Holy Land Journal

Today I decided it was time to visit the nearby Shepherds’ Field, which is said to be the place where the Good News of the birth of Jesus was announced to the poor, illiterate shepherds. (My pictures are available at www.holylandpixx.blogspot.com) At the end of a 20-minute walk from our apartment, which gave me a good view of the rolling hillsides all around, I kept going straight ahead – which took me to the Field under Roman Catholic auspices. If I had veered to the right, I would have arrived at the Greek Orthodox Shepherds’ Field. The Palestine/Israel conflict is not the only one in need of healing and reconciliation.

I counted my blessings when I saw a large group of American visitors making their way to an auditorium, thinking that once again (as has happened to my benefit several times on this Middle East journey) I could sit in the back row and hear a good introductory lecture in English for free. I got much more than an academic talk. The folks were from an evangelical church in S. Carolina, and their pastor was about to start a prayer service.

He gave a devout reading of the passage in Luke (2:1-20), which presents the birth of Jesus, the revelation to the shepherds, and their joyful visit to the newborn. Sitting here in this place, the proclamation of this familiar text had a considerable emotional impact on me, as did the group’s singing of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “The First Noel” (especially the latter’s verse about “certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay”). Undoubtedly some of the emotional effect was due to associations with family celebrations of Christmases past – as a child in New York and then in Detroit. This was really the first time during my stay in the Holy Land that I have lingered for much time at a holy place and joined in a prayer service.

The pastor praised God in a brief and sincere way for the coming of Jesus into the world, “who has changed our lives completely.”

At the end of the service I introduced myself to some of the people around me and thanked them for including me. I then expressed my gratitude to the pastor and told him I had found the service very moving. Ecumenism in practice!

Going from there to one of the chapels on the grounds, I was glad to notice just inside the door a large painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of Mexico and dear to the faith of all Latin Americans.

After visiting a cave which represents the abode of the shepherds, I started to head home. I stopped at one corner and wondered whether this is the one where I go left, or the next one. A man and wife at home saw me as he was preparing to leave in his car and called me over, asking me whether I needed help. When I asked for directions, he said he was going near there and offered to take me there. We had a nice conversation on the short drive. When I expressed my gratitude for his kindness and generosity, he told me that it is extremely difficult to be a Christian in this situation. I presume he was referring to the occupation, which is the overwhelming fact of life for Palestinians.

The heart and center of the large Basilica of the Nativity is the underground Grotto of the Nativity, where a large star on the floor in a small enclosure celebrates the

spot where Jesus is said to have been born. A group of pilgrims from Malaysia and Singapore were singing Christmas carols there when I arrived.

Mass was about to start in a chapel where some pilgrims from Texas had congregated with their pastor. He pointed out that we would be celebrating the Mass of Christmas, which is permitted in this church any day of the year. Every day is Christmas in the Basilica of the Nativity.

In his brief homily Father drew an analogy between the incarnation of the Son of God and Mother Theresa’s option to live directly among the poorest of the poor. In each instance, he noted, it was a matter of identifying with the real condition of the beloved in order to help and to save.

Near the chapel is an area designated as the place where St. Jerome did his monumental labor of translating the bible into Latin. There is also a small enclosure said to have some of the remains of the Holy Innocents who were slaughtered by Herod in his frenzy to eliminate the Messiah.

In the evening I visited a Palestinian Christian family not far from the Basilica. Even in the midst of the peace and joy of their nice home, the occupation came crashing in as the dominant reality and topic of conversation. The occupation has undermined the local economy, they noted. This

family, like many other Palestinians, speak of being in prison in their own land.

Recently they took the grandmother to visit a relative in a nearby town who had just had a baby. Walking through the metal detector at an Israeli checkpoint, the elderly lady sounded the alarm. When she told the guards that she had had a hip replacement surgery and suggested that perhaps that was causing the alarm to go off, the guards demanded that she lift her skirt to show the scar from the surgery. Now crying and wishing to turn around and go home, she nevertheless persisted (since the need of her relative was greater than her embarrassment) while her daughter held a jacket around her so that she could lift her skirt for the inspection. When Palestinians tell these stories, which are myriad, they show tears of sadness and indignation welling up in their eyes.

Toward the end of my visit, the family informed me that the Israeli soldiers had just killed a Palestinian policeman in Bethlehem. Later news reports failed to explain this strange assassination.

On our way to Jerusalem today, David and I passed through the separation Wall, an enormous 25-ft-high concrete and metal structure which the Israelis describe as necessary for their security but which Palestinians consider the segregation or apartheid wall. Some call it the annexation wall, since it slices off some Palestinian land as it snakes it way around the West Bank. At this point on the way from Bethlehem (which is in occupied Palestine) to Jerusalem, the wall looks more like a huge jail which people have to pass through going in either direction.

