizations read what I have written, then I guess they will call me “anti-Semitic”. Let me state categorically that such a judgment would be patently untrue.

I am, however, definitely against Israeli policy.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

2008-04-05T04:36:00.000-07:00

Bethany beyond the Jordan

View from Mt. Nebo

Madaba mosaic map

Amman Beach Resort on the Dead Sea

Jerash Castle - Oval Plaza

Donna and the Roman Centurian in the Hippodrome

Dale with the Gladiator

Ajlun Castle

Dale at Umm Qays

Pella's archaelogical digs

View from Karak Castle

Entrances to passages at Karak Castle

Wadi Rum - lunch in the Bedouin Tent before the tour in the 4x4 jeep

With the camels at Wadi Rum

Entrance to Lawrence of Arabia's cave

Wadi Rum

Qasr Al-Kharrana, 8th Century Desert Castle

Amman

Just returned from a 5-day trip to Jordan. We got a taste of it last November when we went to Petra; had thought of going back sooner but the hassle of crossing the border was somewhat of a deterrent. However, being better prepared for it, we decided not to let that keep us from seeing the sights we were interested in while we’re so close. So, we resigned ourselves to the 4-hour trip from Jerusalem to Amman--which should take no more than an hour and a half--, the numerous checkpoints, exit and entrance fees, and line-ups; and made our arrangements.

We arrived on Friday at about noon and after settling in, hooked up with Mohammad Ali (no, not Cassius Clay), a taxi driver who spoke some English, and ended up hiring him each day to take us to the places we wanted to see.

On the way to Bethany beyond the Jordan, we drove past Elijah’s Hill where the Prophet Elijah ascended into heaven (2 Kings 2:11) and could see the monastery that attracted pilgrims well into the medieval period. John the Baptist lived in Bethany beyond the Jordan and it was there that he baptized Jesus in the early 1st century A.D. (John 1:28)

At Madaba, “the City of Mosaics”, in the Greek Orthodox church of St. George, we saw the wonderfully vivid 6th century Byzantine mosaic map showing Jerusalem and other holy sites. With two million pieces of coloured stone and a full 25x5 metres in its original state, most of which can still be seen today, the map depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns as far away as the Nile Delta.

Ten minutes away is Mount Nebo where Moses is buried and from which he saw the Promised Land—the vast panorama that encompasses the Jordan River Valley, the Dead Sea, Jericho, and Jerusalem--that he was not allowed to enter. It is considered the most revered holy site in Jordan.

We ended Friday’s tour with a peaceful and relaxing couple of hours at the Amman Tourist Beach resort on the Dead Sea. Although we didn’t have swimwear with us, we enjoyed wandering around and then, over a cappuccino, watched families and visitors frolic in the wonderful pools and amenities that the resort had to offer.

Saturday’s itinerary took us to the ancient city of Jerash/Jarash/Gerasa which boasts of an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6500 years. The city’s golden age came under Roman rule and the site is now generally considered to be one of the best preserved Roman provincial towns in the world with its theatres, paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, public squares and plazas, towers, and gates, etc. At the hippodrome, we enjoyed the performances of the “Roman Army and Chariot Race”, complete with ten gladiators fighting “to the death”!

Ajlun Castle is a fine example of Islamic architecture. Imposingly built on a mountain top by Saladin’s general in 1184 A.D., it dominated the three main routes leading to the Jordan valley and protected the communication routes between Jordan and Syria.
Umm Qays was the site of Jesus’ miracle of the Gadarene swine. Here we explored the ruins of the ancient city once referred to as “a new Athens” with its black basalt theatre, colonnaded main street, and had it been less hazy, a spectacular view of the JordanValley, the Sea of Galilee, Syria, and the Golan Heights.

We ended the day at Pella, a favourite of archaeologists with its excavated ruins from the Graeco-Roman period, the remains of a Chalcolithic settlement from the 4th millennium B.C., remains of Bronze and Iron Age walled cities, Byzantine churches and houses, an early Islamic residential quarter, and a small medieval mosque.

An early start on Sunday began a 3-hour drive to Wadi Rum, stopping on the way to see the dark maze of stone-vaulted and endless passageways of the great Crusader castle of Karak which fell to Saladin in 1188. Wadi Rum is the classic picture of sandy desert, with sandstone jabals (mountains) rising sheer out of the valley floor. This is the place where Prince Faisal Bin Hussein and T.E. Lawrence based their headquarters during the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans in World War I and where the 1962 movie “Lawrence of Arabia” starring Peter O’Toole, Alec Guiness and Omar Sharif was filmed.

Our last day of touring took us to the desert castles of Qasr (castle) Al-Hallabat, Qasr Hamman As-Sarh, Al-Azraq, Qasr’Amra, Qasr Al-Kharrana, and Qasr Al-Mushatta where they stand as a testament to the flourishing beginnings of Islamic-Arab civilization. Built mostly under the Umayyads (661-750 A.D.), these seemingly isolated pavilions, caravan stations, secluded baths, and hunting lodges were at one time integrated agricultural or trading complexes located on extensive and elaborately irrigated farmlands. The design and architecture of each castle is unique.

We concluded the day with a tour of Amman, the capital of Jordan. A city of contrasts, it is a blend of old and new, with modern buildings in the heart of the city rubbing shoulders with its much older past.

We caught of glimpse of the palace of King Abdullah 11, where he resides with his wife, Queen Rania, and their 4 children. From the Citadel which includes the Umayyad Palace complex (720-750 A.D.), the Temple of Hercules (161-180 A.D.), and the Byzantine Church (6th or 7th century A.D.), we got a panoramic view of the city. Downtown is the restored Roman Theatre (2nd century A.D.), the Roman Forum, Nymphaeum (ornamental gardens and public fountains), and the Grand Husseini Mosque built on the site of an older mosque from the Umayyad period.

Thus concluded a memorable visit to a fascinating part of the cradle of civilization— although we both agree that we’ve seen enough castles for quite some time!!

The RESURRECTION of OUR LORD: SUNRISE WORSHIP

2008-03-24T02:21:00.000-07:00

Dale assisted by Pastor Karl Reko of the ELCA

Pastor Judith Williams's daughter and family with Stockwell Day.

Easter Breakfast at the Brown's

Bishop Younan preaching at the joint Arabic-English 9:00 a.m. service at the Church of the Redeemer

Entrance to the Garden Tomb

Easter Sunday was a memorable day in many ways. First of all, on Saturday morning, Mark Holman, pastor of the English speaking congregation at Redeemer, called me and asked me to preach and preside at the sunrise service. He had been fighting a strep infection all week and realized on Saturday morning that it was getting the best of him. So, I was on! Saturday wasn’t quite as relaxing as I had expected.

We gathered at 5:15 am. Our congregation holds its sunrise service in a small stone amphitheatre just to the southeast of AVH on the edge of the Mount of Olives looking east toward the Dead Sea and the mountains of Jordan. The mountains prevent us from seeing the first light of dawn, but rather we are bathed in a more general light that gets brighter as the sun begins to rise above the mountain peaks.

Mark had already prepared a sermon. He told me that I could do as I pleased with it or dispense with it completely. It was a fine sermon. Fortuitously Mark and I are in concert regarding the political situation here in the West Bank, and neither of us hesitates to expression his opinion. So I took advantage of Mark’s preparation, made a few minor changes and additions to make it sound “Dale”, and preached it. I have attached the sermon to this post.

Our Easter sunrise congregation was comprised of regular congregants, numerous expats, students from Hebrew University just down the road on Mount Scopus, and a major surprise! Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, was there representing PM Harper and the Canadian government.

After worship, we all crossed the street to Mark and Susanne Brown’s home for Easter breakfast. Mr. Day joined us. The temperature had climbed into the mid 20’s C and the sun was shining. It was only 7 am. The earliest and hottest Easter in memory, I was told.

At 9 am the English speaking congregation joined the Arabic congregation at Redeemer where Dale assisted in serving communion. Bishop Younan preached in Arabic and summarized in English.

After the 9 am worship we walked a few steps to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and took a peek at the crowds around Jesus’ tomb, and then walked through the suq an out the Damascus Gate to the other place on Nablus Road where some say that Jesus was buried – the Garden Tomb. The crowds were impossible and the Israelis had blocked the entrance so the pilgrims had to enter single file. That was our Easter morning!

What a joy it was to preside and preach at the Easter Sunrise Worship, and what a blessing to do it all here in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives!

SERMON: “Look Not In, But Out”

(prepared by Pastor Mark Holman, and edited and preached by Pastor Dale Finch)

Through early morning darkness, they made their way to the sepulcher. The two Mary’s simply needed to “look in” on the scene. They had been there when the tomb was sealed but they just needed to look in on the burial site, much the way many of us have done on our first return to the grave of someone we love. Was everything all right, they wondered? Were all things as they left them? Had it all been real – the grief, the pain, the loss?

The last thing they were expecting was that the whole world had been shaken to its core. Perhaps the rumbling earthquake was a clue. But then, such tremors are not that rare here in Jerusalem. We’ve had a few minor ones in the last few months. Expecting nothing more than a sealed tomb, the two Mary’s trudged in darkness to the vault.

But, the women soon discovered, the whole world - more than that - the whole cosmos had changed. And for the rest of their lives – and the lives of all believers to come – they would be looking, not in, but out!
Most of us have heard the Easter stories from the four gospel writers so many times that we’ve blurred the four into one composite. The women coming to prepare Jesus’ body – Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the gardener who was really Jesus - Peter & the beloved disciple running to the tomb – Mary Magdalene sent by the risen Christ to announce the Good News.

But, today’s account from Matthew is different and more pointed - it deserves consideration on its own. Let me mention just two of the unique elements in Matthew’s account.

First, only Matthew tells of the women’s instant recognition of the Resurrected Lord. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene immediately fell to Jesus’ feet and worshipped him. No longer was he merely son and friend, but Lord and Savior.

Second, in Matthew’s account, we hear the unique instructions pointing to Galilee. First the angel, and then Jesus urged them, “Go, tell the disciples to go to Galilee.” That’s where the believers would see him.
Reflecting upon this last point, Dr. Deborah Krause , professor of New Testament at Eden Theological Seminary wrote:

When the angel’s direction is read in the context of the whole gospel story, Galilee seems less a specific place than it is a direction to a particular kind of ministry. Galilee is the place of Jesus’ ministry to the “least.” There he crossed over the boundaries that separated the clean from the unclean. There he ate with the tax collectors and sinners and proclaimed all of God’s children holy. It is to this activity that Mary and Mary are to direct Jesus’ disciples. It is in the mission of Galilee that the disciples and all of Jesus’ followers will see the risen Lord.

I know that the gathering of worshippers on this spot at Easter sunrise has become a tradition for our congregation and community. Before first light we leave our customary place of worship – just 60 paces from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - to gather here on the Mount of Olives. From this highest point in East Jerusalem, on the campus of the Lutheran World Federation’s Augusta Victoria Hospital, we come together in community looking East and awaiting the new day.
We greet one another with “He has risen! Alleluia! He has risen indeed!”
This drama, played out every Easter morning, serves as a small but important
testament to God’s message that death has no power over life. We remember that
first morning when the earth shook and the whole Cosmos was forever changed.

It is a thrilling Easter worship experience; yet, in many ways, the sunlit view from the Mount of Olives is pretty much the same as yesterday. Just like yesterday, before the sunlight hits the Mount of Olives, the beams have to go across the imposing Ma’ale Adummim, the largest of the illegal Israeli settlements built on confiscated Palestinian land. This settlement, housing over 30,000 Israeli settlers, has been built in violation of international law and many United Nations resolutions.

Today, the population of Christians in the Holy Land is shrinking in numbers. Christians now comprise less than 2% of the Palestinian population. It was close to 20% in 1948. The majority of remaining Christians (including Lutherans) are Palestinians whose religious roots go back many generations. An outsider looking in on today’s worshippers may wonder, “What is so new about this day? What are the signs that God’s gift of life has shaken off the clutches of death?”

Also, same as yesterday, the imposing “Separation Wall” stands in plain view as it snakes across the land of the West Bank. This evil construction, sometimes towering 25 feet in the air, stands to separate family from family, worker from job, patient from hospital, farmer from field, and parishioner from church and mosque.

This barrier uncoiling across the landscape is so formidable, that only an earthquake – or the Easter power of God – could shake its foundation and stop its creeping path across the land and its long-established communities.

What really has changed? What sustains peoples’ Easter hope of new life?

In Mohammed Alatar’s fine film, “The Iron Wall” there are many voices of people suffering oppression and striving for justice in Palestine. One man, Samean Khoury, from the Palestinian Forum for Peace and Democracy, speaks of his hope seen through the eyes of faith and with a long view of history. Despite his years in prison, despite the current hardships of the Palestinian people, despite loss upon loss, he holds fast to hope saying, “It is hard to be optimistic, given the circumstances we live under. However, I am optimistic. One day we will be free. I have no doubt about it. Definitely, one day we will be free. No doubt whatsoever.”

As we believers gather on the Mount of Olives today, let’s not dwell either on this momentary sunrise well-being, or yesterday’s powerlessness. Let’s remember the voices of the angel and the Risen Lord: “Tell the others, and go to Galilee.”
Trusting in the long view of God’s salvation history, believers today – here and abroad – roll up their sleeves and, through concrete acts of mercy and justice, join in the unfolding of God’s new day of life.

If we were to walk just one hundred paces Southward. We would have another remarkable view. We would gaze across 15 dunums (about 4 acres) of land that will soon be the construction site for the Mount of Olives Housing Project located on this campus of the Lutheran World Federation. This project will provide 84 apartments for Palestinian Christians – Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical - who will form a new community that is not fractured by the separation wall. This community will provide safe, secure and reasonably-priced living quarters for Palestinian Christians who, without it, would have no choice but to leave Jerusalem.
With the generous financial support of several European national church bodies, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as well as of congregations and individuals worldwide, the Lutheran World Federation hopes to break ground for this project in 2009.

Support of this project is just one way for the faithful to heed the risen Christ’s command to “go into Galilee” his work of bringing justice to oppressed people.

About 500 CE theologian John Chrysostom ended an Easter homily like this:

First and last alike, receive your reward
Rich and poor, rejoice together!
Conscientious and lazy, celebrate the day!
You who have kept the fast, and you who have not,
Rejoice this day, for the table is bountifully spread!
Feast royally for the calf is fatted
Let no one go away hungry
Partake, all, of the banquet of faith.
Enjoy the bounty of the Lord’s goodness!
Then, dear friends, filled with God’s grace, go into Galilee and finish the work that Jesus started.

AL-MASIH QAM – HAKKAN QAM

CHRIST IS RISEN – HE IS RISEN INDEED

PS: Please see our Easter article in the Kitchener Record http://news.therecord.com/Life/faith/article/326174

2008-03-24T02:16:00.000-07:00

MAUNDY THURSDAY & GOOD FRIDAY

2008-03-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

Well, one thing different from any other Holy Saturday, and from any other March 22 in my memory, is the temperature. It’s 29 degrees C. Each day of Holy Week has got just a bit warmer.

There are other things that make this Holy Week different, apart from weather and celebrating it in Jerusalem. The continuing bombardment and blockade of Gaza which is like a gigantic concentration camp! Tension in Jerusalem because of the killing of the seven yeshiva students gunned down by a Palestinian gunman seeking revenge for the more than 100 civilians killed by the Israelis in Gaza, followed by the retaliation by Israeli soldiers gunning down 4 Palestinians in Bethlehem for no apparent reason other than being known as activitists! Such is life in this part of the world.

