"We Refuse to Be Enemies" - Sara

One of the visits on the itinerary that I was most looking forward to was the Tent of Nations.  Because Daoud Nassar has visited CPC, I knew of his story, and had seen the image of a rock painted with the phrase, "We refuse to be enemies."  I was anxious to see the rock in person, as well as the land on which it sits.

The land that the Tent of Nations occupies was purchased by the Nassar family in 1916, when Palestine was ruled by the Ottoman Empire.  The family lived in caves and ran a vineyard that produced olives, grapes, almonds, wheat, and other crops.  Under the British Mandate the family patriarch responsibly registered the farm in 1925 and the family still holds the papers.  In 1991 the farm was declared state land, but the papers keep Israel from legally confiscating it and instead, the family has been in court with the state of Israel for 25 years.

In the meantime, Israeli settlers have built establishments on all sides and the Nassar family has endured incredible physical oppression.  Thousands of trees have been bulldozed, they have been threatened by guns, and boulders have been placed to block the driveway into their property.

Ryan, our resident Yogi, on one of the boulders at the entrance.

The Nassars believe that the first step towards peace is to see your enemy as human.  They knew that the response options were 1. violence that creates more violence, hatred, bitterness, and enemies, 2. resign - accept injustice, become a passive victim, and blame others, 3. give up and run away - close the page and start something else.

None of those options were good, so they believed there must be another way of resistance.  They started the Tent of Nations in 2002.  With a mission to build bridges between people, and between people and the land, they bring different cultures together to develop understanding and promote respect for each other and their shared environment.

They run educational projects, notably workcamps, Children’s Summer Camps, and a Women’s Empowerment Project.  The farm is "a center where people from many different countries come together to learn, to  share, and to build bridges of understanding and hope."

When you have no political power, or control over your own land, you find ways of creative resistance.  As Palestinians, the Nassars have no access to electricity.  So they installed solar panels and receive energy from the sun to have lights, air conditioning, and even wi-fi!  They have no access to water.  So they built a system that collects rain water for use.  They aren't allowed to build on their land, so they build underground.  Because of this they are able to be incredible hosts to all of their visitors.

Showing evidence of their continued resistance, they have refused even a "blank check" offer to sell the land.  It is deeply embedded in them that they cannot sell what they have inherited - a gift cannot be sold but rather be transferred to the next generation.  

They have also gained unexpected international support - Jews have visited from the U.K. and the U.S. and have replanted over 4,000 trees - a symbol of hope.

When we sat with Daoud in the same cave that his family had lived, he told us about their four principles of peacemaking (in which I got confused and am listing as five!):

1. We refuse to be victims.
2. We refuse to hate.
3. We act differently because of our faith.
4. We believe that the Son of justice will rise again.
5. We refuse to be enemies.

Essentially they want to put faith, hope, and love in action.  They want to overcome not with more darkness but with light.  They want to grow peace from the ground up.

So they invite.  They teach.  They create.  They serve.

Another incredible meal.

They see the positives from the negatives and know that "all things good for those who follow God." And that "the suffering is not the end of the story just like the cross is not the end of the story - it is the path to new life."

"WE REFUSE TO BE ENEMIES"

Aida Camp

If you're like me, you view the Holy Land as the nation of Israel, that contains the places where Jesus' life took place, where Judaism has its home, and maybe a couple other things.  I really didn't know a ton.  I remember hearing about the Gaza strip a couple years ago, and occasionally it has popped up on the radar of international news, among a myriad of other things in my day to day life, even though I think of myself fairly in tune with world news and current events.

On this trip we have four steps.  See, Immerse, Contend, Restore.  The idea of seeing somebody is the first step in understanding anyone.  In a conflict, I think its the first thing that we don't want to do. We argue with a friend, a spouse, anyone, and as soon as we get in to the conflict we stop seeing the other person.  We tend to simply think about our view and how it has been infringed upon, and how to show this other jerk how to see how much of an idiot he/she/it is.

We've had an opportunity to see a lot while we're here.  We have seen Israel.  We have seen where Jesus' life took place.  We have seen where the heart of Jewish history and culture now lives.  We've seen a lot more than that too, now.  We've seen the Muslims who live here.  We've seen the Christian quarter.  We've seen the Arab community that lives in Jerusalem.  We've seen historical sites.  We have seen a lot. We have seen Palestine. There's a saying here that "there are dead stones and there are living stones".  I think that might be my favorite saying, let me explain.

