Tonight is our last night at a look into what seems to be a different world. This different world has different struggles, joys, problems, concerns, people, needs, wars, and gods. This is the struggle as well as the paradigm we are placed in as we travel abroad to other places. We enter into peoples lives. Our hearts end up breaking for the people we are surrounded by. It’s easy to hate from afar, but so much harder to hate your “neighbor”. In other words, “It’s easy to ignore and not be apart of peoples lives from afar, but when we get close…. It is impossible to not share in their whole lives.”
As I reflect on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict my heart breaks. I’ll share a story and you will understand why: A man who traveled with his wife on our trip was with us during our lecture time from Palestinian Christians on their theology as well as the conflict that plagues them so deeply. The man on our trip was befuddled at the fact that Palestinians could be Christians, he was even more confused that they were not all militant, extremist, fundamentalist, Islamic jihadists out to kill any white person they saw. Why did he believe this he says “That is all the news will tell us”. He’s right. We are fed by a brood of vipers whose tongues are as sharp as swords and whose teeth are as sharp as spears.
In my time here I have walked through a Palestinian Refugee camp, and been in an illegal Jewish settlement built on the very land Israel promised to the Palestinians. I have seen the very bulldozers which are ripping up Palestinian fruit groves, and olive trees. Their whole livelihood is simply taken away from them. Questions arise for most of us. “Maybe the Israelis are only doing this to the extremists?” During our lecture we were notified that one of our friends olive grove was completely torn up. The man this happened to was a human, friend, father, Christian, husband, and happens to be a Palestinian. The man this happened to is trying to fight evil with love. Outside of his olive grove is a sign that says “I know it has been said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I refuse to make you my enemy, I love you.” If you think “Oh well Israel must have some important reason for doing it?” They don’t. They give tax breaks to people who will move to these illegal settlements. The truth is there has been a huge overgeneralization of the Palestinian people. This needs to change. We need to be a part of the solution by not propagating hate towards our neighbor. Instead as believers we are called to love radically even if the people: have a different skin color, speak a different language, come from a different socioeconomic class, or believe in different gods.
This is not one sided though. Israel was amazing. The incredible hospitality shown by so many people to me has been an incredibly humbling movement in my heart. I loved the people, country, and many traditions there. Every Israeli I met was overly nice to me. Needless to say I was blessed with this experience. I will definitely return with Laura and am praying for nothing but peace for Palestine. I want everyone else to pray for this as well. I ended up buying a hand carved Olive Wood Last Supper scene from some Palestinians. I’m going to put this in my office, either on my desk or bookshelf. Please come see it. Talk with me about my time here and why my heart breaks for Palestine, and how much I’ve grown.
A Tiny Vessel's Endeavor. 