It’s a melancholy week too. Our friends are leaving, or getting ready to leave. Shannon, who worked for Sabeel, left for the US on Friday. Susanne left last week. Kendra is leaving next week. Diana is returning to Germany next week. Our good friend Gillian is packing to leave in a few days. David, also with Sabeel, came back from Turkey expecting a 3-month visa but was given only a month to pack up and get out. Maybe he’ll be able to have it extended, but Sabeel is an organization that promotes liberation theology, and so probably not!

Oh yes! March 20 was the Milad an Nabi (the prophet’s birthday) and so we experienced longer calls-to-prayer and more celebratory fireworks and music from the Muslim communities than usual. And the Jews celebrated Purim this weekend, dressing as devils and clowns and going just a little crazy as they remember what Esther did for the Jewish people during the Babylonian exile. Interesting ingredients in the Jerusalem Triduum mix!

We gathered at Redeemer for the multilingual Maundy Thursday liturgy at 4:30 pm and then walked in procession through the suq to Lion’s Gate, and then across the Kidron Valley to St. Mary Magdalene Russian Orthodox Church on the western slope of the Mount of Olives just above the Garden of Gethsemane for final prayers.

Up at 5 am on Good Friday to make it to the 1st Station of the Cross just inside St. Stephen’s gate by 6:30 am! Lutherans and Anglicans followed the Via Dolorosa, stopping at each of the first nine Stations for readings and prayers. The last five Stations are in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where we could not go, and so we venerated the last five Stations in the few metres between Redeemer and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the completed the Good Friday liturgy in the Redeemer sanctuary.

As we followed the Via Dolorosa, we were assailed with the activity and noises of an awakening suq, and jostled up against shops to make way for the various carts, some motorized, that bring goods to the vendors. We were just a curiosity! It must have been like that when Jewish carried his cross through the Old City. Just an interruption and curiosity to the people he was dying for!

PALM SUNDAY WHERE IT HAPPENED!

2008-03-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

Bethphage lies at the bottom of the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. That’s where Jesus asked his disciples to go find him a donkey to ride on as he made his way into Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. It seems as if Jesus’ reputation as a miracle-worker had preceded him. I always had the feeling that the reception he got must have surprised him, but, of course, the Jews of Jesus’ time were looking for a messiah, and many of them thought Jesus was the one they were waiting for. So, they welcomed him with palm branches and shouts of “Hosanna”, believing him to be the great leader who would rally an army behind him and drive the occupying Romans out of Judea. How disappointed the Jews must have been when they heard Jesus’ message of peace and love of enemy.

Bethphage was once upon a time an easy walk from Bethany where Jesus raised Lazarus. Today the Israeli separation wall gets in the way. Bethany is outside the Jerusalem “bubble”, and Bethphage is inside. If Jesus and his friends had wanted to walk from Bethany to Bethphage this Palm Sunday, they would have had to go several kilometres out of their way to an Israeli checkpoint to present their travel permits. If they were living in the West Bank, they wouldn’t have got to Bethphage at all! West Bankers don’t get into Jerusalem unless they work there, and Jesus could not have claimed a place of employment.

Palm Sunday 2008 was a beautiful, sunny day with a clear blue sky and a temperature in the low 20's. The procession began at Lazarus’s tomb in Bethany and got as far as the separation wall on the western edge of the town. It was for West Bank Palestinian Christians who are not permitted to enter Jerusalem.

Those of us on the Jerusalem side of the wall gathered at the Bethphage Church with its beautiful murals depicting Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. There were hundreds of us pilgrims! We first jammed into the church to have our palm and olive branches blessed, and then we assembled outside to begin our ascent of the Mount of Olives.

Beside the church the ruins of a house demolished by the Israeli authorities are a stark reminder of the Israeli occupation.

Troupes of Palestinian brownies, cubs, scouts, and guides representing various Christian congregations led the procession, followed by vested clergy and community officials in their traditional garb. We were well guarded by gun-toting Israeli soldiers. We reached the top of the Mount of Olives just above Dominus Flevit and went down the west side past the Garden of Gethsemane. We crossed the Kidron Valley and entered Old Jerusalem through Lion’s Gate, ending the procession in the precincts of St. Anne Cathedral where a closing liturgy was read by the priests of St. Anne.

A MUST-READ!

2008-03-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

A recent house demolition in the West Bank, Palestinian territory,

used by the Israelis to force Palestinians out of land they wish to occupy.

The book that I’m challenging you to read completely erased any lingering doubts I may have had about what has taken place here up to and after the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. Reeling from the guilt and horror of the holocaust, the world supported the wishes and demands of the Israeli Zionists, ignoring or showing indifference to their hidden agenda, and allowed the Palestinians to take the blame for being authors of their own fate and to be painted as terrorists. This book does not advocate anti-Semitism but it does clearly lay the blame for the situation here at the feet of Israeli policy and the indifference and lack of understanding of the rest of the world.

In his book The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, Dr. Ilan Pappe describes the attitude of the Palestinians to yet another conquest in 1947-8. “Over the centuries, the country had been passed from one hand to another, sometimes belonging to European or Asian invaders and sometimes to parts of Muslim empires. However, the peoples’ lives had continued more or less unchanged: they toiled the land or conducted their trade wherever they were, and quickly resigned themselves to the new situation until it changed once again. Hence, villagers and city dwellers alike waited patiently to see what it would mean to be part of either a Jewish state or any other new regime that might replace British rule. Most of them had no idea what was in store for them, that what was about to happen would constitute an unprecedented chapter in Palestine’s history: not a mere transition from one ruler to another, but the actual dispossession of the people living on the land.”

The 1948 Israeli War of Independence involved one of the largest forced migrations in modern history. Around a million people were expelled from their homes at gunpoint, civilians were massacred, and hundreds of Palestinian villages destroyed. Denied for almost six decades, had it happened today it could only have been called “ethnic cleaning”.

Ethnic cleansing is defined as expulsion by force in order to homogenise the ethnically mixed population of a particular region or territory. The purpose of expulsion is to cause the evacuation of as many residents as possible by all means at the expeller’s disposal. The end result of such acts is the creation of a refugee problem. Ethnic cleansing has come to be defined as a crime against humanity, punishable by international law. Ethnic cleansing continues here in the Holy Land today.

In his groundbreaking book, renowned Israeli historian, Ilan Pappe, offers impressive archival evidence to demonstrate that, from its very inception, a central plank in Israel’s founding ideology was the forcible removal of the indigenous population, a strategy that continues to the present day. Dr. Pappe’s vivid and timely account sheds new light on the origins and development of the Palestine-Israel conflict, and is indispensable for anyone wanting to understand the situation in the Middle East.

Dr. Pappe, formerly of the University of Haifa, and no longer welcome in his country as a result of his research, holds the Chair in History at the University of Exeter, and is the author of a number of influential books on the Middle East, including A History of Modern Palestine, The Modern Middle East and The Israel/Palestine Question.

GAZA: LET'S STOP THE CARNAGE

2008-03-05T05:52:00.000-08:00

Dale took part in a protest on March 3 against Israeli aggression in Gaza. Unrest is growing in East Jerusalem. There were demonstrations on Sunday at the Ramallah and Bethlehem checkpoints. Green Palestinian flags are appearing here and there in the city, and there was a tire-burning on the main street of At Tur just down the hill from AVH. There are reports of a Palestinian teen having been shot near Ramallah by an Israeli settler, and skirmishes and shooting at the Bethlehem checkpoint.

On March 3 mounted Israeli policemen patrolled Sultan Suleiman Street at the Herod and Damascus Gates, and Salhadin St. was blocked by soldiers. Unrest continues to grow as the number of deaths among civilians continues to mount in Gaza. Tragically children have been among the almost 100 victims.

Israeli ground forces have withdrawn from northern Gaza without being able to stop the firing of Kassam and a few Katusha rockets into the Israeli towns of Sderot and Ashkelon. Of course, Hamas is claiming victory, but what price glory with all the Palestinian dead! The Hamas rockets are homemade and inaccurate but the can be deadly, and cause panic among the Israeli population. The Israeli response was, and is, egregiously disproportionate, but Israel had to respond to the single Israeli civilian death in Sderot this past week for internal political reasons.

Israeli claims that the bombardment will stop if the Hamas rockets stop. Why doesn’t Hamas stop and call Israel’s bluff in order to save innocent lives? But, even if the latter were to happen, Gaza is still a big concentration camp for Palestinians living in Gaza; Israel would still control exit and entry of people and goods, air space, and access to the Mediterranean. It wouldn’t take long for Palestinian frustration to reach a violent level again.

The March 3 demonstration took place on the steps leading from Sultan Suleiman St. down to the Damascus gate. The demonstrators were mostly Palestinian women with a few of us expats mixed in. They shouted slogans and sang songs. We held up signs in Arabic and English that criticized Israeli aggression. Armed Israeli soldiers and police were present on the periphery of the constantly growing crowd, and toward the end of the demonstration a reinforcement of soldiers arrived with tear-gas masks in hand, but thankfully the Israelis kept their distance. The demonstrators made their point and went home.

Canadians and Americans and Europeans need to get the message. The Palestinians are the victims here. Israel continues to flaunt international law and UN decisions as the land-grab and displacement of the Palestinian population continue. Only pressure from the West will make the Israelis “sit up and take notice”!

IMAD'S & SALIBA'S ORDINATION: AN HISTORIC OCCASION

2008-03-04T06:19:00.000-08:00

GETTING READY

Mark Holman, Mark Brown, Dale & Sr. Sylvia

Ordinands Saliba & Imad

The Grandma who almost missed it

Celebrating their 1st Communion

A contemplative crucifer

About to cut the Ordination cake

Proud parishoners

Pastors Imad & Saliba

More proud parishoners

March 2 was Imad Haddad’s and Saliba Rishmawi’s big day. At worship earlier that same day rumour had it that their ordination might have to be postponed because of what could be the beginning of a 3rd intifada in the West Bank. On Sunday, March 2, most Palestinian businesses in East Jerusalem were closed in protest against the worsening situation in Gaza, and, in the past, occasions such as ordinations have had to be cancelled because the Israelis often close checkpoints and restrict movement in the Old City when there is trouble. Imad’s and Saliba’s congregations are on the Bethlehem side of the segregation wall, and so family, friends, fellow pastors, children’s choirs, and congregants would have to go through Israeli security.

Well, they almost all made it. When we heard that the mother and grandmother of one of the ordinands had not been granted travel permits to come from the Bethlehem side to Jerusalem, we pulled some strings and got them through. The Israelis wouldn’t let the Beit Sahour children’s choir into Jerusalem, but the Beit Jala choir and band were there to sing and play. Why did the Israelis refuse permits to Mom and Grandma? Why one choir and not the other? Who knows?

And so it happened in spite of all the stumbling blocks! Bishop Younan ordained Imad and Saliba into the Ministry of Word and Sacrament at Redeemer Lutheran in Old Jerusalem. Imad will be serving as assistant pastor in Beit Sahour, and Saliba as assistant pastor in Beit Jala. It was an historic occasion because it’s the first time in the history of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) that two pastors have been ordained at the same time. The ELCJHL doesn’t have many placements for pastors with only six churches: Redeemer in Jerusalem, Christmas Lutheran in Bethlehem, Reformation Lutheran in Beit Jala, Beit Sahour Lutheran Church, Hope Lutheran in Ramallah, and Good Shepherd Lutheran in Amman, Jordan. Less than 2% of the Palestinian population is Christian, and most of the Christians are Greek Orthodox. So, there aren’t many Lutherans, and as Christians emigrate from Palestine because of political tension and an uncertain future, there are fewer Christians (and Lutherans) each year.

As the ordination ended, the grandmother who almost didn’t make it shouted out congratulations and was joined by other female family members in a sustained ululation, a high pitched sound Arab women emit in celebration of events such as graduations and ordinations. It was also a sound of grieving for the almost 100 Palestinian children, women and men who had been killed during the past week in Gaza.

The reception was a joyous event with a piece of cake for everyone.

A TOUR OF THE JERUSALEM AREA, YOU SAY!

2008-03-03T11:20:00.000-08:00

Hebron Suq

Mesh-enclosed balcony

Abraham's Mosque
Hebron Glass Factory

Tent of Nations

Shepherds' Field

Church of the Nativity - Manger Square, Bethlehem

Azzahra's Restaurant, Jerusalem

On February 16, were delighted to meet visitors from home, Anne Banks Pidduck and her daughter Sharon. We’d arranged for a friend who has been practising medicine in the Palestinian territories for some time and who has a vast knowledge of conditions here to take us on a non-traditional excursion south of Jerusalem.

We visited Hebron which is in the West Bank and therefore supposedly Palestinian territory. However, here the militant Israeli settlers have forced vendors in the old marketplace to suspend nets above the sidewalk to prevent garbage being dumped out of the settlers’ windows onto the shoppers below. (Unfortunately that doesn’t protect them from dirty water and urine that is occasionally part of the “garbage”). Fortunately we weren’t party to any rubbish being thrown down while we were in the area.

In Hebron, we also visited the headquarters of the Christian Peacemakers organization which provides for the Palestinians a peaceful witness and therefore protection from harassment and assault by the militant Israeli settlers. We were invited onto an upstairs balcony which overlooks the street that formerly provided entrance to the flat. However, this street has been closed to Palestinians and they now have to enter via a back entrance. Now the Israeli settlers are the only ones allowed to use this street. On top of that, the balconies along the street have had to be covered by heavy mesh to protect the residents from rocks and stones being hurled from the street as the settlers go by.

From the roof we were able to look over the city at the changes and restrictions for the Palestinians that have been made since the settlers have moved in. Some families have access to their homes only by climbing ladders from a neighbour’s roof. The presence is most obvious and one is not allowed to take photos in the direction of the various military towers.

While in Hebron, we visited the Hebron Glass Factory where they make the bottles that the Lutheran World Federation uses for selling their olive oil. We were also able to get into Abraham’s mosque which had been closed to us on a previous visit. We were intrigued by having to wear hooded robes to enter the mosque—we looked like characters out of a Harry Potter novel; of the many mosques we’ve visited, this was the only one that required this. Out of respect, usually only one’s head and arms are covered; this therefore was an efficient way of ensuring that.

Our tour continued to the Tent of Nations located on a peak nearly 950 meters above sea level on 100 acres of land, nine kilometers southwest of Bethelehm. This is the only hill left in the whole area that has not been taken over by illegal Israeli settlements. (Keep in mind, this is in the West Bank which is supposed to be Palestinian territory.)

Daoud Nassar, the director of Tent of Nations explained the history and work of his organisation. His grandfather, Daher Nassar, purchased the land in 1924 and since that time, family members have lived there and worked the land, producing olives, grapes, wheat, etc. Daoud’s father, Bishara, devoted his life to protecting his land and used it to network and provide youth projects in the Bethlehem region. However, in 1991, the Israeli government declared the whole area to be an Israeli state property in spite of the fact that the Nassar family has all the original land papers tracing rights of ownership back to the Ottoman Empire, thus contradicting any claims by the Israeli government. In 2001 and 2002, the local council of Israeli settlements decided to open roads through the east and west sides of the Nassars’ land. Although they were able to stop both road projects through the Israeli court, after 13 years in the high court, the land ownership is still under debate, and the court keeps postponing the case.