Palestinians with permits to enter Jerusalem have to give their palm print on an electronic photographic device in addition to showing their I.D. and travel documents. Everyone passes through the metal detectors, having placed belongings on the conveyor to go through the detector as at airports. With our U.S. passports we were waved through quickly.

One internationalist, having gotten through the metal detector, decided to wait there for some companions to get through. Through the loudspeaker a guard ordered her to move along. When she explained that she was waiting for friends, he said she could not wait there. To this she expressed her feeling that “this is crazy, this is stupid,” and she laughed. The guard replied: “Suicide bombers are not funny.”

Emerging from this high-security maze on the Jerusalem side, two Palestinian ladies came up to us. They had to share with someone their experience of being turned back as they tried to go through the checkpoint from the Jerusalem side on their way to Bethlehem, where they wanted to see a doctor. No reason had been given for the denial. Again, tears of sadness and outrage. They said there were only three words for the occupiers, which they did not utter. Nor did we ask.

On the Israeli side of the wall, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism greets people with “peace be with you” in huge, official lettering. On the Palestinian side, a graffiti retorts: “No justice, no peace.” Another graffiti strikes a biblical note: “Jesus wept for Jerusalem, we weep for Palestine.” Others say: “Stop Genocide” and “Give Them [Palestinians] Justice, They Will Reward You with Peace.”

As our mini-bus approached Jerusalem, we were stopped by two Israeli policewomen who checked IDs and made some notes about those entering.

Tel Aviv, a beautiful, modern city on the Mediterranean, was described by one resident as an “apparent paradise.” He explained to me that this seemingly tranquil city suffers from an underlying fear and anxiety about its security – an uneasiness which stems from the fundamental and still unresolved Israel/Palestine conflict.

The harsh realities of the conflict are evidenced by the constant presence of Israeli troops, most of whom carry automatic weapons. This is true in Jerusalem as well. As my friends and I entered an upscale restaurant in Tel Aviv to have a snack and to talk with Rabbi Roberto Arbib, who is associated with Rabbis for Human Rights, we had to open our totebags for inspection by a private security guard. The bus station also features airport-type metal detectors.

My Jewish friends explained that such concern for security is not paranoia but has a basis in recent history, especially terrorist attacks of some years ago. At present they empathize deeply with friends of theirs who live near the border with Gaza and who are subjected to rocket attacks from Gaza militants.

Tel Aviv and the rest of Israel will be safe only when both sides reach a comprehensive peace agreement based on the maximum achievable justice for all. Rabbi Arbib, a Conservative Jew, told me of his work with a group called Abraham’s Way – bringing together Jews and Muslims on a regular basis for cultural exchange and dialogue. (Both religions have a common father in Abraham, with the Jews tracing their lineage to the patriarch’s son Isaac and the Muslims – particularly, the prophet Mohammad -- to his son Ishmael.)[1]

My hosts showed me the beautiful old section of Tel Aviv, Jaffa, as well as the Ethiopian neighborhood of a nearby city. Here the black Jews live in conditions notably poorer than the residents of other parts of town, but the simple houses seem adequate. These Jews, as well as Arab citizens of Israel, complain of racial discrimination. (See Arab Association for Human Rights – Association in Service of the Palestinian Arab Minority in Israel: www.arabhra.org).

Tel Aviv’s old section, Jaffa, which is the “Joppa” of the Acts of the Apostles, is the scene of what is arguably the fourth most important event in the New Testament. After the Incarnation, the death/resurrection of Jesus, and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the revelation to Peter at Joppa could be considered the next in theological importance, for it was here that Peter received a vision which would open the doors of Christianity to all the nations, the Gentiles.

According to Acts, Peter was “lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside” in Joppa, i.e., on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea (9:43;10:6). One day, while praying on the roof, Peter became hungry and “fell into a trance.” He saw something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, containing “all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air.” Then he heard a voice commanding him to kill and eat the animals, but he refused, saying “I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.” But the voice replied: “What God has made clean, you must not call profane” (10:9-15).

At this point men arrived at Joppa sent by Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Cohort, who had been told in a vision to send for Peter. When Peter arrived at the home of the Gentile in Caesarea, he explained to Cornelius and his friends and relatives: “You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile, but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean” (10:28). Here Peter, making use of the freedom of the Spirit to interpret experience, seems to be extrapolating from his vision about the cleanliness of all animals to the acceptability of all peoples.

