but as I'm on the bus this morning I wonder if there's a correlation between the freefall in our economy, the rising prices of everything, the decline in customer service, and the explosion of unwed single parents?
I shouldn't say unwed single parents; I should say "people who have children with no reasonable idea of how they will support them, other than with government subsidies." Personally, I think that if you're not astute enough to connect the dots regarding finances and rearing children, that you shouldn't have them. But it's a free country, and financial security is not everyone's priority. OK, but why then should I have to pay for those children? I had to make decisions regarding the circumstances under which I wanted to reproduce; why should I have to pay, by way of increased taxes and costs, for those who were unwilling or unable to make those decisions? The reason I throw the decline of customer service in the mix is I believe people without parenting skills are rearing children who, in turn, have decreased performance and decreased expectations. The clueless teen behind the counter at McDonald's is an idiot not because he wants to be an idiot, but because he has no standard in his life for being anything other than an idiot.
That may seem mean to say, but I think it's meaner -- ultimately cruel -- to continue on in a society where people normalize irresponsible behavior. I think it's horrible that we have generations on welfare with no one saying "this is unacceptable behavior." If it gets said, people are immediately on the defensive; there is no time for self reflection or self examination, and the issue gets deflected off to the government, or society, or the racism of white people. While all those may be valid contributing factors, if there is no SELF examination, no SELF reflection, no admission that "hey, maybe continuing to make babies on a welfare income isn't a good idea;" or "since I'm on a welfare income, maybe I shouldn't create an atmosphere in which my kids think they need sneakers and leather jackets that cause hundreds of dollars each." -- without some admission that we've reached some apparent cultural and societal abyss, filled with behaviors that are contrary to our living full and complete lives -- without some sort of admission of the problem, it will just persist.
Then again, maybe it's just early Monday morning and I'm feeling bitchy. But I think we as humans are capable of so much more than we've demonstrated. I think we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and so often I think we don't hold up our end of the bargain -- I think we humans are living outside of our Covenant relationship with God. It's tiring, it's depressing -- I don't mean to complain, it's just that I've gotten a glimpse of something so much more marvelous, and I desire that for all humankind. Around me I see so much misery and suffering of various kinds, and it's all unneccessary. It's because we don't recognize who we are.
I just want to hear the Spirit saying that the Wait is Over, and it's God's Time. The Wait is Over, and the Sun is About to Shine... God, I'm ready to walk into my Season. I want the whole of creation to be ready to walk into our Season.
Let's see if I can insert Donald Lawrence's Seasons video here:
Chorus:
I feel seasons everywhere,
and I feel blessings in the air;
those seeds that you've sown,
It's time to come into your own, (seasons),
walk into your seasons.
Verse 1:
I know that you've invested alot,
the return has been slow, you throw up your hands
and say I give up, I just can't take it anymore;
but I hear the Spirit saying, “that it's your time
the wait is over, walk into your season”.
Verse 2:
I believe we're in a time
when God's gonna bless the saints,
those who have stayed, those who have prayed,
He's gonna fulfill the promise He made;
for I heard the Spirit say, “it's your time,
the wait is over, walk into your season”.
Chorus
Bridge:
You've survived the worst of times,
God was always on your side;
stake your claim,
write your name,
walk into this holy place.
(I hear the Spirit saying, that it's your time, the wait is over…)
Vamp 1:
The wait is over it's your time.
Vamp 2:
The wait is over.
Ending:
(I heard the Spirit say,
“that it's your time,
the wait it over),
walk into your season.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
It is well
Yesterday morning, Saturday November 20, I started the day by texting Steve and EJ. Steve came and picked me up and we went to Kelly Temple. I always thought COGIC didn't acknowledge female preachers (I went in collar not as fashion statement, but because of DeAnte). They repeatedly offered to seat me with clergy, and were much more accepting of me as a female cleric than I had imagined.
We agreed we were only going to the viewing. We walked in and there was a video screen over the casket with DeAnte preaching his heart out. That was good, because he's been out for like two weeks now. It's time to put my little brother in the ground. Part of the delay, I understand, was that COGIC had its annual conference in St. Louis (he was supposed to have been there) and they had to wait until it was over. They're having another homegoing celebration for him in NC next week. See you around the Throne, DeAnte!