Daoud is carrying on his father’s vision. The Tent of Nations is devoted to addressing cultural conflicts around the world, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, by facilitating positive encounters between young people from different cultures. (You can read more on their website: http://www.tentofnations.org/ ).

After an interesting tour of the property, we returned to Jerusalem. Our overwhelming day concluded by dining early at the Jerusalem Hotel, after which we sent our exhausted, jet-lagged visitors off to bed.
The next day provided a more relaxing traditional tour. We met in late morning at the Jaffa Gate of the Old City, wandered through parts of the city, visiting the Wailing or Western Wall, the Church of the Redeemer, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. After a late lunch at Samara’s Restaurant, we went by bus to the Bethlehem checkpoint where my taxi driver, Musa, met us on the other side and took us to the R.C. Shepherds’ Field (of course, as with other “holy sites”, there are two Shepherds’ Fields—Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox), the Milk Grotto, and the Church of the Nativity. We returned by the same route and finished off our day of touring at Azzarah’s Restaurant for their delicious thin-crust pizza. What a way to begin a week

GOOD FOOD, GOOD….

2008-03-03T09:03:00.000-08:00

One Friday, we made a reservation for twelve of us from the Guest House at the Jerusalem Hotel for a delicious meal and an evening of Palestinian music. I had the best mussakhan ever: pita is placed in a baking dish and covered with a mixture of onion slices that have been sautéed in olive oil and ground sumac. This is topped with chunks of lightly spiced chicken, covered with the rest of the onion mixture, baked and garnished with pine nuts. Delicious!! Dale enjoyed a mixed grill: skewers of chicken, lamb, and beef served with the best French fries! The food, interesting conversation, excellent music, and the narghile (the traditional Middle Eastern water pipe)—enjoyed by some—, all combined for a delightful evening.

The following week, we actually did some entertaining at the Guest House. We had got to know Diana (pronounced Deeana) and Jakob, a young German couple, shortly after we arrived, as Diana was a member of the Ecumenical Accompaniers who lived at the Guest House for her three-month term. Her husband, Jakob, is employed by the Arabic congregation of the ELCJHL. They had initiated a number of enjoyable joint meals while living here, and so we invited them back for dinner. We ended up being a group of 12.

Our menu consisted of a version of Tex-Mex Chili served over sweet potatoes, and a green salad with fresh strawberries, tangerines, green grapes, red peppers, green onions, raisins, and slivered almonds. It was topped off with a version of Ada’s layered dessert of graham wafers—imagine being able to buy them in East Jerusalem!—, pudding, and bananas. The food and the wine set the stage for some interesting, if not at times, heated discussions about the situation here.

A visit to the American Colony Hotel once in awhile for their Saturday Buffet provides a treat for the pallet. Although it’s expensive ($35 U.S.), you can eat yourself into oblivion if you wish, or opt for only the soup, salad, and dessert bars ($15). We’re told that they usually serve bacon! However, neither of the times we’ve been there has it been on the menu, although they served ham on our first visit. It was a pleasant way to celebrate a friend’s birthday.

Our eating extravaganza continued when we joined my former colleague from Cameron Heights, Vern Allemang, at his hotel for dinner. He and his group were just finishing a tour to Cairo, the Sinai, Jordan, and Israel. Unfortunately there was no time in his itinerary or ours to do any sightseeing together, but they were fortunate to have a Palestinian tour guide to give balance to the visit. We had a wonderful evening with Vern and his friend Dale whose wives had opted out of the trip.

A couple of days later, when my taxi driver, Musa, picked me up to take me back to the checkpoint, he informed me that another couple we knew from church were at his house for “tea”; Musa had taken them sightseeing on a previous occasion, and they were back to finish off the missed sites. He asked me if I’d like to come back for tea with him and meet his family. As he’d made this offer on a previous occasion when I was in a rush, I decided this might be a good time to take him up on it as Jolene and Michael were already there, and also save a separate trip to the checkpoint. “Tea” turned out to be a full meal of Mansaff—rice, lamb, yogurt, and pita—complete with coke, and then coffee poured over cardamom seeds, followed by fresh fruit! We had the wonderful opportunity to meet his wife and 5 of the 6 kids (the missing boy was at school as they have two shifts—morning and afternoon).

The older son, Ahmad, is a student at Bethlehem University studying Business Administration. He’d really wanted to study Engineering and had actually started his studies at Al Quds (Jerusalem) University. However, in order to get to and from the university, he needed to cross the Bethlehem checkpoint twice a day, and travel by bus into Jerusalem. This ended up being a 12-hour day at least. As he’s only a ten-minute walk from Bethlehem University, the family decided it was in his best interests to switch universities, even though he couldn’t get the programme he preferred. If it weren’t for the Wall surrounding Bethlehem, this wouldn’t be a problem as he’d only be going from one part of the West Bank to another. (If the Wall followed the Green Line as, if there must be a wall, it should, he’d have free access from Bethlehem to East Jerusalem.)

Even a pleasant meal with a lovely family ends up with another example of how the Israeli incursion into the West Bank affects the lives of Palestinians!

IT'S GOOD TO BE A CANADIAN, EH?

2008-03-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

Since I’ve arrived here, I’m constantly reminded of how lucky I am to be a Canadian. Even when I experience frustrations with what I see and hear, I know that I still get better treatment and can always go back home whenever I want. I keep wondering how I would feel and react had I and my family, going back decades, experienced what Palestinians have and continue to experience daily.

As we all know, there are many inequalities in Canada; not all Canadians think and feel the same about issues. We have too much poverty, considering the wealth of our country, and many other inequities that we should be ashamed of. However, even those things do not take away our freedom of movement.

Let me give a few examples of situations we don’t have to face:

I can walk, drive, or take a bus from Kitchener to Cambridge for any reason any time I want regardless of my age, race, creed, or colour. Both places are in my country and so I don’t need a passport, or visa, or any document (other than my driver’s license if I’m driving my car). Compare this with 2 situations I know of personally here:

1) A teacher is required by her school board to attend a workshop. She lives in Ramallah; the workshop is in Bethlehem. Both Ramallah and Bethlehem are in the West Bank, Palestinian territory. She, a Palestinian who was born and lives in Ramallah; however, she has Israeli papers due to her parents’ designation when Arabs were allowed to have Israeli citizenship—even though they don’t have the same rights as Jewish citizens, although that’s another issue. She is not allowed to cross the Bethlehem checkpoint to get to her workshop because Israeli citizens are not allowed to cross into the West Bank. (However, Palestinian land is grabbed for illegal settlements in the West Bank, and Israelis can live there and travel through Palestinian land on special roads built only for Israelis; Palestinians are not allowed on these roads.) The only way she can attend her workshop is to be smuggled in illegally, running the risk of repercussions.

2) A grandmother and mother who live in Bethlehem wish to attend a graduation ceremony for their son in East Jerusalem. They, for reasons unknown to them, have been refused the permits they need to cross the Bethlehem checkpoint. The only way they can do that is if someone smuggles them in illegally, running the risk of repercussions.

I live in Kitchener and have a job in Guelph. I can take a bus, taxi, or drive my own car regardless of my age, race, creed, or colour, any time I want in order to get to work on time. Weather, accidents, car or bus breakdowns could make me late, but I can usually make the trip in well under an hour. Compare this with 2 situations I know of personally here:

1) I live in Bethlehem and work in East Jerusalem where I’ve worked for years before the Wall was built. Every singe day that I go to work, in order to get through the checkpoint, I have to be there by 3:00 a.m. and wait hours to be inspected. I have to take off my belt, shoes, coat and anything else that I’m often unceremoniously screamed at by young 18/19-year-old soldiers to do. If I’m carrying anything else, it also goes through the scanner. I have to renew my papers every three months but sometimes something shows up on my papers of which I’m not told, and I’m not allowed through the checkpoint. When I return from work, I go through the checkpoint again to get back home. If nothing else, it’s frustrating, exhausting and humiliating.

2) I live in a village south of Bethlehem and work at Augusta Victoria Hospital. I have a university degree and a very responsible job. Although I’m less than an hour away by car or bus if there were no checkpoint, I have to live in a residence at the hospital because it would be impossible for me to get through the checkpoint each day to get to work on time and still have time to sleep at night or have any quality of life. I go home to visit my family on weekends. My work permit must be renewed every three months; however, I have just been refused a renewal. I don’t know why. No one will tell me. I’ve done nothing that I’m aware of that could have caused my permit not to be renewed. Now, if I go home to visit my family, I will not be allowed back through the checkpoint and therefore will no longer be able to work at the hospital.

These situations are not fictional or hypothetical. They are representative of hundreds of identical or similar situations.

The Israeli will say, “We have to do this to protect ourselves!” “Since we put up the Wall, there have been fewer suicide bombers!”

First of all, as the Wall is not yet completed, there are many spots where a determined suicide bomber could easily get through if he/she wanted. The decline has been due to policy by the extremists to give peace efforts a chance. Have negotiations done anything at all to change things that affect the daily lives of Palestinians? Absolutely not!

If the Palestinians were given equal rights, if instead of Israel’s doing its best to keep its citizens from getting to know Palestinians personally, if the Israelis stopped their land grab—enclosing the best fertile land and water sources within their side of the Wall and then turning around and restricting the amount of water they control back to the Palestinians, if these and all the other inequities were rectified, would there be any appeal for young folks to give up their lives for a cause?

Walking through the Bethlehem checkpoint four times a week, makes my blood boil when I see what humiliations some people face, and the equally infuriating way I and other internationals are allowed to jump the queue or are told to “have a nice day” after a Palestinian has just been humiliated and screamed at. (Although I have been screamed once or twice!) If I were young and had to look forward to facing this, in addition to all the other inequities, every day of my life, how would I feel? What would I do?

BUT I, OR MY FAMILY OR FRIENDS, DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT. I’M A CANADIAN, EH?

MUSLIM WOMEN

2008-02-28T03:34:00.000-08:00

In Canada we identify Muslim women by what they wear. If we see a young woman wearing a hijab, a kind of shawl, we know that she is Muslim. Below the hijab she may be wearing an abaya, a plain but attractive ankle-length dress that is supposed to hide the female form but often doesn’t quite do the job, or she may be wearing a t-shirt and jeans, but she is definitely Muslim. And, of course, if she is wearing a burqa, sometimes called a “veil”, that covers her whole body except for a slit across the eyes, she is ultra-Muslim. So, what do hijabs and burqas say about Muslim women?

A number of years ago I attended Guelph University’s annual College Royal, and one of the information tables was sponsored by the Islamic Student Society. The young women at the table were wearing hijabs and I asked them why. They answered that they were proud to wear them “because the Qu’ran required it and it was a symbol of their freedom”. Their freedom? How so, I wondered. I had swallowed the North American line that Muslim women are an oppressed lot, and their clothes prove it.

An historical note! Muhammad was the Prophet of a revolutionary society called Islam. Naturally, as Islam began to supplant old, tribal polytheism in Arabia, people wanted to meet Muhammad, and they came to his home in Mecca. Since his wives were there too, he and his advisors felt that the wives should remain behind a veil while male visitors were present in order to have more privacy and feel safer. The burqa has become a kind of “portable” veil. Anyway, it was never intended that all Muslim women should be “veiled”. Probably Muslim women in Mecca heard that Muhammad’s wives were veiled and thought that they should do likewise. That’s how traditions start.

Yes, I did say “Muhammad’s wives”. I’ll refer to that a few paragraphs hence.

Many of the medical staff who work here at AVH are Muslim women with MD degrees, nursing degrees, pharmacy degrees , just to mention a few. Are these a small minority of Muslim women? I don’t think so, at least not in this part of the Muslim world. But what about the average Muslim woman, the one who doesn’t pursue a career? First of all, as a teenager, she is protected by her family, so much so that she does not go out on dates unless chaperoned by a male family member. A western girl would say “That’s oppression”, but a Muslim girl would say “I feel safe”.

In downtown East Jerusalem teenage Muslim girls walk in groups, whispering to each other and giggling, just like Western girls, wearing their hijabs. Teenage Muslim boys are typically macho and loud. They sneak peeks at passing girls, but the boys and girls don’t mix as they do in Canada. And it’s all for the safety of the girls, just like the hijab and the burqa. As an adult, the same rules apply until a Muslim woman is married.

If the things I’ve said about women in Islam are true, why so? First of all, the Qu’ran doesn’t give any reasons for vilifying women. Here are the words of Allah dictated to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel and preserved in the Qu’ran: O mankind, We have created you male and female, and appointed you races and tribes, that you may know one another. Surely the noblest among you in the sight of God is the most god-fearing of you. God is All-knowing and All-wise. In the Qu’ran’s creation story man and woman are created equal, and there is no mention of “original sin”. Woman cannot be blamed for causing the fall of humankind as she has been blamed by Christians.

After Muhammad made the move from Mecca to Medina with the Qu’ran in hand, he proceeded to establish an Islamic society in which both men and women would enjoy equality. In pre-Islamic Arabia women had few rights, but Muhammad changed that by allowing women to inherit, to keep their dowry, and to testify before a judge, just to name a few of the changes. We say in the West “So what!” but in 7th century Arabia this was revolutionary, and centuries ahead of Christianity, which had had more than six hundred years to institute women’s rights and had not even begun to do so.

Earlier I mentioned Muhammad’s wives. Polygamy was part of pre-Islamic Arab society, and the practice continued. But Muhammad even reformed that practice. He suggested four wives, but only if the husband promised to treat each wife equally in all things and spend equal time with each. This, of course, is impossible and so monogamy became more common. Another thing about polygamy was that it provided a haven for widows who were left destitute. Muhammad had more than four wives because the widowed wives of his followers needed to survive. Did he have his favourites? You bet! But if we brush off the Islamic practice of polygamy as only as a male fantasy, then we’ve missed the point. In Islam it was a way of protecting women and making life safe for them.

By 632 CE Muhammad had re-established himself in Mecca where he put into practice his vision of an Islamic society based on Qu’ranic principles of justice and human rights. In his farewell address at the mosque Namira near Mount Arafat in Arabia, just before his death, Muhammad told his people (the umma) “to deal justly with one another and to treat women kindly”. Are women always treated kindly in Islamic society? No! There are abuses as there are in any society. But there is no doubt about Islam’s deep and abiding respect for women and its concern for their safety and well being.

My comments are not intended to be a definitive, sociological commentary on the place of women in Islamic society. They are only a sharing of some personal observations and a few surprises. What have I learned? Things are never as they appear.

DINNER WITH NEW FRIENDS

2008-02-18T10:16:00.000-08:00

The village museum and curator

Muhammad is an x-ray technician who works in nuclear medicine at Augusta Victoria Hospital. He prepares patients for radiation therapy and wheels them into the room housing the linear accelerator. The original patient load was intended to be about 25 patients a day, but often 40 patients are treated. It’s the only linear accelerator in the Palestinian territories, and AVH is presently looking for donors to fund a 2nd.

Muhammad is an out-going young man who likes to talk to foreigners, especially English-speaking foreigners. He wants to learn English so that he can immigrate to Canada and practise his profession there. He often has lunch and supper with Donna and me and tries out his English, which is moderately functional and getting better. I practise my minimal Arabic on him. We have become quite good friends and Muhammad invited us to his home.