In any touristy area in the world, there are the sights, and the people who exist watching people come and see the sights. Although there is much deeper meaning here than say, the spoon and cherry in Minneapolis, it still has the same feeling of people just touring to tour.  

On Wednesday we went to Aida camp.  In 1948, Israel went to war with Palestinians who objected to the creation of Israel after world war II.  As is the case with any war, the casualties end up often being civilians.  Israel won the war, and refer to it as the War of Independence.  Palestine lost, and refer to it as "The catastrophe".  Since then there have been numerous conflicts, political posturing, solutions proposed, ending in more of the same.  

Because of all this there are places like Aida camp.  A refugee camp established in 1948 for Palestinian refugees who we're told to leave their homes for their protection, with the promise that they would return in days, or weeks.  They left so quickly that all they took with them was a key to their home they expected to return to.  The weeks ended up being years, 49 and counting.  The key is a reminder that they still have a home to return to, although those homes have been demolished and/or are located in Israel.  

The camp has generations of Palestinian refugees in it.  Located right on the border of the West Bank, it is about .75 square miles, and home to 5,000 people.  We spoke with Mohammed, a young man who runs the youth center.  His grandfather founded it and it has stayed part of the family ever since.  It is a 4 story building that has two floors of gathering rooms, and 3 floors above it that are cement shells.  I asked Mohammed if they are in process of building it up, and he said it has been demolished twice by the Israeli Army, and they continue to rebuild.

When we begin to See, we have to realize there are things we choose not to see.  What I didn't see was most of this conflict.  What I saw was the news.  What I saw was other peoples opinions and thoughts on the topic.  What I see now is a real person who lives in an under developed, over populated community, with a view of a 20 foot wall, and if he stands on top of the youth center, a view over the wall of hills with olive trees and new modern Israeli homes.  I saw the sniper tower 200 yards away with a sniper in it.  I saw the Mural with the names of 263 Palestinian children killed in the Gaza war in 2014.

  

I also saw children with smiles on their face.  That happily greeted these strange American visitors.  I saw people who made us a meal.  I saw love.  I saw humanity that has been set aside but will not let their circumstances imprison their minds, hearts, or passion for peace.

We all have walls.  Whether we put them up, or they we're put up for us.  There are two sides of every wall, and there are stories on each side.  Most importantly, there are people that God created on both sides of that wall.  Both Sides.  Both Sides.

Integration

Many greetings to all of our friends and family back home! Your support, in whatever capacity, does not go unappreciated and will continue to be necessary as we finish our time here but even more so as we return - with hearts, minds, and souls reoriented and in the process of becoming ever more so. This is my urgent request that YOU, our friends and families, be not afraid (foreshadowing!) to engage us about our experience here to help us share and reflect, clarify and learn but most importantly - integrate.

There are three phases to this Peacemaking Lab that our friends at TGIP have curated for us. The 1st, the Understanding Phase, began two months ago and led up to our departure (although it would be naive to say that it isn't ongoing). The current phase we are in is referred to as the Exposure Phase. It's fairly self explanatory in that it takes the information we learned surrounding the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and puts it to work as we are exposed to the land, people, and various narratives of the Holy Land, past and present. This phase culminates at the end of this trip and leads into the Integration Phase - where we begin to actualize the knowledge and experience that has been given to us and discover in our own contexts how to apply it.

I summarize the format of this trip to highlight its goal and for you, our friends and families, to know what you have gotten yourselves into for supporting/partnering/encouraging us on this trip. Peacemaking is the name of the game but how do we get there? If there is anyone like me, I would have to ask myself what potential walls in me are needing dismantling so that I may pass through towards my destination? And again, if there is anyone else like me, I would have to respond that fear is positioning itself as the tallest wall in my way. Fear of The Other; fear of repercussions after taking that initial step towards immersing in conflict; fear of commitment in conflict; fear of reputation; fear of financial changes; fear of being exposed; fear of honesty and repentance; fear of uncomfortability; fear of weakness; on and on and on. My intent is not to discourage but to let you in on my struggle as I grapple with what it may mean to be an active peacemaker and to hopefully name what others may feel internally. I also want this context to hopefully show you the utmost respect that our group now has and the profound encouragement that we received from our new friends Myron and Ali.

Myron Joshua and Ali Abu-Awwad clearly and courageously demonstrated what it means to be peacemakers in a setting rife with conflict. Myron, an Israeli peacemaking settler, was our guide for much of the day as he explained to us his partnership with a Palestinian community neighboring his home settlement. This peacemaking partnership was only made possible once Myron began to overcome his assumptions and naivety, and as he became aware of the struggles of this community, knew he had to take on the responsibility of immersing himself into their lives. These actions were not without plenty of cost to his personal comfort and community reputation. This journey eventually led Myron to Roots, which partners Israelis and Palestinians together for the goals of understanding through dialogue and a commitment to nonviolence for the goal of transformation for the region.