The invited speaker began: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (v. 34). He went on to announce the Good News of Jesus – his ministry, death, and resurrection. While Peter was still speaking, “the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (vv. 44-48).[2]

At the evening meal my Jewish friends and I had a brief celebration of Hanukkah, which had begun this year at sundown on Dec. 4. Hanukkah, from the Hebrew word for "dedication" or "consecration," marks the re-dedication in 165 BCE of the Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by the forces of Antiochus IV and commemorates the "miracle of the container of oil." According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate fresh olive oil. (Wikipedia)

Three members of Madison Friends of Jewish Voice for Peace suggest a contemporary application of the Hanukkah theme of liberation. “This story has long been an inspiration to Jews as a parable of the ‘few against the many,’ of illumination over darkness. Sadly, as we begin our celebration of Hanukkah, we are faced with a glaring irony in Israel and Palestine: While we rejoice in the Festival of Lights, Israel continues to threaten to literally shut the lights out in Gaza.

“Although Israel supposedly disengaged from Gaza more than two years ago, its 1.5 million residents have been under a near total siege since June 2007…. Access to vaccines, dairy products, fresh foods and clean water have been severely limited since June 2006, when Israel shelled Gaza’s main electric power generator….

“The lessons of Hanukkah seem forgotten by Israel as it has taken on the mantle of the oppressor. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Jews of conscience must speak out against human rights abuses committed by Israel in our name. As American citizens who end up funding the Israeli occupation through our taxes, we also are obligated to speak up and act.

“Each night of Hanukkah, Jews light one more candle, gradually illuminating our homes with a brighter and brighter flame. Let this inspire us to shed light upon the plight of the Palestinians.” (“Jews Need to Speak Out on Abuse of Palestinians,” by Tsela Barr, Judith Laitman and Haley Michaels Pollack, The Capital Times, Madison, Wisconsin, December 1, 2007. For entire article, which summarizes Palestinian grievances, see http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/12/01/5549/)

One of the major Palestinian grievances has to do with land which is occupied illegally by the Israeli “settlements.” See our Michigan Peace Team report on one aspect of this, “A Farmer Went Out to Sow,” on our website – www.michiganpeaceteam.org

Rabbis for Human Rights (www.rhr.israel.net) interprets the Hebrew Scriptures in relation to current policies of the State of Israel. It is “the rabbinic voice of conscience in Israel, giving voice to the Jewish tradition of human rights. We promote justice and freedom, while campaigning against discrimination and inhumane conduct.”

The Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, which houses the place where Egyptian Christians believe that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph stayed after fleeing Herod’s persecution, is in CAIRO, not Alexandria (the city on the Mediterranean founded by Alexander the Great of Macedonia around 331 BC).

Similarly, the Jewish synagogue over the spot where the baby Moses is thought to have been found by Pharaoh’s daughter is in CAIRO, not Alexandria.

[1 ] In the April 2005 issue of the online magazine Confronti.net, writer Giovanna Caggia described the work of Rabbi Roberto Arbib and the Sufi Sheikh Ghassan Manasra, who founded the group “Abraham’s Way,” with the intent of bringing Jews and Muslims together to learn to acknowledge each other because both are sons of the same father Abraham. “This is a brave objective because it is not easy in a land in which Islam and Judaism view each other as enemies.

“In the encounters that they organize, they strive to deepen their understanding of the mystic aspects present in Muslim Sufism and the mystical current of Judaism (the chassidismo and the Qabbalah), with the goal of bringing to light the common elements of the two religious traditions.

“Rabbi Roberto Arbib said, ‘The idea that God has put the two people together so they can know each other is a part of my religious being, today, in Israel. My grandfather was also a rabbi who was active in Rome in Jewish-Christian dialogue. I believe that everyone must come to their own realization that we can all live together under the tent of Abraham.”

(http://www.confronti.net/EDITORIALI_ENG/knocking-on-the-tank)

[2] In Jerusalem, when Peter had to explain his decision to welcome the Gentiles into the community, he appealed to his own experience, recounting his vision of the animals and the Gentiles’ reception of the Holy Spirit. “When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God saying ‘Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life’” (11:18).

But this astounding and exciting opening up of the new People of God was not without its critics. In Jerusalem, “some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees said, ‘It is necessary for them [Gentile converts] to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses’” (15:5). But at a meeting of the apostles and elders known as the Council of Jerusalem, Peter, citing his experience and that of the Gentile converts, argued against afflicting the new disciples with heavy and unnecessary burdens. This liberating doctrine prevailed and was proclaimed in an official letter (15:22-29), the first “encyclical.”

The inspiration for this new teaching had come to Peter at Joppa on the Mediterranean.

Send mail to michiganpeaceteam@comcast.net with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2007 Michigan Peace Team Last modified: 04/09/08

Send mail to michiganpeaceteam@comcast.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2007 Michigan Peace Team
Last modified: 04/09/08