He lives in village close to Hebron. In a perfect world he could commute to the hospital daily because his village is only about an hour away by car, but Muhammad’s world isn’t perfect. A trip to and from his village would require passing through Israeli check-points and roadblocks forcing him to go kilometres out of his way and take 2 to 3 times longer to get home. So Muhammad stays in the hospital dorm and goes home once a week on his day off.

Donna and I accepted Muhammad’s invitation and, on a Saturday in February, we went with him to his village. We started with bus 75 that took us to the terminal in East Jerusalem. We transferred to bus 21 which took us to a point just outside of Beit Jala where Muhammad thought it would be better to switch to a van for the rest of the trip to Hebron.

If Muhammad’s world were normal, we could have taken a main highway directly to his village, but just outside an illegal Israeli settlement all Palestinians have to take a special back road into Hebron. The main road is only for Israelis and tourists. There are many “settler” roads like that in the West Bank and some of them slice through farms that Palestinians have owned for generations.

In downtown Hebron we changed buses once again for the last lap to the village. We’ve all heard the Zionist propaganda about how the land was empty when Jews began to come from Europe to Palestine. The centuries-old hillside terraces where generations of Palestinians have cultivated olives, grapes, dates and vegetables belie the Israeli tales told to us in the West that the land was empty before the arrival of the Zionists.

As we drove through the countryside, Muhammad pointed out illegal hill-top settlements from which untreated sewage runs down into the valleys polluting Palestinians farms. He showed us how the Israeli settlements surround Palestinian villages and spoke of the harassment the settlers use to force Palestinians to leave their land. Israeli settlers can harass Palestinians with impunity. Even with all the forced detours to get to the village, our bus had to do some fancy wheeling between strategically placed boulders forcing the van onto a narrow, almost impassable road that led into the village.

Muhammad’s youngest sister met us at the gate of their home, greeting him with a big hug and us with a big smile. She led us into an attached parlour while Muhammad went into the main house to tell his mother that we were there. Soon she and an older sister appeared and welcomed us with cups of sweetened sage tea. Then an aunt and uncle arrived with their son and daughter, and soon the room was resounding in Arabic, English, good conversation and laughter.

Soon Muhammad’s father, who had been at the mosque for mid-morning prayer, arrived home. He is a history teacher in the village secondary school that Muhammad, his sisters, father and several generations of the family attended. He teaches history and specializes in Palestinian and Arab history. Our conversation about Palestinians and Israelis, with Muhammad translating, was interesting. His father held out some hope for a just resolution eventually. Muhammad’s uncle was more pessimistic about the future.

Dinner was Arab style. Traditionally the women eat separately from the men, but Donna was invited to eat with us guys. Muhammad’s youngest sister sat with us too so that Donna wouldn’t be the only female. The meal was the traditional maklouba (which means upside down). It’s made of rice, cooked with carrots, cauliflower, and saffron, and then flipped over and topped with chicken pieces, pine nuts and almonds. We squatted or sat in a circle on rugs with the platter in the center. Each of us had one large spoon and a bowl of laban (a kind of yogurt) which we spooned on to the mixture in front of us as we all ate from the common platter. Truly an agape meal!

After dinner, more conversation, Arabic coffee, and tea! Muhammad had to be back in Jerusalem for a 2nd job in an x-ray lab, and so in mid afternoon we said multiple good-byes. They were surprised by our custom of bringing them a gift and intrigued by the inclusion of Canadian maple syrup. The family told us that we are welcome any time.

Muhammad’s uncle gave us a quick tour of the village, including the museum and the cultural centre, and then drove us to Hebron to catch the bus back to Jerusalem. It was a memorable Saturday.

LENT ALREADY! TEMPUS FUGIT!

2008-02-13T02:19:00.000-08:00

Pastor Michael & David

Dale dancing with Gillian

Canadian Tourists sampling the
Grog

Fasching Celebration

Shrove Tuesday
at the Guest House

"Jesus' footprint" (to the right) in the Chapel of the Ascension

Stairway at Dominus Flevit with a view from same

To the right looking down into the Kiddron Valley through an olive grove

Shopping at the At Tur greengrocer

The German expats helped us get ready for Ash Wednesday. On the last Saturday of the Epiphany season they organized a Fasching costume party with a “Stunksitzung, Musik, Tanz und Grog.” Donna and I put on our Tilley clothes and went as “Canadian tourists”, complete with name badges and Canadian pins! Viel Spass!

On Shrove Tuesday, Donna and Suzanne Wagner, a pastor from the U.S on sabbatical, made pancakes for the guest house folk. Pancake Day with Canadian-style pancakes and maple syrup from St. Jacob’s was a new experience for the Europeans and the Australians.

We observed Ash Wednesday at Pastor Holman’s flat with the Ash Wednesday liturgy, including the Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion. After worship we all partook of a potluck meal. It seems contradictory, doesn’t it? One of the four disciplines of Lent is fasting and we had a feast on the 1st day of Lent. For Lutherans it’s more like “fating” than fasting. I guess it’s just that profound Lutheran sense that we don’t do things like fasting to win God’s love. Jesus has done that for us! Maybe fasting for Lutherans is giving up a part of one’s self out of love for others in response to God’s unconditional grace. Whoops! I’m starting to write a sermon. This Wednesday the Brown’s have invited us to the Stone House for midweek devotions, and potluck, of course!

On the 1st Sunday in Lent Donna and I walked down the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane where the Greek Orthodox Church seems to be in control. We looked at the rock where tradition holds that Jesus was praying just before his arrest, and descended into the grotto where the Greeks think Mary was placed in a state of dormition (deep sleep) and where her assumption (being taken up bodily into heaven without dying) took place.

We crossed the street to visit St. Stephen’s Greek Orthodox Church and got a rather unfriendly welcome from the woman caretaker. She was suspicious of us when we entered the church, and we were barked at when we tried to go into a small room that was apparently out-of-bounds. “That’s the church out there! And no pictures!” she snarled. And as we left, I said something to her in Arabic. That was the last straw. “Why did you speak to me in Arabic? Didn’t you see the Greek flag on the roof? I’m Greek.” I replied that I spoke Arabic because this is Palestine, and she was insulted that I had taken her for a Palestinian. As far as she was concerned, in a Greek church under a Greek flag, she was in Greece. So much for Christian love and interfaith dialogue!

On the way back home, we walked through our village of At Tur and stopped at the Chapel of the Ascension. Inside is a roped-off rock with an indentation that looks a bit like a footprint. It is supposed to be the place where Jesus ascended. I guess the footprint was left when he “pushed off”. The Chapel is really part of a mosque, but remember that the Qu’ran treats Jesus as a prophet and proclaims that Jesus will play a role in the end-of-days, and so it’s appropriate that a mosque should house the place where Jesus ascended into heaven.

As Lent begins, spring seems to have sprung. We had our snow days 10 days ago, but when Donna and I took our 1st-Sunday-in-Lent walk, the temperature was close to+20C, and the sun was shining. The anemones are blossoming in guest house garden, yellow daisies are looking bright-eyed, the lemon trees are in blossom, and I’m told that the poppies are about to put on their red dresses. The almond trees won’t be far behind. We could get used to this.

On the way back to Augusta Victoria, we stopped for some fruit at the neighbourhood greengrocer in At Tur.

ONLY IN CANADA, YOU SAY!

2008-01-31T04:30:00.000-08:00

Today is January 31 and our 2nd snow-day. Yesterday we woke up to blizzard-like conditions here on the Mount of Olives and looked down on a “paralysed” Jerusalem. It’s impossible for cars and buses to drive up At Tur St. from Wadi Joz. The hill must be close to 45 degrees, and without snow-clearing equipment or proper tires, there’s no chance of getting up the hill.

Donna and I have enjoyed the leisurely mornings with schools being closed for two days and the hospital administration absent. Living right next door, I went in to my office today to check email, and was the only one there. Fortunately some staff live in hospital dorms and so essential services were maintained. Nobody from the Guest House has been able to get to work, which has provided the opportunity for some pleasant socializing and good conversation over breakfast and lunch.

Yesterday we went out into the garden and made a snowman, much to the amusement of our Guest House friends who got a kick out of the crazy Canucks out in the blizzard. Our pix tell the story.

IN SUPPORT OF GAZA

2008-01-30T06:13:00.000-08:00

Getting ready in Jerusalem

Collecting supplies at Erez Checkpoint for Gaza residents

Canadian volunteers presence

This past weekend we had the opportunity to participate in a peaceful protest that was organised to bring food and supplies and to show solidarity with the people of Gaza under the slogan “Stop the siege on Gaza: A demonstration for Gaza and Sderot”.

Some background: During the past week and a half, Israel tightened a 7-month blockade of the Gaza Strip preventing supplies from entering the area, claiming it to be a response to the Hamas rocket fire into the community of Sderot in Israeli territory. However, it has been seen by the broader community as collective punishment.

The prevention of basic food, water, baby formula, iodized salt necessary for healthy growth, medical equipment, and fuel has put the innocent majority of the 1.5 million Palestinian residents at risk. As well, Gazans desperately in need of cancer treatment have been prevented from leaving Gaza to get to Augusta Victoria Hospital, the only centre in Palestinian territory that has a linear accelerator for radiation treatment. The siege has also made the militants more popular because everyone is being thrown together as victims.

So on Saturday, January 26, a cold drizzly morning, we gathered in West Jerusalem to join up with a convoy coming from various parts of Israel to converge upon the Erez Crossing into Gaza. We drove through heavy rainfall, a blessing for the near drought conditions we’ve been experiencing this fall and winter, only to join the rest of the convoy under clearing skies and slightly warmer temperatures. As one woman expressed, “Rain for the soil and sun for the soul!”

It was a moving experience to be part of more than 1000 people—Israelis, Palestinians, internationals, the young, old, and all ages in between—converging on a meeting spot just outside the Erez Wall. As we followed a truck carrying many of the supplies that we’d brought for the Gazans, people waved flags and shouted slogans to “End the Siege”.

It was shocking to see the huge wall with the ferocious pit bulls and German shepherds guarding it. The Israeli police and military were out in large numbers but it was truly a peaceful demonstration.

Under the same slogan a demonstration was being held by Gazans inside the Strip. Speaking by phone from the Gazan side, the demonstrators were told that “We are joining hands today in the pursuit of peace, justice, and security for all—for Palestine, Israel, Gaza and Sderot”.

A 17-year-old resident of Sderot told of the stress of living under the threat of the Kassam rockets and expressed her thoughts, “I don’t trust either my government or Hamas to bring peace; but the fact that we are here together, Arabs, and Jews might be a beginning and it brings me hope.”

As of today, Thursday, the supplies are still housed in a Kibbutz on the southern side of the Gaza wall awaiting clearance by the Israeli authorities. To read more about the demonstration, go to www.aljazeera/eng.net ; click on Middle East; then Israel bars aid convoy to Gaza.

LIFE AFTER ISTANBUL

2008-01-25T11:56:00.000-08:00

Bougainvillia in Guest House Garden

Augusta Victoria Hospital Corridor

Rosemary Radford Ruether

Daniel Barenboim in concert at

Ramallah Cultural Palace

Apologies to all our faithful readers for the inexcusable hiatus! Since we came back from our Christmas break in Istanbul we’ve been busy.

The weather here has been cold, but not like in Canada. We had a few days of about
- 3 to -4C at night and 5 to 6C in the day time. Today, January 25, it was + 8 to 10. The grass is now bright green and some flowers are still blooming.

Donna resumed her duties in the Palestinian Lutheran School System this week and experienced the “joys” of going through the Bethlehem checkpoint twice a day 4 days a week. The Israeli soldiers manning the checkpoints get pretty loud and aggressive at times. She’ll be giving an update on her work in the schools and archivist duties soon.

Dale is busy at Augusta Victoria. Management is focusing on preparations for a major inspection by the Israeli Ministry of Health at the end of January. As if that isn’t enough, AVH is preparing its part of the LWF annual report, and the Midterm Development Plan for both of which Dale is doing his share of research and writing. Construction of a new paediatric ward is underway. It will house ten beds and a child-friendly chemo therapy area. We are still waiting for CIDA’s decision on a proposal Dale prepared before Christmas to fund the addition of 12 beds to the present geriatric ward. In the network of six East Jerusalem Palestinian hospitals AVH has developed specialty care in adult and paediatric cancer treatment, adult and paediatric dialysis, geriatric care, and diabetes care. AVH is an exciting place to work in!

Apart from our work, we’ve done a few interesting things in January. We heard Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether discuss her new book "America, Amerikkka: Elect Nation and Imperial Violence". She has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a scholar, teacher, and activist in the Roman Catholic Church, and is well known as a groundbreaking-figure in Christian feminist theology. She talked about the dangers posed by nations who think of themselves as “chosen”, namely, the U.S. and, of course, Israel.

That same weekend, we attended a Barenboim-Said Foundation Concert at the Ramallah Cultural Palace in Ramallah. Daniel Barenboim played 3 sonatas by Beethoven to a standing ovation, plus Chopin’s Nocturne as an encore. Although he is a pro-Palestinian Israeli, and not very popular in Israel, the beautiful hall was packed with Palestinians, internationals and dignitaries from the Palestinian Authority and numerous consulates, including the Canadian. The concert was held to dedicate a new grand piano that had been donated by a couple of German women who had been impressed with Barenboim and the Ramallah theatre.

Dale attended a symposium at the Notre Dame Centre on whether or not Annapolis and George Bush’s visit to Jerusalem and Ramallah would bear fruit. One thing his visit did do was cause a day of major traffic snarls and business closures for kilometers around Jerusalem – all in the name of security. The opinion of the Palestinian on the street is that Bush is more trouble than he’s worth. Every Palestinian knows that U.S. policy favours Israel.

This past Thursday Dale played bridge with, among others, Mordechai Vanounou. He is an Israeli engineer who blew the whistle on Israel’s nuclear programme a number of years ago and spent 18 years in prison, 15 of which were in solitary confinement. Mordechai is now a Christian, a member of Redeemer Lutheran, and unable to leave Israel. He has just been sentenced to 6 months community service for breach of parole. An interesting guy! Google his name and read about him on his website.

Last Saturday we had dinner with a friend from the guest house, an Australian drama and English teacher, at the Seven Arches Hotel on the Mt. of Olives just above the Garden of Gethsemane and Dominus Flevit (The Lord Wept) Church. Beautiful view of Jerusalem from the restaurant!

Well, that’s the catch-up. We’re probably going to the Erez checkpoint at Gaza tomorrow to take part in a solidarity demonstration for the Palestinians in Gaza who are being blockaded by the Israelis and deprived of food, fuel, medicine, and access to cancer care at Augusta Victoria.

We’ll write about that later.

...ISTANBUL..NOT CONSTANTINOPLE!

2008-01-06T09:52:00.000-08:00

Hotel Alzer

The Serpent Column

Obelisk of Constantine

German Fountain

Hagia Sophia

Blue Mosque

Kariye Museum

Dec. 28 at Sultana's

Basilica Cistern

Dervishes

Cruising on the Bosphorus

The Spice Bazaar

Topkepi Palace

The Grand Bazaar

Dolmabahce Palace

Barons II

After all the Christmas festivities we left very early on December 27 for our 2 ¼-hour flight to Istanbul. We’d booked a 7-night package deal through Expedia but were a little apprehensive about what to expect having never done anything like this before. However, we were delighted with our arrangements. We lucked out with our spotless little 21-room heritage hotel, the Hotel Alzer, friendly service, and perfect location in the Sultanahmet . We’d highly recommend it! http://www.alzerhotel.com/ Every morning we enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast on the 6th floor overlooking the Marmara Sea, Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.