Ali Abu-Awwad, one of Roots main leaders, spoke to us later in the day inspiring us with his story, courage, and hope. Growing up as a Palestinian, he committed himself to the work of peacemaking through non-violence after some trying, but formative, years as a teen and young adult in the heart of this conflict. After being shaped by some of history's greatest peacemakers such as Ghandi, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela -along with his mother- he began a movement working towards a "peace [that] needs to be joint and shared" between the Israelis and Palestinians. "Peace is about moral responsibility for our communities" and it "needs courage."  Personally, Ali was a true beacon of hope, inspiring me to see the work of peacemaking as a truly just solution to conflicts of all kinds and allowing me to more clearly see tangible ways of taking initial action.

Thanks for reading and pray that we may begin to disentangle the walls that we feel as we each take our next steps toward everyday peacemaking.

Reese Kling

Yad Vashem-Christian A.

Monday Morning we went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum in Israel.  Our days have been so packed since we arrived Saturday that I'm never really sure what day it is, or what is coming next, I'm really just following and observing, and immersing into this experience.

I think like many people I've taken particular interest in WWII and the holocaust.  I personally have been able to experience many different parts of this.  One of my favorite shows of all time is Band of Brothers, a WWII documentary that follows paratroopers through Europe from Normandy all the way to the concentration camps.

This lead me on a previous trip to visit Normandy in France, and another place in the history of the war, making those places real for me.  In high school I had visited the holocaust museum in Washington D.C., and just 4 years ago I toured Auschwitz, the concentration camp in Poland.

As we study conflict in this land, its easy to find places that don't carry the day to day weight of that conflict.  In west Jerusalem where we had dinner Sunday night, you feel as though you're in a mall area similar to one you would find in Southern California, with all the same stores as home.  There are people walking around with their families, free from any visible chains or scars that you might assume shackle this place.  In Yad Vashem, you are instantly met with the horrible realization where we are right now is a product of fear and hate.

Through everything I have ever learned about WWII, I was enlightened to know that Christians we're not allowed to have money changing jobs in Europe.  That left job openings for Jews who eventually found an amount of wealth in those positions holding liens and collecting interest.

This plus Hitler's 20 years of radicalization created a new narrative for why the Jewish people were vilified
in the lead up to the war.  There is so much to read, and watch and listen, even after all I've already studied and experienced.  I generally feel that I can be desensitized after reading about history enough, but I'm always stirred by this, and rightfully so.  The idea of a systematic system of oppressing a people because of fear, because of not understanding a people, because it is easier to assume you know their narrative than to look into someone's eyes and see their humanity before their stereotype should stir us, even after 70 years.  It should do more than stir us.

If this wasn't enough, they have a beautiful memorial to the children who we're killed in the holocaust.  I often thought about my own daughter, who is 2 1/2 years old.  How would I behave, and how would I react as a father in that time, if I were a Jew....or If I were a German?
The Memorial broke my heart.  As they read the names of over a million children, real children, that we're lost because of no decision they made.  Children of parents who had no options.  My eyes welled up as I let the reality sink in to that.

In grade school I learned that those who do not learn from History are doomed to repeat it.  Though I may never rise to power and commit genocide, I hope that I do not turn my eyes from it.  There are places so near to us that are seeing this history repeat itself.  Places where it may not be one million children, but only 500.  What is the number to start seeking justice? What changes our hearts enough to make a change not only in attitude but in action?

These are tough questions to wrestle with, but also tougher questions to begin to answer.  Thankfully, we can begin on that quest with the knowledge of history because of places like Yad Vashem, if we only realize that history not only happened, it is happening.

-Christian Ankrum

The Children's Memorial at Yad Vashem. 

Candles and light in the darkness, with mirrors creating an endless view of tiny lights,

like stars in the sky.

Dissonance to Harmony

Greetings from Jerusalem friends and family,

Let me begin by saying the words I will be able to convey here won't begin to do justice to the richness and expansiveness of the content we are experiencing here. When you get the opportunity, please press into each of us for further explanations. Part of that plea stems from the fact that it is late here, and I have every desire to keep you abreast to the developments of ours story while we experience it, but there is little break in the onslaught of amazing and heart wrenching narratives we have the unique opportunity to step into during this short time we have. I am beyond grateful for that, although it will surely fall short of the complete picture.