During our 6-day stay, we had a relaxing holiday and still managed to see the main sites in Istanbul. It is the only city in the world built on two continents, standing on both shores of the Bosphorus where the waters of the Black Sea mingle with those of the Sea of Marmara. The Golden Horn divides European Istanbul in two and it was in the southern area where we spent much of our time.

Our hotel was conveniently located near one end of the Hippodrome (horse race-track), all that is left of the once magnificent arena (historians report a seating capacity of 30 to 60,000) built in the 2nd century during the reign of Roman emperor Septimius Severus, and expanded to colossal dimensions under Constantine the Great. Here we viewed daily the Obelisk of Theodosius, an Egyptian column from the temple of Karnak. It rests on a Byzantine base and has 3500-year-old hieroglyphics.

Right in front of our hotel was the Obelisk of Constantine Porphyrogenitus which was once covered in bronze, subsequently stolen by the Crusaders. Between the two monuments are the remains of a spiral column of intertwined snakes, originally erected by the Greeks at Delphi to celebrate their victory over the Persians.

At the other end of the Hippodrome stands the octagonal, domed German Fountain, a gift from German Emperor Wilhelm II, made in Germany and installed in 1898.

On the other side of the Hippodrome stands the elegant, imperial, six-minaret Mosque of Sultan Ahmet I. Built between 1609 and 1616, it is known as the Blue Mosque owing to the dominant colour of the paint used to decorate its magnificent dome and interior, and the walls of the galleries on three sides of the nave that are covered by more than 20,000 handmade tiles from Iznik.

Across the road and beautiful park area is the Hagia Sofia, or Church of Holy Wisdom. This ancient basilica was built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th and is one of the architectural marvels of all time. Its immense dome rises 55 meters above the ground and is 31 meters in diameter. The interior contains stunning Byzantine mosaics.

Across the tram lines from Hagia Sofia is the entrance to the underground Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici) so named because of a basilica once situated on the cistern. Built in the 6th century it supplied water to the palace complex nearby for regular summer use but also for times of siege. Fine brick vaulting is supported by 336 Corinthian columns; two Medusa heads which serve as the bases of two of the columns were discovered during a restoration project in 1984.

In the same neighbourhood is the Topkapi Palace, a maze of buildings that was once the great palace of the Ottoman sultans from 1462 to the 19th century. The first courtyard is a magnificent wooded garden. To the right are the palace kitchens, now housing a collection of crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain; on the left is 400-room Harem, the sumptuously decorated quarters of the wives and concubines of the sultan. The third court exhibits the sultan’s ceremonial robes and the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury.

On the same grounds are located the Museum of the Ancient Orient which houses Hittite and other older archaeological finds, the Istanbul Archaeology Museum which contains an outstanding collection of Greek and Roman statuary, and the graceful Cinili Kosk or Tiled Pavilion, one of Istanbul’s oldest Ottoman buildings.

In a farther part of the city is the Kariye Museum, the 11th century church of “St. Saviour”, which after St. Sophia is the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul. The walls are decorated with superb 14th century frescoes and mosaics on a gold background.

Almost next door to our hotel, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts was built in 1524; formerly the Ibrahim Pasa Palace, the grandest private residence ever built in the Ottoman Empire, it is now used as a museum for many beautiful Turkish and Persian miniatures, Seljuk tiles, Korans and antique carpets.

A tram ride away across the Golden Horn and built in its beautiful waterfront location on the Bosphorus lies the Dolmabahce Palace; built between 1843 and 1856, it was home for some of the last Ottoman sultans. Ataturk, the “father” of modern Turkey, died here on November 10, 1938. The Ambassadors Hall is still used to meet with and entertain dignitaries from all over the world.

Mosques and museums weren’t the only attractions in this beautiful city. No trip to Istanbul is complete without a cruise on the Bosphorus. We had a beautiful sunny day for our 2-hour round trip from the Eminonu harbour. Following that we took a ferry to Uskudar and spent an hour in the Asian section of Istanbul.

Shoppers can’t miss the smaller Arasta (Old) Bazaar of the Blue Mosque, or the larger Spice Bazaar (Misir Carsisi) behind the Yeni Mosque. Here the air is filled with the enticing aromas of cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint, thyme and every other conceivable herb and spice. But the most amazing bazaar is the Kapali Carsi (the Grand or Covered Bazaar). In this labyrinth of streets and passages are more than 4,000 shops with each trade having its own area. You will find goldsmiths, carpets, Turkish arts and crafts, leather, suede, cafes, etc.

For entertainment, one evening we attended the Sema (Whirling—Dervish—Ceremony) at the Railway Station performed by the Mevlevi Brotherhood, founded completely on love and tolerance. On Dec. 28, we spent our 45th anniversary at Sultana’s Restaurant for their 1001 Nights Belly Dancers Show with dinner in the Harem.

We saw the New Year in at Hotel Alzer’s New Year’s Eve multi-course dinner in the 6th floor dining room. We were seated with three people from the French part of Switzerland and had a chance to practise our French. At midnight we had a spectacular view of the fireworks that were being set off all over the European and Asian parts of Istanbul as well as the beautiful lights of the Blue Mosque in front of us.

We dined twice at Barons II, a Kurdish restaurant where you select your entrees on entering, and on our last night enjoyed a lovely meal and view from the top floor of Bodrum’s restaurant across from Hagia Sophia.

At 5 a.m. on Jan. 3 we left Hotel Alzer to fly back to Tel Aviv and return “home”. It was a wonderful holiday--we’d recommend Istanbul to anyone who hasn’t been there. We wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy 2008!

CHRISTMAS: DO NOT BE AFRAID

2008-01-05T06:40:00.000-08:00

Carolling at the Brown's

Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem

Bishop Younan leads the recessional at the

Christmas Eve service

Manger Square in Bethlehem

Church of the Nativity in the background

Traditional location of Jesus' birth located in the Church of the Nativity

Christmas Eve dinner in Manger Square

Christmas morning before service at Redeemer Lutheran followed by brunch at the Holman's

Christmas afternoon in the guest house garden

Christmas dinner at the guest house

We knew that celebrating Christmas in Jerusalem was going to be different. It was a given that we would miss our family and friends. We couldn’t have the traditional Christmas gatherings we hosted in Kitchener, not here in our modest little guest house room. We knew we would have to pass through the separation wall and Israeli security to get to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. If Joseph had been bringing Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem, their papers would’ve had to be in order. It just wasn’t going to be the usual Hallmark Christmas we’d enjoy back in Canada. So, what was Christmas going to be like in 2007?

Let me say first off that we looked much more closely than usual at the cards we received from family and friends. The messages in the cards were like hugs. And we were particularly overwhelmed by cards we received from Lutherans across Canada who had read about our work here in the Holy Land and wanted to wish us a Merry Christmas. Those good wishes helped to ease the heartache of not being with loved ones.

We also benefited from the kindness of those living around us. The special pre-Christmas events that we mentioned in our last article made the season festive for us here. We appreciated being invited to the Brown’s annual Carol Sing on the Sunday before Christmas. There we were treated to some wonderful traditional Danish food, in addition to the contributions of all attending, and to joining our voices with the talents of the musicians as we sang beloved carols and Christmas songs.

Christmas Eve really began about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The Arabic, German and English congregations of Redeemer Lutheran Church gathered just outside the Jaffa Gate to board chartered busses to go the 5 pm worship service at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. The Israelis did their usual check but made the passage through the wall a little easier than usual. They even invited some bus passengers into a guardhouse to receive chocolates and good wishes. It was really a public relations photo op for the Israeli authority, but a pleasant change from the usual tedious routine.

In Bethlehem Christmas Lutheran was packed to the rafters, and then some. The Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, the pastor of Christmas Lutheran, was the worship leader and was assisted by the three Redeemer pastors. Pastor Raheb’s homily was based on the words from the scripture lesson read from Luke 2:10-11 “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’” Pastor Raheb focused especially on the words “Do not be afraid”.

He told us in his sermon that he had just been to a conference of Middle Eastern leaders. He saw how fear paralysed them, preventing them from living life to the full and focussing on a better future. Fear forced them to emigrate or become radical fundamentalists. Pastor Raheb told us that the birth of Jesus, which took place 2000 years ago just down the road from where we were worshipping, freed us from fear because Jesus’ birth showed us that God is in control. The sky is the limit and we are free to concentrate on the endless possibilities that are here before us. Jesus has set us free with the promise of God’s grace, Mitri proclaimed, and so we are free of fear and free to be agents of change for the better. We together can tear down the separation walls of this world. There is so much to do in bringing justice to the world that we don’t have time to be afraid.

The beautiful Palestinian Christmas hymn we sang after the homily sums up Mitri’s message beautifully. It’s called Laylatal Milad (On the Night of Christmas), and the refrain goes like this:

On the night of Christmas – Hatred will vanish
On the night of Christmas – The earth blooms
On the night of Christmas – War is buried
On the night of Christmas – Love is born

Words of hope in such a troubled land!

Bishop Dr. Munib Younan pronounced the blessing and benediction, and we were dismissed to the Peace Centre next door to Christmas Lutheran for a glass of wine and fellowship.

With a friend from our guest house, we ended Christmas Eve in Bethlehem by mingling with the 1000’s of pilgrims who had invaded Manger Square. We listened to the wonderful carols sung by the mass choir performing in the square, enjoyed a traditional meal of mousakan, revelled in the carnival-like celebration, and then made our way back through the Wall to the Mount of Olives and the guest house.

On Christmas morning at 10 am we worshipped at Redeemer in Jerusalem. It was a bittersweet occasion because we learned that Bishop Younan’s mother had died on Christmas Eve sometime after worship as result of injuries sustained in a fall.

Pastor Mark and Marcia Holman invited the whole congregation to their apartment for a potluck Christmas Day brunch at noon, and I think most of us showed up. It was a great fellowship, and then Donna and I walked up the Mount of Olives to the guest house. But that wasn’t the end of the Christmas festivities.

Long time residents Tony and Toshiko were busy preparing a Christmas dinner for twenty people including those of us left at the guest as well as some expatriates living on the Augusta Victoria Campus. We pitched in, and the result was a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Yum! It helped all of us who were a long way from loved ones to overcome the loneliness of separation.

By midnight everything was cleaned up and we retreated to our room to make our eagerly anticipated telephone call back home. What a joy it was to speak to our daughters, grandchildren, and the rest of the family who were just sitting down to dinner at Deb’s, Donna’s sister’s home. A wonderful end to a wonderful day! The only thing that would have made it better would have been to be there with them!

Advent Four Message

2007-12-24T14:12:00.000-08:00

Mark Holman, of the ELCA, is the pastor of the English-speaking congregation of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in the Old City in East Jerusalem. His wife Marcia and he arrived from Minnesota a month before us to begin a four-year term here in this position. This was Mark’s sermon given on Sunday the 23rd, the Fourth Sunday in Advent. As the four of us have had the same reactions to what we have been experiencing, we felt that he expressed our feelings so well. Mark has kindly given us permission to include his message in our blog.

There is a columnist who writes for my favourite newspaper. I don’t often share this writer’s opinions, but I respect his views and appreciate his writing style. David Brooks, writing in this week’s NY Times, was commenting on the front-running candidates seeking their party’s nomination for President of the U.S. I won’t address the political issues here, but I do want to lift up one of Brooks’ apt images.

He sounds a warning to us and to the candidates. He says that Presidents are too often buffeted by over-the-top flattery, criticism and betrayal. They become isolated and exposed. They are, as he says, “puffed up on the outside and hollowed out on the inside.” It is that image of being puffed up on the outside and even more being hollowed out on the inside that’s been rattling around in my soul.

For the image is not only apt for international leaders – but it is apt for our celebration of Christmas … and the living of our lives…. as well.

I suspect you have already received many greetings from friends and family. Sometimes they come by mail – more often by email. With many of these greetings (especially to those of us who will celebrate our first Xmas here in Jerusalem), the disconnect between what people think we are experiencing – and what we are actually experiencing is amazing.

Sometimes it is amusing – and sometimes it is sadly serious. Here & now, in the age of instant communication, it is staggering to realize how mis-informed so many bright people are.

Let me illustrate – This week Marcia and I heard from a dear friend, Betty, and she gave expression to similar sentiments we have heard from others. Betty wrote, “What is it like to BE in the area where Jesus was actually born? I just cannot imagine how incredible it has to be!!! Are there many celebrating his birth with you? Is there much opportunity to witness the Gospel to those not sharing the Christian faith? How is Christmas celebrated there? … (IN CONCLUSION) May the Jesus whose birthday we celebrate – touch your hearts and souls like never before.”

Betty is a wonderful and loving friend and I don’t mean to dismiss – for a second – the sincerity of her greeting. But, what she imagines it’s like here – and what it is really like, is quite different.

We also received a note from David, a former classmate, recent Bishop’s assistant and now serving as Sr. Pastor for one of the largest Lutheran churches in Ohio. “I took my first (and only) trip to Israel just 2 years ago and was really moved by the trip. It was sponsored by the Cleveland Jewish Community Federation and included Christians and Jews; we met with Palestinian and Jewish leaders, but it was mainly looking at the political situation from the Jewish viewpoint. This Christmas will be so different for you, probably in every way, unless you keep some of the food traditions!"

I am quite certain that David’s tour did not include Bethlehem – the place we go tomorrow – the place of the Saviour’s birth. Many tour groups of the type he was on, understand Bethlehem to be a forbidden place, a place of danger. You just don’t go over there to visit the birthplace of the Prince of Peace.

Now, there is nothing wrong with the views of Betty and David and people within your circle of friends and family. It simply shows that we all have a lot to learn. For everyone of us, learning is a life-long task. And for us, we have the particular opportunity and responsibility to teach – not only current events – but, what we are coming to know as Christmas in this place, this dark place of the Savior’s birth.

In many ways Xmas gets so puffed up and hollowed out that it is hard to see anything of the simplicity, natural loveliness, holiness and the raw earthiness of that moment when God became flesh – Emmanuel – flesh to dwell among and save people like you and me and ALL people.

Perhaps the ultimate puffery is demonstrated in the “living nativities” that seem to be the current rage in some of the largest mega churches. Right after Thanksgiving, Travis visited one such living nativity near Chicago:

“That night I and a couple of thousand others were enthralled by the spectacular staging of the beautiful and inspiring story of the first Christmas told reverently in pageantry, music, and scripture. It featured multiple-set tableaus, live animals, and swelling musical orchestration; but perhaps the most notable component of this particular scene, as I observed was in the audience’s response to it. As soon as the curtain pulled back to reveal the full set of the nativity, the stage began to sparkle with the strobing flashes from countless digital cameras. It was the one and only point at which the audience was willing to transgress the venue's explicit rule to not take flash photos. Suddenly, the stage lights came up and the beautiful Xmas story unfolded. It was almost as if we were there."

When the story of the nativity is PUFFED UP in a full multi-media extravaganza, it is hard not to feel a bit hollowed out. It happens a lot – the puffing, that is – this time of the year, and understandably; it is the greatest story ever told. But, when you try to square all of that with the first pitiable stable with its cold-stone manger, and its young Mary and bewildered Joseph, it’s hard to put it all together.