Our first encounter of the day began with Jared, a spirited Israeli scholar who began his immersion into the development of knowledge of the Holy Land 20 years ago with what he thought would be a pit stop in Israel before starting his life over in France. He never made it to France. He was captivated by the richness of his heritage when he was compelled by a friend to explore knowledge contained in written history of his faith. He entered Yashiva with the commitment of studying for a year and left five years later to start his own. Not because there were a shortage, but he wanted to create a space to investigate the ancient practice of makhloket (constructive disagreement).

Jared's explorations of makhloket will continue to yield fruit for our group when he dove into Hebrew texts for the justifications and reasons for the communal practice. He asked us to weigh our deep memories and search how to tease out the relationship between how we hold our memories, our personal history. When we look at those beginnings of our story, we can compare how we hold that to our communal history. Where does our hard trust and certainty find balance with doubt? When we extrapolate that to our faith and societal history, how can we find the middle of the rigidity of certainty with the flexibility of doubt? The practice of makhloket would say that if we do that as a community, and give appropriate weight to the narrative that is in dissonance with our interpretation or belief, we can grow together in knowledge and experience. He showed us the Mishna and Talmud have remarkable experience in engaging in humility that exudes shalom. More on that for future conversation.

Jared took us to the Western Wall to explain to us some of the history and significance contained in the most sacred space of the Jewish faith. He contended with the diversity of implications that the symbolism and weight of that landmark has had for the survival of Judaism. From there we rounded the corner into the sacred archaeological space of the southern wall, where for centuries devout Jews would pilgrimage to ritualistically cleanse themselves and ascend the steps to submit their offerings to God. He put into context the historical balance of how the Jewish population had to contend with as they sought to preserve their heritage and faith while living in a Roman empire. The richness of the comparisons with how we still have to seek that balance today were left for us to chew on.

We dove deeper into the archaeological ruins to the unearthed ruins of the market street that would have ran along the western wall to meet the southern stairs. Jared vividly painted the picture of the vibrant world that would have existed as Jews approaching the stairs would entered. He helped us imagine the areas to buy sheep if your unblemished offering wouldn't have remained as such after a long pilgrimage, the vibrant marketplace and the currency exchange allowing for a diversity of money to be translated into the local shekel for their offering and tax obligation. The same exchange tables which would later be turned when a local rabbi with an upside-down theology walked that street.

The group migrated back to the hotel through the Suk market in the Muslim quarter for an endless offering of delicious falafel, pita, and countless toppings. We had little time to process (food or thoughts) before being met at our hotel by Sheik Ehab, the third most prominent cleric at the Al-Aqsa mosque. He graciously began by notating questions from our group, explaining that he would be grateful to provide his response to any thought that we are currently wrestling with about Islam, its culture and practices, and its global presence in our current setting. To say this was a humble request by him would fall short. The Sheik started his responses with my question of his understanding and interpretation of jihad. I thought it would be fun to set the stage with a light topic. His direct eye contact with me started the second he finished reading my question, and before he began his response he explained to me that he thought my name was beautiful, and that in Arabic they have a similar name, Rayyan. Rayyan means to be satiated of water, one who isn't thirsty. I was instantly floored given my personal story, one which he would have had no way of knowing, and I could have left the room right then and there to try to digest that experience. However, he continued with a heart felt description of how the phrase jihad has a much deeper meaning that its global understanding connected to violence. Jihad means "facing" and is first and foremost a practice of facing self, waging war on self. On temptation. On the shortcomings that we are subjected to when we operate in a world that takes us outside of self. He went on to explain more, and it was moving. With the same richness and compassion he answered nine more questions over the next two hours. He held the compassionate gaze with every single person directly as he provided insight on what he enjoys most out of his faith, the role of women in their society, and other incredible topics.

The diversity and complexity of the perspectives we met will continue to grow in us as we continue this exploration of a nuanced and expansive environment filled with an equally similar culture and history. While this glimpse into our experience is sure to fall short of wholeness, I hope that it sparks curiosity and interest in you to dig in to our trip when we return.

It is well past my bedtime as I am writing this, and while I need to fuel my body for the exploration and experience that will meet us tomorrow, I was compelled to share to keep you updated. You are with us in spirit and soul, and prayers for understanding and humility for all of us will not fall on deaf ears. I can't express the emotion and gratitude that I am feeling about this experience and will continue to engage as thoughtfully and respectively as my capacity will allow. Blessings to you.

Shalom and Salaam from the Holy Land
Ryan

Love.