And, tomorrow, when so many will walk through checkpoints and then pass through the awful “Wall” – it will be hard to imagine that this is the birthplace of the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace. With that disconnect, many of us might be feeling more than a bit hollowed out. But, that’s okay. In fact, it is a good place to be to celebrate Xmas and consider its meaning for your life.

Think of old Joseph. If anyone had the feeling of being hollowed out, it was him…His betrothed, Mary, was pregnant. That could only be viewed as a terrible shame, a tragedy. For Joseph, it would be hard to image anything worse. Incredibly, though, he had enough…What? Integrity? Love? Compassion? Matthew calls it righteousness… Anyway, he had enough of it to quietly dismiss Mary – and very possibly save her life if not her reputation. There was nothing puffed about old Joseph. He was hollowed to his core. The only thing that was left was his honourable plan.

Today’s gospel tells us that it may be okay to be hollowed out. It’s an okay place to celebrate Xmas. It’s an okay place to consider what you are doing with your life, and what values guide it. When something – or someone – is hollowed, there is new space created.

For Joseph, God entered the hollow and gave him something so much better than his noble and well-conceived plan. God gave purpose and mission.

For those going to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve tomorrow, God can enter the hollow and give something so much better than even the loveliest live nativity in Chicago. God can give deepened faith through the flickering of a candle or through a familiar carol heard again “for the first time”.

For those of us in the late-stages of crafting a new plan for our own lives, we may be surprised (like Joseph) that God has a different (and better idea.) This year, let’s step aside from the stuff that puffs up Xmas – it’s really not necessary. But let’s step toward – even embrace – the experience of being hollowed out. The Saviour of the world wants to be born in that sacred space...

A Review of Israel Shanak's JEWISH HISTORY, JEWISH RELIGION: THE WEIGHT OF 3000 YEARS

2007-12-24T01:40:00.000-08:00

The bottom line of the decades-long conflict regarding the ownership of this land is that both the Jews and the Palestinians believe that they have “divine right” to the land that we know today as Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

According to Israel Shanak in his book, JEWISH HISTORY, JEWISH RELIGION: THE WEIGHT OF 3000 YEARS, a good many Israelis, as well as Jews living in other parts of the world, believe that Jews have a divine right to part of Egypt right up to the outskirts of Cairo, all of Jordan, a chunk of Saudi Arabia, all of Kuwait and a piece of Iraq, all of Lebanon and Syria, some of Turkey, and the whole of Cyprus, because the biblical boundaries of Israel included these areas. Of course, Israel does not have the strength to re-occupy these countries, but it does have the strength to occupy all of the West Bank and Gaza. However, the dream of “getting back biblical Israel”, Shanak writes, is very strong among the orthodox Israeli Jews who have a great deal of influence with Israeli policy-makers.

The Palestinians, on the other hand, through an ownership trust called “waqf”, lay claim to almost all of Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza which have been given in trust to the Supreme Muslim Council. This land is theoretically inalienable, meaning that it may not be sold. In short, both Israelis and Palestinians have an historic and theological claim on the land in question.

Shanak points out something else that we non-Jews need to grasp in order to understand what underlies Israeli policy. When a group of settlers seizes a Palestinian property, they aren’t stealing the land; they are “redeeming” it. Any land that was part of “greater Israel” and that now belongs to a Gentile (a Muslim, a Christian etc.) is "unredeemed" and there for the taking. The commandment “Thou shalt not steal” for an orthodox Jew means “Thou shalt not steal from another Jew”.

What is even more disturbing is Shanak’s observation that, according to orthodox Judaism, a Jew is under no obligation to protect or spare the life of a Gentile (Muslim, Christian). A Jew will do so only if, by not doing so, some harm could come to the Jewish people. In a word, according to Jewish law, a Jew may do all that is necessary to rid the land of Gentiles. Conversely, Muslims have deemed Jews and Christians to be “people of the book” and, until recently, recognized them as “dhimmi”, that is, “protected” people, although with fewer privileges than the Muslim population. However, some radicals in Islamic theocracies cannot abide the presence of non-Muslims.

The point that Shanak makes in his book is that Israel puts on a good act for the West and makes token “efforts" to come to terms with the Palestinians. He writes that Canada and the United States are the most gullible of all western countries in the face of Israeli subterfuge. He says that Canada is particularly taken in, but that the US is a greater stumbling block to peace in the region because of the billions of dollars in aid that the US gives to Israel each year, allowing Israel to carry out its policies of expansion.

Shanak wants the West to see through Israeli action, and he wants Israelis to free themselves from the shackles of their history and religion so that they can play a more responsible role in today’s world.

DECEMBER IN THE WEST BANK

2007-12-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

Weihnachtsmarkt and Arabic Congregations's

Christmas Bazaars

St. Lucia celebration

Diana's birthday Party and farewell to Ecumenical Accompanier Team

Bethlehem's Christmas Lutheran

Dar Al-Kalima Kindergarten's Christmas Party

Hope Lutheran School's Christmas Programme

At the time of writing our Advent article for the Kitchener Record, December started out with little indication that Christmas was near, unlike at home where Christmas preparations usually begin as soon as Hallowe’en is over!

There had been a bazaar of Bethlehem vendors held in the Jerusalem Hotel in East Jerusalem in mid November that offered a few Christmas items. However, it wasn’t until the first of December when the Christmas bazaar, a Weihnachtsmarkt, held by the German-speaking congregation at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, combined with a flea market gave us our next glimpse of the approach of Christmas.

Our first opportunity to enter the familiar world of Christmas trees and decorations came when Bob Granke, the Executive Director of Canadian Lutheran World Relief who was in Jerusalem for Board meetings, treated us to dinner at the American Colony Hotel which was all decked out for Christmas for its international visitors.

With the beginning of Advent, the weekly volleyball and potluck gatherings at the Stone House, were replaced by Wednesday night Advent potluck/devotional gatherings held in people’s homes.

Then on the second Sunday in Advent, the Arabic-speaking congregation of the Church of the Redeemer held their Christmas bazaar after the Sunday service, and, later that afternoon, Pastor John Setterlund, a retired pastor from Chicago who has been volunteering in Beit Jala for the last year and a half, gave an organ concert there that included some advent and a hint of Christmas music. The decorations and lights in the church promised the approach of Christmas.

Since then some of the stores in the old city and downtown East Jerusalem have started to sell small imitation Christmas trees and decorations and a few lights have appeared. In Bethlehem, with its larger Christian population, some lights and decorations make it look more like home. The Muslim community is celebrating its largest festival now as well: Eid Adha commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Ishmael to follow Allah’s command—an interesting parallel to the story we’re familiar with.

On December 13, we attended the St. Lucia’s celebration at the Swedish Theological Institute. A candle-light procession of choir members robed in white and carrying candles was led by “St. Lucia” to a balcony in the courtyard where we were treated to a programme of beautiful Swedish music; after the concert, everyone was invited inside for a glass of mulled wine or juice and some Swedish pastries.

We also had the pleasure this month of attending a birthday party in Beit Hanina for Diana, one of the Ecumenical Accompaniers. Diana (pronounced Deeana) and her husband Jakob are a young couple from Germany. She lived here in the Guest House with her team and was most generous in including us in group potlucks here. Jakob is working as the vicar in the Arabic Lutheran congregation. It was also a farewell for the Ecumenical Accompaniers team. We’ve had to say goodbye not only to Diana but to the other young women from the team: Michaela from Poland, Maria from Sweden, Hilda from Norway, and Krista from Finland. We’ll certainly miss their bubbly and friendly presence here. The Guest House seems empty without them.

Last Sunday we attended a choral concert by the Star Chorus at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. The beautiful music combined with the decorations in the church brought home how near we are to Christmas.

This week Sister Sylvia and I attended the Kindergarten’s Christmas programme at Dar Al-Kalima School in Bethlehem, and the Hope School’s Christmas programme at Hope Lutheran Church in Ramallah. It was just like being home—except for the language, of course.

From now until Christmas we’ll have the pleasure of attending our last Wednesday-night Advent gathering, an Palestinian Rock and Roll Christmas Concert, Augusta Victoria Hospital’s Christmas/Adha dinner, the SABEEL Christmas programme and dinner—see http://www.sabeel.org/ for details about the organisation—and another concert in Bethlehem.

On Christmas Eve, we’ll attend the 5:00 p.m. service at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem and have a chance to wander around Manger Square in front of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. On Christmas morning, we’ll celebrate at the Redeemer service, followed by a Christmas potluck/brunch at the Holman’s—the home of our warm and generous pastor and his wife.

To finish off the day, the folks living at the Guest House will be having a joint turkey dinner complete with all the trimmings. We’ll definitely miss our celebrations with friends and family at home, but we’ll be together in our hearts and minds. A most blessed Christmas to everyone!

Advent Article in Kitchener/Waterloo Newspaper "THE RECORD"

2007-12-18T06:22:00.000-08:00

This article appeared in the Faith Section of the Kitchener newspaper "The Record" on Saturday, December 15, describing our early Advent observations here in East Jerusalem. (To see the article as it appears printed in the newspaper, select "View Newspaper PDF". )

http://news.therecord.com/Life/faith/article/283229

http://news.therecord.com/Life/faith

PEACE INITIATIVES

2007-12-16T11:36:00.000-08:00

After our return from Jordan with the East Michigan group, we were fortunate to be part of a dinner meeting with the group at the home of Mark and Marcia Holman.

An aside: Mark is the pastor of the English-speaking congregation of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in the Old City of Jerusalem where we are members during our stay here. They are from Minnesota; Marcia left a position as a Behavioural Consultant and will be offering her services here in the ELCJHL schools during their 4-year stay here. They were also part of the group from here who along with us joined the folks from East Michigan on their side trip to Jordan.

After a wonderful catered Palestinian meal, we were privy to a moving presentation by two representatives from “Parents’ Circle – Families Forum” (Bereaved Families Supporting Reconciliation & Peace), a non-political organisation. The Forum was established in 1995 and in 1997, Palestinians joined. They donate blood for each other, provide summer camps for Israeli and Palestinian students to get to know each other, give lectures in high schools—they’ve talked to 30,000 students, both Israeli and Palestinian. They sponsor a radio programme where Israelis and Palestinians can talk to each other, and promote the use of bumper stickers, “It won’t stop until we talk”.

Rami, an Israeli, told his story of the devastation suffered by him and his family when his 14-year-old daughter was killed by a suicide bomber in 1997. He struggled with his hatred and feelings for revenge until, nine years ago, when at the age of 47, he joined the organisation. It was the first time in his life that he had actually met a Palestinian. Although he said that he could never forgive the person who committed this atrocity, he came to the realisation that “we are not doomed; we can break this cycle of revenge through dialogue & listening; reconciliation can make cracks of hope in the wall of fear”. He now has the support of his whole family. His wife, a professor at Hebrew University, and his whole family are involved in peace activities.

Shireen, a Palestinian lawyer, told of a number of family members—in particular, an uncle, and a brother—who have been killed by Israeli bullets. She also has another brother still in jail. Her family and friends support her or at least don’t interfere with her work in the organisation. When asked what we can do, “Be pro-peace and reconciliation; don’t take sides. Promote respect and convey the basic values of humanitarianism.”

You can find out more about this organisation at http://www.theparentscircle.org/ .

A TRIP TO JORDAN

2007-12-02T05:50:00.000-08:00

We and three others living in East Jerusalem had the opportunity from Nov. 25 to 27 to join a group of nine from Michigan on the part of their tour that took them to Amman and Petra. The group consisted of Lutheran pastors, wives, and lay people who were here on a study tour to learn as much as possible about the situation here and to visit the Lutheran ELCJHL churches.

We left on Sunday around noon after church, taking a minibus to the border crossing at the Allenby Bridge, named the King Hussein Bridge in Jordan, a trip from Jerusalem of about 45 minutes.

Having never crossed a border by land here before, we weren’t prepared for the security that we experienced! After we were finally cleared by both the Israeli and Jordanian military, we finally boarded another minibus to take us to Amman after being assigned an armed Tourist policeman who accompanied us most of the time while we were in Jordan.

We finally arrived at the Jerusalem International Hotel in Amman around 3:45 p.m. After settling in, we were met by Pastor Samer Avar, the pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Good Shepherd Church who gave us a tour of Amman; unfortunately it was already dark by 5:00 but we had some excellent night views of the city.

We arrived at the Good Shepherd Church for the service at 6:30 p.m. Because Jordan is mainly a Muslim city, stores are open on Sundays and so the Lutheran church holds its Sunday service in the evening to accommodate those members who have to work. Pastor Samer translated parts of the service and the sermon which was delivered by Pastor Fred Harms from Michigan. The Michigan church and the Amman church are twinned and the pastors have exchanged visits before. After the service and coffee hour, we were treated to a delicious traditional Middle Eastern meal hosted by the Good Shepherd church.

The next morning, we left at 6:30 a.m. for the 2 ½ hour drive to Petra, the Rose-Red City which was discovered in 1812 by a Swiss explorer, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt on his way from Damascus to Egypt. Petra was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, a people made wealthy by the caravan trade around 312 B.C. However, its independence ended when it was annexed in AD 106 by Rome and the Nabataeans fell into oblivion.

Our group hired a guide for a 4-hour tour of the main parts of Petra—he told us that one needed 5 days to see the whole city properly. We walked through the canyons, marvelling at the beauty of the cliffs with their amazing coloured stratification and shapes hewn by raging floods and natural erosion. The homes, stairs, tombs, and temples that had been carved by the Nabataeans were breathtaking. We followed the Siq, a natural narrow gorge among the rocks, 120 metres long, with the rocks reaching 100 metres high, opening out into the highlight of the tour, the Treasury or royal tomb of Al-Khazneh, probably built during the first century B.C. Who can forget the awe felt as we watched Indiana Jones ride through the opening in the narrow passage to view the Treasury towering before him! It was even more awe-inspiring in real life.

After our amazing day, we had dinner and spent the night at the Grand View Hotel in Petra, very aptly named, and proceeded back to Jerusalem the next day. It was certainly a trip not to be missed!

A VISIT WITH FRIENDS

2007-12-02T05:20:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful couple of days we had when Kathleen and John Lambert spent three nights in Jersualem on their trip to the Holy Land.

Originally we’d planned to see each other first on the Mount of Olives in the Augusta Victoria Hospital compound. Their itinerary had them scheduled to visit the church and tower of the Ascension Church which offers a panoramic view of Jerusalem. However, their guide changed the itinerary at the last moment, likely because Israelis are told it is too dangerous to enter East Jerusalem. What a shame as it was a beautiful day and the view would have been amazing.

However, we got together the next evening, meeting them at their hotel, The Renaissance at Rupert Bridge and Heizl St. in West Jerusalem, where we had a lovely visit and dinner together at their hotel. We also relieved them of the containers of maple syrup which they kindly brought for us, having lugged them around with them on their travels!

The next day we met each other around 1:00 p.m. in front of the Damascus Gate to the Old City and spent a delightful afternoon wandering up and down Sultan Suleiman and Salah al Din Streets in East Jerusalem. The weather was perfect, sunny skies, around 20 degrees.

Later, we treated them to the experience of riding a Palestinian bus up to our Guest House on the Mount of Olives. They got to see the Church of the Ascension and the tower from the outside at least—unfortunately it closes at 1:00 p.m. to visitors. We enjoyed sitting in the garden at our Guest House sharing some wine together before taking a “Servisse” (special taxi/bus) back down to the Old City around dusk. We had time to wander leisurely through part of the Old City before our reservation at Nafoura’s, an Armenian restaurant, near the Jaffa Gate where we enjoyed a delicious meal together.

All too soon, we had to say goodbye as they had to pack for their return flight to Canada the next morning. Khalid, our taxi driver returned them to their hotel and drove us back “home”. Their visit had been the highlight of our week! We extend the invitation to family and friends to come and see us while we’re here. Remember, the clock is ticking, only seven months left for an unforgettable experience. We’d love to show you around!

An Advent Message from Jerusalem

2007-11-30T09:50:00.000-08:00

Pastor Mark Holman has invited Dale to preach on the 1st Sunday in Advent. So here’s his sermon, for better or worse. Remember that a sermon should not be read, but rather heard.

1st Sunday in Advent

I have to say that Advent is different here in Jerusalem. Back home in Canada the meaning of Advent is lost in the commercial push to sell more, and the cultural rush to get to Christmas. It all starts right after Halloween. The malls resound with sentimental, or just plain wacky, Christmas songs, interspersed with the occasional premature Christmas carol. You get to observe Advent at church on Sunday if you’re lucky.

In my 1st parish I joined the more reformed Protestant congregations in the neighbourhood for an annual Advent service. This was a tradition that preceded me. My reformed Protestant neighbours really had no sense of what Advent is all about. When I was the host at Holy Trinity Lutheran, I had to fight with them to sing Advent hymns. They wanted to sing Christmas carols. The same thing happened at our joint Good Friday service. They wanted to sing Easter hymns. Ecumenism can be a challenge sometimes.

Advent in Jerusalem is different. Here a commercial and secular Christmas isn’t getting in the way. We have the space to get our minds around the meaning of Advent.

The lessons of the past few weeks have given us a foretaste of what Advent is all about. They’ve got us ready to think about Jesus’ promise to return. Today, on the 1st Sunday of Advent, and on the next three Sundays, we turn our attention to the statement in the Apostles’ Creed that reminds us that one of the things we believe is that Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead.

We call this the second coming, the parousia, and it’s a part of our Christian theology we call eschatology – the teaching about the end of history. Aren’t those ten-dollar theological text book terms wonderful?

Advent was once called the “winter Lent”. It used to be six weeks long, just like regular Lent. And the liturgy took on a more sombre tone, just like in Lent. And just as Lent is a time to prepare our hearts and minds for the Resurrection, so Advent is a time to prepare our hearts and minds, not just for Jesus’ birth, but for the time in history when Jesus will return and make creation perfect, as it was in the beginning. During Advent we prepare for, and watch for, and wait for a new creation in Jesus Christ.

Christmas is the “already” of our faith journey. We’re getting ready to celebrate Jesus’ birth which has already happened. But the focus of Advent is on Jesus’ promised return – the “not yet” of our faith journey. Our Advent readings remind us to be alert, to prepare, to watch for Jesus’ return. As our Gospel lesson told us this morning, not even Jesus could say when he would return in glory. Only God knows the day and the hour. Matthew told us that Jesus’ return would be at the most unexpected hour and so we must always be ready, we must always have oil in our lamps with the wicks trimmed.

My homiletics professor – the person who tried to teach us the art of preaching – said in one of his sermons: We are all invited to the heavenly banquet, and we don’t want to miss the host’s arrival because we’re too busy reaching for the mustard. Watch and wait and be prepared is the Advent message.

I said a few moments ago that this Advent is different for me because I’m in Jerusalem, and because I know that Jerusalem is the place where the traditions of all three Abrahamic and monotheistic religions hold that history will come to an end. Jerusalem is the place where there will be, on a day chosen by God, a new creation.

We all know that Jerusalem is an integral part of the traditions of all three religions. For the Jews the Temple Mount is the place where Adam was created from dust, where Cain murdered Abel, where Abraham bound Isaac for sacrifice, the place where Solomon built the First Temple and where it was destroyed, where the 2nd temple was razed by the Romans, and where the 3rd Temple, as tradition tells us, will be built, ushering in the Messiah and End Times. The Western Wall or Wailing Wall is all that remains of the 2nd Temple and is sacred to the Jews. This is where 1000’s of Jews, religious and secular, gathered just hours after East Jerusalem had been taken from the Jordanian army in 1967, where they gather every Shabat. Jews had been kept away from the Wailing Wall since 1948.

Jerusalem is where the Messiah, for both Christians and Jews, will come in through the Golden Gate.

For the Muslims the Temple Mount is the destination of Mohammed’s night flight from Mecca and the spot from which he ascended into heaven where God revealed the future to him. This event is as central to Islam as the Exodus is to Judaism.

Another tradition holds that Mohammed tied his winged horse, Al Buraq, to the Western Wall. On the last day, according to Muslim tradition, the Kaaba, the cube-like dwelling believed to have been built by Abraham and Ishmael that lies in Mecca, will miraculously appear on the Temple Mount. The Kaaba must be visited by a Muslim at least once in his lifetime when he makes the Haaj, the pilgrimage to Mecca.

For us Christians the places where Jesus was crucified, and buried, and raised from the dead, lie just a few meters away from the Temple Mount. We Christians don’t have the same feeling about the Temple Mount as our Muslim and Jewish sisters and brothers. But Jerusalem, the city, is very much part of our vocabulary when we talk about Christ’s return. At the end of history, we say in Revelation, the New Jerusalem will descend from heaven, and Jesus will be sitting on a throne in the midst of the city.

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have a sense of a New Jerusalem. The old Jerusalem has had such a bloody history. Christian Crusaders murdered Muslims and Jews in Jerusalem. Muslims have slaughtered Christians and Jews in Jerusalem. In several recent wars Muslims and Jews have killed each other in this beleaguered city. There has to be something better. So, there has to be another Jerusalem. In fact, one of the Hebrew spellings of Jerusalem has an ending that indicates duality – a pair of Jerusalems.

Well, the old Jerusalem was so mean and brazen and sinful that a duplicate - a sublime Jerusalem - was raised up to heaven, 18 miles up according to Jewish lore, and 12 miles up according to Muslim lore. The good and saintly will go up to live forever in the sublime, heavenly Jerusalem.

Our Christian tradition doesn’t speak of a physical New Jerusalem a certain distance above the earthly Jerusalem, but, in the Book of Revelation, we do couch our expression of the end of time and the return of Jesus in the metaphor of a New Jerusalem descending from heaven. And this is exactly what we are preparing ourselves for; this is what we are watching for during the season of Advent.

Our anticipation of Christ’s return takes on more urgency here in this troubled Old Jerusalem where we watch and wait for the New Jerusalem to come down from heaven – here in the old Jerusalem where every blood-stained stone has a story to tell.
Dear friends, we watch and wait and long for Jesus to come and make things right. But how do we prepare? Easy answer! We get as much of Jesus’ work done as we can before he comes back.

Jesus made it very clear in Matthew 25 what we are expected to do as disciples. We are to feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty and clothe the naked and house the homeless and visit the prisoner. Jesus has commissioned us to bring justice to those places where there is no justice. There is no end of those places. Here in this less than holy land all we need to do is go to an East Jerusalem or to a check point or to a house demolition to see where justice is needed.
When Jesus returns, may he find us working to make this raggedy old world a happy and just place for all people. Amen

Potpourri

2007-11-18T06:33:00.000-08:00

Top left: Pr. Mark Holman, pianist Christiane Ahnert & guest violinist Stefan Bergen

The past week has been a potpourri of experiences. Last Sunday (November 11) Dale was the celebrant and Donna read the lessons for the English language service at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem, the Old City (al Quds al Qadime) where Donna and Dale worship each Sunday. Donna has also served as usher and sacristan over the past six weeks. Pastor Mark Holman has asked Dale to be the assistant each Sunday, and Dale will preach on Advent I.

The English speaking congregation meets in Redeemer’s St. John Chapel which is known as the “Crusaders’ Chapel” and was built in the early 12th century as part of a large pilgrims’ hostel and convent named St. Mary Latine Minor. It was one of many buildings erected in Jerusalem by the Crusader Knights of St. John. This past week the international order of the Templars had a service at St. John Chapel, because it is the Crusaders’ chapel, and inducted some new members into the order.

After worship a bunch from Redeemer went to a bazaar at the Jerusalem Hotel. There were wonderful jewellery, shawls, scatter mats and other examples of Palestinian handicraft for sale, and one table with Gypsy ware. Gypsies in Jerusalem? Dale spoke to one of the young women at the table, and it turns out that there is a small colony of Gypsies in Old Jerusalem who came from India in the 11th century to fight against the Crusaders, and stayed after the war. Their descendants call themselves the Domani and they speak a language derived from Urdu which is spoken in India today. They are negotiating with the Israeli government to be designated as an official minority.

Two things of special note happened in the lives of the Palestinian people this past week. On November 10, Yasser Arafat’s mausoleum was officially dedicated in Ramallah. It was built just in front of Arafat’s bunker where he and the Palestinian Authority were held prisoner the last years of his life. Mark and Marcia Holman, Donna, and Dale had to go to Ramallah on November 12 to get visas for a two-day trip to Jordan on November 25 and, so, they went to see Arafat’s burial place. It is a truly impressive memorial on the part of the Palestinians to his memory. Not every Palestinian loved Arafat, but he has become a folk hero since his death; he is remembered as someone who would never give up the right of Palestinians to return to their ancestral lands, even at Camp David where it appeared as if Barak and Bill Clinton were about to give him everything else that he wanted – except, of course, the right of return. It was moving to see the flowers and olive leaves on the tomb and visitors kissing the stone as they left. There was a scout leader there who had brought his boys to see the tomb, and he explained with great emotion what Yasser Arafat meant to him. Outside the tomb there is a minaret-like tower with a laser beam aimed at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Old Jerusalem where the Palestinians had wanted to bury Arafat. Of course, for political reasons, the Israelis did not want a Palestinian “saint’s” tomb in Old Jerusalem. But “some day”--Palestinians dream.

The 2nd event in the lives of Palestinians this past week was Independence Day. There was no school and the hospital administration had a day off. On November 15, 1988, the Palestinian Authority in exile in Algiers declared Palestine to be an independent nation. It was unilateral. No other country joined in the declaration. But November 15 is a day of hope for the Palestinians. “Some day”--Palestinians dream.
Friday, November 16 was the hospital administration’s day to pick olives. Another day off! Trouble was that all 800 trees had been picked. So, it turned out to be a fun day. Oh, we picked a few buckets of olives that others had missed. Then we had a BBQ, played some volleyball, and had a day of fellowship. It was truly an agape meal of mixed grill, Palestinian salads and bread, and Arabic coffee.

SAHTAIN!

2007-11-10T04:23:00.000-08:00

Palestine is a place with a rich history and culture. Food in Palestine has important social, spiritual, religious, medical, and in some areas, even magical functions. To date in our journey, we have had the opportunity to try a number of Palestinian dishes. The traditional breakfast was described previously. Let’s move on to the rest of the day.

To start your meal with “salad” or appetizer (or just order for lunch), you must try the Arabic Mezze. You will be treated to a marvellous assortment of salads to be shared, or if you have the appetite, to enjoy on your own. Every mezze is different; however, the usual mezze consists of little individual plates of hummus—chickpeas and sesame oil, and baba ghanoush--pureed eggplants and tahina both of which are for dipping pieces of marvellously fresh pita bread. But that’s not all. Additional salads of slivered carrots with red and green peppers and onions marinated in olive oil, lemon, and a variety of herbs and spices; creamy minced cucumber and spices in yogurt; chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions in olive oil, lemon, and seasonings; grilled pieces of eggplant in an olive oil and herbs sauce, and sometimes a tomato dish slightly reminiscent of salsa. There may be cabbage salads, either or both green and red. Plates of olives, and pickles, and sometimes beets also accompany the salads. A wonderful mix to tantalize the senses!

A popular main dish that is often ordered to follow the salad course is the mixed grill, consisting of individual skewers of ground beef, pieces of chicken, and cubes of lamb, usually served with the best French fries you can imagine.

A favourite main course is called Mansaff which is served in a variety of ways depending on the chef. However, it usually consists of a mound of rice that has been seasoned usually with salt, pepper, nutmeg, onions and garlic, small pieces of toasted pita, pine nuts, and slivered almonds served on a large round tray. Sometimes there are pieces of meat such as ground beef, or small cubes of lamb mixed in with the rice. Or, pieces of grilled chicken or chunks of lamb are sometimes served on the side. Bowls of plain yogurt accompany the dish to be spread on the rice mixture. Delicious!

A variation of this dish is Maklouba (“upside down”) which consists of a mixture of rice with vegetables—often cauliflower and carrots—lamb, or chicken, mild spices and nuts turned upside down on a platter and garnished with sautéed pine kernels, also served with yogurt and a lettuce salad. We were treated to a “home-cooked meal” by one of our usual taxi drivers who insisted on having his wife make up the “best Maklouba in town” and deliver it to our Guest House common room for all to enjoy. The meal which was ordered for seven people, provided leftovers for the next three nights! Khalib is now after us to pick a night to come to his house for his wife to prepare another traditional dish. Can you imagine?

I’ll save descriptions of other dishes for another time. My taxi driver in Bethlehem wants me to come to his house after school one day to meet his wife and family and join them for tea or coffee, and sweets—another delicious topic for later. Ever had such generous taxi drivers in Canada? So for now, as the Palestinians say: ….SAHTAIN!, meaning “a double (good) health.” Bon appetite!

The Olive Festival in Bethlehem

2007-11-10T01:36:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday Donna and I spent most of the day in Bethlehem. We took bus 75 from At Tur to the bus station just outside the Damascus Gate and switched to bus 124 to carry on to the Bethlehem check-point. The check-point was relatively quiet. Of course a few Palestinians who wanted to go to Bethlehem were harassed in the usual way- papers, permits, palm prints, shoes and belts on a conveyor belt, the usual harsh Israeli voice shouting at a Palestinian who doesn’t do the right thing. Our Canadian passports got us through, and our favourite cabby, Mussa whom we had called from the Jerusalem side was waiting to take us to Manger Square in front of the Church of the Nativity.

It was a special day in Bethlehem. It was the annual Olive Festival. When we arrived there was a demonstration being held by the Union of Palestinian Farmers, and there was a stage in front of the Peace Centre where area Palestinian officials had gathered to welcome people to the festivities. The many speeches stopped once, out of respect for the Muslim call-to-prayer from the mosque on the opposite side of Manger Square from the Church of the Nativity. Young people from the Bethlehem area schools where Donna is working sang and danced.

In the square the various co-operatives supporting women, children, farmers and local business had set up booths where olive oil products such as soap, olive-wood carvings, cross-stitch purses, bags, wall hangings, Pashmina shawls and scarves, ceramics, and jewellery – all hand made by Bethlehemites. We discovered a booth where wines and brandy from the Cremisan Winery/Distillery were on sale. Needless to say we took advantage of the opportunity to stock up.

We walked the semicircular suq which begins near Christmas Lutheran Church and swings south and then east ending up in again in Manger Square, glancing down interesting side streets. By then it was time to eat. Our cabbie Mussa had recommended his brother’s restaurant in Manger Square, and so we enjoyed a shishkebab, a tomato and cucumber salad, pita and hummus – typical Middle Eastern fare.
Back to Jerusalem the same way in reverse!