Walking In the Footsteps of the Human God

Hi friends and family,

We know you all are anxious to read about our trip so far!  First of all - be relieved to know that we have all arrived to the Middle East safely!  8 of us took the route of MSP to Paris to Tel Aviv.  Christian and Reese took the scenic route through Toronto and Istanbul!

Travel has been mostly uneventful, filled with anticipation, and super fun to be together.  Our downers were the fact that Kate's suitcase didn't make it from Paris to Tel Aviv, and I (Sara) got very sick on that same flight.  I've always known that flying with little sleep was a bad combo for me, but this one hit me hard and I'm bummed that my entrance to Tel Aviv was a rather miserable one.  Do not fear - a good hard sleep has healed me.  (And I may not ever want to get on an airplane again - I hope they like me here in Israel/Palestine!)

The Mediterranean beach in Tel Aviv, just after Sunset on Friday.

Breakfast this (Saturday) morning at our hotel in Tel Aviv.

On our way to learn!

Today we met the rest of the TGIP (Global Immersion Project) contingents - a group from Arizona, a couple from San Diego, a grad student living in Jerusalem from Atlanta, our sweet roommate from Des Moines, a pastor from Oakland, a pastor from Pasadena, a young woman from Reno, and Jon, Jer, Catherine, and Jamie, from TGIP.

We were led through the Damascus Gate (with more small market shops than I have ever seen in my life) to the Old City of Jerusalem.  From there we went on the Ramparts Walk, which gave us an incredible view of the city, then to the Garden of Gethsemane and accompanying Porta Sancta church.  We had some incredible teaching by Jon at the top of the Mount of Olives that he ended with a devotional thought and question that is sure to keep us thinking as we return home.  The view in that moment and starting to process how we become Everyday Peacemakers at home is definitely one of the most poignant moments of the TGIP experience so far.

A view from Herod's Temple, at the beginning of the Ramparts Walk

Garden of Gethsemane

The boys on top of the Mount of Olives.

But our day wasn't done!  Before ending with a falafel and shawarma (chicken) dinner, we walked up to the Temple Mount, considered the "most holy site" of Jerusalem for Jews, Christians, and Muslims, past the Western Wall, and back out the Damascus Gate.  Betsy's fitbit said that we walked over 21,000 steps, 9 miles, and 91 flights of stairs!  What?!  Some of our brave souls even added to that with a 4 1/2 mile run this morning!  We have some tired bodies over here!

Personally, the part of the day that I have still been thinking about is the fact that at some point phrases from a song that a friend of mine has written started floating through my head, and I wasn't sure why.  While walking the sacred ground of the Garden of Gethsemane, they remained.

What walls would fall if love ruled our hearts?...

Have you loved with compassion?
Kept yourself from hate?
Have you loved like a Savior who gave it all?
Have you looked upon your neighbor with grace in your heart?
Do you know why the greatest is still love?

What stones would fall if love consumed our hearts
What words could lips find to speak?
What have we done to show the world God's love?
How have we worked for peace?

And then I saw this:

And that's kind of where I'm at.  This city is full of walls built by stone upon stone, and I just wish that we could see like Jesus saw and speak as he spoke, and love as he loved... I don't know if the question is, "how have we worked for peace?" as much as it is, "how will we work for peace?"

-Sara Lightbody

Preparing for Departure

We are contemplating what it will be like to settle in for the 24 hours of travel ahead of us. From MSP to Paris to Tel Aviv in just under a full day. With 9 hours of time change in the mix, we could arrive either depleted or charged up for action.  I'll hope for the later.

This is a test blog post to see how this format works and looks. May delete it soon. Maybe not. Either way, bookmark this site, or subscribe to it in whatever ways you are capable of to follow the day to day action of our trip. We will try to mix up the authors a little for a diversity of voices, but who knows what that will look like until we get on the ground in Jerusalem.

A little bit of a sneak peak into our timeline:

Arrive Friday April 22, 2016 in Tel Aviv and stay the night at the Blue Sea Marble!

Travel to Jerusalem on Saturday April 23rd and stay at the Legacy Hotel for the remainder of our time in Jerusalem as we travel around the area by bus. More to come on the details of that.

On April 29th we spend our last day in Jerusalem and head to the Sea of Galilee for a full day of learning and reflection to be completed on April 30th. From there we head back to Tel Aviv to round out the remainder of our trip.

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Not just for safety, but for open eyes and humble hearts as well.

Thank you for your support,

Ryan Corcoran
rcorcoran03@gmail.com [direct email]