Life in A Room...

2007-11-04T06:50:00.000-08:00

Talk about down-sizing! When we moved into our condo, we thought we’d done about all the down-sizing we’d need to for the hopefully considerable future. This, therefore, has been an unexpected and challenging task for the present.

Dale and I share a bedroom with attached bathroom which contains a good-sized stand-up shower. Our bedroom contained two single beds which Ibrahim who is in charge of the Lutheran World Federation Victoria Guest House shoved together and which certainly gives a bit more room. We have a desk with 4 drawers and chair; each bed has 3 drawers; we have an armoire with a section for hanging clothes and one with 4 shelves and 2 drawers. There’s also a vanity with a large mirror, a bedside table with 2 drawers, and 2 additional chairs, one of which is wicker! There’s a bar fridge and a floor fan; we bought ourselves a clothes tree, and a folding clothes dryer. Thankfully there’s enough room above the armoire to store our suitcases. Welcome to “Home, Sweet Home”. Actually we’re quite comfortable. From our front corner room, we have a beautiful view of the guest house gardens plus a lovely view of Jerusalem. Just next door we even have a variety-type store.

The Guest House has laundry facilities, and there’s a common room that combines kitchen and T.V./ sitting area. It also serves as the breakfast room. Every morning, Ibrahim, the concierge, has the breakfast set out by 7:00 a.m. Beverages consist of instant coffee and creamer, tea, and juices. There’s always pita bread (fresh and delicious), jams, butter and honey, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, plain yogurt, cornflakes; variations from day to day include combinations of hummus, feta and/or cream cheese, cold meat (like bologna), hard cooked eggs, tuna, and occasionally a delicious sweet honey cake. There’s always lots if one wants to make up a sandwich to take for lunch or have a light cold supper.

With about 20 rooms available in the Guest House—some single, some double--the common room is usually a busy and interesting place. There are often 4 or 5 people sitting around the table working on their laptops. The kitchen is well stocked with dishes, pots and pans, gas stove, microwave, toaster oven and fridge. Some residents are excellent cooks and wonderful smells frequently greet one on returning home. Once in awhile someone plans a meal for anyone interested to join in and either share the cost of food and drinks, or add a contribution to the meal. A BBQ pit is also available in the garden.

The Victoria Guest House has a definite international flavour with mostly young folks between the ages of early 20’s to mid thirties, with a few of us older folks thrown in. Some of the residents are here anywhere from a few days to 4 years or more. We have folks from various parts of the U.S., Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Poland, New Zealand, and the Palestinian Territories. A number of the folks are here as members of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine & Israel www.eappi.org or have connections with Christian Peacemaker Teams www.cpt.org or are members of various United Nations departments such as OCHA www.ochaopt.org or the Relief Agency, and an international lawyer consulting for the UN. Some are working for SABEEL—Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center www.sabeel.org or have connections with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions www.icahd.org ; we have the assistant to Bishop Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land www.elcjhl.org and the list goes on. Some folks are tourists; some are staying here because, although they’re from other parts of the Territories, they can’t get through the checkpoints all the time to be available for work. And that’s only in the first month that we’re here. There are definitely some interesting experiences and discussions that take place around the table. Check out the websites for some interesting information.

Reformation Day in Jerusalem

2007-11-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

What a great experience! On October 31 we celebrated Reformation with an ecumenical worship service at Redeemer Lutheran in the Old City. All of the Orthodox and Latin churches were represented as well as various Protestant denominations. The entrance hymn was a Mighty Fortress. What else? But each person sang it his/her own language – Arabic, English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish. Arabic, English and German were the languages of the liturgy. The Gospel was read in Arabic, and Propst Uwe Grabe preached in German. A highlight of the service was an Armenian Prayer for the Unity of the Church chanted in Armenian. The Armenian Priest had a wonderful singing voice. Bishop Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land gave the benediction.

Lest I forget, Donna represented Canada by singing in the choir (of 8!). The singers were all from Redeemer’s German congregation, except Donna. See the photo of her chatting with the choir members.

After worship there was a crowded reception in the rectory with copious hors-d’oeuvres and wine. The way Reformation Day should be celebrated!

The group picture? We went out for Japanese food later in the evening. And in Jerusalem too!

COMING HOME FROM HERODIUM

2007-10-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we picked olives and this Saturday we went to Herodium, which lies about five kilometres south-east of Bethlehem. It was built by Herod the Great somewhere around 20 BCE as a summer palace and became Herod the Great’s tomb when he died in 4 BCE. He’s the same Herod who was ruler at the time of Jesus’ birth. So, how did he die four years before Jesus’ birth? Some theologian/historian couldn’t count.

Herodium is the perfect fortress with its mountaintop location, its labyrinth of tunnels, and its reservoirs, and so was a natural choice for a band of Zealots (rebels fighting against the Romans) who held Herodium from 66 CE to 70 CE when they were defeated by the Romans. 70 CE is the year that the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. Once again, in the Bar Kochba rebellion against the Romans, Herodium was held by the rebels from 132 CE to 135 CE when the rebels were defeated by the Romans. Recently the fortress was in the news because archeologists believed that they had found Herod the Great’s tomb. However, that claim is yet to be verified. It is certainly an interesting site with its ancient ruins, including the 1st synagogue built outside of Jerusalem.

From upper Herodium you have a panoramic view of the surrounding area. Looking east you can see the Dead Sea beyond the rolling hills of the Judean Desert. To the West is Bethlehem. All around Herodium are Palestinian and Bedouin villages and, among them, illegal Israeli settlements that have been built in such a way as to isolate the Palestinian villages. And of course the road leading to Herodium and the settlements will soon exist for the exclusive use of the settlers. It isn’t clear how the Palestinian villagers are going to be able to drive into Bethlehem.

On the way back to Bethlehem our Palestinian guide showed us where an Israeli military base had once stood. He laughed and said that it’s the only example in Palestine of Palestinians “grabbing” land from the Israelis. The municipality of Beit Sahour, a suburb of Bethlehem, bulldozed the abandoned military building and is trying to turn the former Israeli army base into the only park for the residents of Beit Sahour.

Leaving Bethlehem to return to Jerusalem we experienced the harassment Palestinians experience daily. We had to pass through the check point. All of the several gates were locked including the one to which we were directed. The Israeli soldiers were there but they ignored us. Finally, after several minutes, they let two through at a time, and an angry female voice began shouting in Hebrew ordering people to take off their shoes and put them on the conveyor belt. One young Palestinian woman was frightened half to death. When our turn came, we ignored what seemed to be the order to remove shoes and no one said anything to us—the benefit of holding a Canadian passport. Imagine what would have happened to a Palestinian who refused! Imagine experiencing that kind of humiliation and delay every day on your way to work!

PICKING OLIVES ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES

2007-10-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

OLIVE PICKING on the MOUNT OF OLIVES

The olive harvest started last Saturday. The Lutheran World Federation has about 800 trees on the slope of the Mount of Olives surrounding the LWF and the stone house (where Mark & Susanne Brown live). Different groups will volunteer to pick olives over the next several weeks. Individual expats and Palestinians will put in a few volunteer hours when they can. Mark Brown invites the different Lutheran schools as well as schools of other denominations to take a turn, and eventually the olives will be picked.

Donna and I were there for the 1st day of the harvest. We started about 9 am and stuck it out until 4:30 pm. There are a couple of ways of going about picking olives. If the tree has an ample yield, you first spread a plastic sheet around the tree, and then, with rakes of various lengths, rake the olives onto the plastic sheet. The olives that are missed are picked by hand. Every olive is fair game. It doesn’t matter whether they are green, black, any colour in between, shrivelled, as long as they’re not insect-infested. They all have oil in them which will be extracted by the olive press. The view from the olive grove is breath-taking. Every time we raised our heads, we were looking down on the Old City. But we got the day’s work done.

There was one reality that marred an otherwise perfect day. As you look toward the Old City from the olive grove, you can’t miss the Israeli settlement. The Jewish settlers have obtained a piece of land abutting LWF property and have established a Yeshiva (a Bible school). There are a number of trailers there which probably will become permanent homes. One day they tried to disrupt the Muslim call-to-prayer by singing Israeli songs through a bullhorn. The settlers have designs on some vacant LWF property. The LWF hopes to build affordable housing for Palestinian Christian families on the vacant property but can’t start until financing is in place and until they have the building permits from the Israeli authority. The latter may be hard to get, and vacant land in this part of the world, even if somebody owns it, has a tendency to be grabbed.

But it was really a good day. We worked hard and the bunch that turned out enjoyed the camaraderie. If memory serves me, we picked 18 burlap bags of olives, and Mark told us it was a good great 1st day. We celebrated our work with a BBQ behind the stone house. In about 10 days Augusta Victoria will begin to harvest their trees behind the hospital and so I’ll be joining my colleagues from the 4th floor for another day of picking.

The olive oil that is produced by all these olives is bottled and sold to raise money for Augusta Victoria Hospital to help defray the costs of treating patients who cannot pay. If a congregation is interested in supporting the plight of the Palestinian people by supporting Augusta Victoria, you can order jars of olive oil directly from LWF in Jerusalem and sell it in your congregations. You can get all the information you need from the LWF website http://www.lwfjerusalem.org/

Two Peoples, One Land

2007-10-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

Upper Left and Right: Father Chacour's Church of the Beatitudes, Ibillin, Galilee

Centre: Dalia Eshkenazi Landau

Bottom Left: Sandy Tolan

Many people in North America have formulated their opinions on the situation in the Holy Land by reading such novels as Leon Uris’s Exodus (or seeing the movie version). If you would like a more accurate history about the Holy Land written in styles that are fascinating and easy to read, I recommend your buying or borrowing the following two books.

Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour tells the unforgettable story of a Palestinian Christian working for peace in Israel. ISBN 0-8007-9321-8

“As a child, Elias Chacour lived in a small Palestinian village in Galilee. The townspeople were proud of their ancient Christian heritage and lived at peace with their Jewish neighbours. But in 1948 and ’49 their idyllic lifestyle was swept away as tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed and nearly one million were forced into refugee camps.

“An exile in his native land, Elias began a years-long struggle with his love for the Jewish people and the world’s misunderstanding of his own people, the Palestinians. How was he to respond? He found his answer in the simple, haunting words of the Man of Galilee: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’.

“In Blood Brothers Chacour blends his riveting life story with historical research to reveal a little-known side of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the birth of modern Israel. He touches on controversial questions such as: What behind-the-scenes politics touched off the turmoil in the Middle East? What does Bible prophecy really have to say? Can bitter enemies ever be reconciled? In a world of tension and terror, this book offers hope and insight that can help each of us learn to live at peace.”

Paris-educated, holding a doctorate, speaking eleven languages, and holding a degree from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Father Elias still lives in Ibillin, near Nazareth, where as president of Mar Elias Educational Institutions, he continues to lead his diverse faculty, staff, and students in living, learning and working together toward peaceful coexistence. In April, we visited Ibillin and learned first hand of the amazing work that is being done. This book is a “must read”.

The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan is a well researched historically accurate handbook to understanding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a narrative that captures its essence through tracing the connected lives of two extraordinary individuals.
ISBN - 10: 1 - 59691-343-6
ISBN - 13: 978 - 1- 59691 - 343 – 1

“In 1967, Bashir Khairi, a twenty-five-year-old Palestinian, journeyed to Israel with the goal of seeing the beloved old stone house with the lemon tree behind it that he and his family had fled nineteen years earlier. To his surprise, when he found the house he was greeted by Dalia Eshkenazi Landau, a nineteen-year-old Israeli college student, whose family fled Europe for Israel following the Holocaust. On the stoop of their shared home, Dalia and Bashir began a rare friendship, forged in the aftermath of war and tested over the next thirty-five years in ways that neither could imagine on that summer day in 1967. Sandy Tolan brings the Israeli-Palestinian conflict down to its most human level, suggesting that even amid the bleakest political realities there exist stories of hope and reconciliation.”

This second book that I am recommending came to our attention just last week when we were invited to the Daila Centre, home to the Israel Committee Against House Demolitions in West Jerusalem, to attend an open reading in English by the author. We learned how Sandy Tolan, a journalist, came across the story of Dalia and Bashir, and through interviews and historical research documented every aspect of the story. We were privileged to meet Dalia as well and hear her authentication of the book. Another “must read”.

Jericho & Bethany

2007-10-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

Bedouin camp above left, St. George's, above right, sculpture in Hisham's Palace left.

The wall blocking the Jericho Road above & Donna coming out of Lazarus's tomb below.

Donna and kids at the synagogue

October 15 was the last day of the Muslim Ramadan long weekend and the Lutheran schools were closed because most of the students in the Lutheran schools are Muslim. Since Donna was free, my boss gave me the day off too. So we called one of our favourite taxi drivers, Khalid, and set out for Jericho.

Jericho lies directly east of Jerusalem in the Judean desert not far from the Dead Sea and close to the Jordanian border. You can see the Dead Sea from the town. Masada and Qumran are close by. It is likely the oldest town in the world; there is archaeological evidence of human habitation going back 10,000 years. And, of course, all of you know the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho.

As we entered Jericho we passed through two check points: the 1st control was Israeli to see who was going in and out, and the 2nd Palestinian to make sure no Israelis entered. Jericho is under Palestinian control and, according to Khalid, is relatively "peaceful without the presence of Israeli soldiers".

Our first stop in Jericho was a 2000-year-old sycamore that Zacchaeus is supposed to have climbed to get a better view of Jesus as he passed through. Who knows for sure?

The next Jericho stop was Hisham's Palace the ruins of which date from the Umayyad period of Islamic expansion (early 8th century). The empire stretched from Europe to India, but Hisham preferred the desert solitude of Jericho near the Dead Sea to the bustle of Damascus.

It is not far from Hisham's palace to a Byzantine synagogue (5th century) that is cared for by a Palestinian family. The children with Donna in the photo above members of the family. Khalid pointed out to us that "Palestinians look after a Jewish synagogue but Israelis turn mosques into restaurants".

The photo just below Donna and the children was taken from the Mount of Temptation where Satan tempted Jesus during Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. There is a Greek Orthodox monastery on the mountainside, that looks down on modern Jericho. In the photo the green patches are visible. Jericho's water comes from ancient wells that allow Jericho to produce the fines figs and dates in the world, not to mention oranges, bananas, and other tropical fruit.

On the way back to Jerusalem Khalid drove us into the desert to the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. George which dates from the 3rd century. The monastery, where only three monks now live, is built on the side of cliff in a deep wadi surrounded by Bedouin settlements. The only access is on foot.

Our last stop was in the Palestinian village of al Azariyeh (place of Lazarus). In New Testament times it was called Bethany (house of unripe figs). The main street is the Jericho Road. It passes through a busy business area that was much busier before the Israelis built the separation wall. The wall makes the Jericho Road a dead end which separates al Azariyeh from East Jerusalem (see photo of wall). What used to be a 10-minute drive from the Mount of Olives to Bethany now takes an hour. As we stood at the wall, we could almost see our guest house, but we had no choice but to retrace our route. Every day Palestinian family members who were once just minutes apart have to take the "long way around" imposed by Israel.

In Bethany we visited the church commemorating Lazarus's resurrection, Lazarus's tomb, and a house old enough to be Mary's and Martha's (see photos), and then home to the guest house.

(Apologies for the order of photos and the formatting. At the moment it's beyond our control)