So I came home, changed, and went to 72nd street. I was looking for a home depot there, but ended up in Best Buy where I got Donald Lawrence's latest (Steve had played the one about the King in You, and I had to have it). I also made my first trip into a Bed Bath and Beyond. I got a shower massage, but can see that without restraint I could end up spending a lot of time and money in that place.
On FB yesterday afternoon, I learned that Mrs. Woodard died. As a preacher, I share the Good News of the birth, life, death, resurrection and coming again of Jesus Christ. (thanks, Donnie). And while that is good news, and while God makes no mistakes, I still mourn the absence of Mrs. Woodard from this earth. I am grateful she is being welcomed into her new Home, and grateful that I had the opportunity to teach Bible to her and to see that she was interested and making progress. Still, I'll miss her. What a sweet and dear spirit.
I have seven more papers to grade. I can hardly bear reading them. Between the plagiarism, the pomposity and the perpetual confusion of historical data, I am just worn out.
I'm really struggling with a personal issue -- a feeling of betrayal by someone in whom I'd placed a great deal of trust. Since I don't trust easily, the sense of betrayal is particularly heightened. In general, I think you don't get to straddle a line then retroactively settle on one side of it. It's just like revisionist history. If you're not able to own up to things you've done, whether positive or negative, then how can they be acknowledged and rectified?
So last night I took a nice bubble bath. Bubble baths, chocolate, rest, and much prayer, meditation, and reflection will get me over. At the end of it all, I still give thanks to God!!
We agreed we were only going to the viewing. We walked in and there was a video screen over the casket with DeAnte preaching his heart out. That was good, because he's been out for like two weeks now. It's time to put my little brother in the ground. Part of the delay, I understand, was that COGIC had its annual conference in St. Louis (he was supposed to have been there) and they had to wait until it was over. They're having another homegoing celebration for him in NC next week. See you around the Throne, DeAnte!
So I came home, changed, and went to 72nd street. I was looking for a home depot there, but ended up in Best Buy where I got Donald Lawrence's latest (Steve had played the one about the King in You, and I had to have it). I also made my first trip into a Bed Bath and Beyond. I got a shower massage, but can see that without restraint I could end up spending a lot of time and money in that place.
On FB yesterday afternoon, I learned that Mrs. Woodard died. As a preacher, I share the Good News of the birth, life, death, resurrection and coming again of Jesus Christ. (thanks, Donnie). And while that is good news, and while God makes no mistakes, I still mourn the absence of Mrs. Woodard from this earth. I am grateful she is being welcomed into her new Home, and grateful that I had the opportunity to teach Bible to her and to see that she was interested and making progress. Still, I'll miss her. What a sweet and dear spirit.
I have seven more papers to grade. I can hardly bear reading them. Between the plagiarism, the pomposity and the perpetual confusion of historical data, I am just worn out.
I'm really struggling with a personal issue -- a feeling of betrayal by someone in whom I'd placed a great deal of trust. Since I don't trust easily, the sense of betrayal is particularly heightened. In general, I think you don't get to straddle a line then retroactively settle on one side of it. It's just like revisionist history. If you're not able to own up to things you've done, whether positive or negative, then how can they be acknowledged and rectified?
So last night I took a nice bubble bath. Bubble baths, chocolate, rest, and much prayer, meditation, and reflection will get me over. At the end of it all, I still give thanks to God!!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thursday, November 18
So I put a bunch of videos up on youtube (over there I'm godskid8256). I've written and taken pictures all my life. Were it not for overly conservative guidance counselors, it's something I would have pursued more formally. Gordon Parks was my idol before and during prep school.
Instead, I wandered through life, learning that I wasn't good at being the square peg jammed into the round hole (or vice-versa). Yeah, even when stoned out of my gourd I could often do better at things than people who loved them with a passion (I'm the person who took first year calculus in high school because I liked the pictures the equations made. When I tried to do it in college because I was dating an engineer, I failed at it miserably). Excellence is pretty much a personal habit. Or at least it was prior to the days of Kaplan, surgically-precise information gathering, and the internet and resulting information overload. Excellence is still a habit, it's just that there are now so many things to distract one from the normal execution of one's habits.
All of which leads me to wonder why I'm so abysmally bad with a videocamera. I get that I'm recording life and am not editing it, but my GOODNESS! There's lots of panning and unsteadiness -- sure I was using a pocket videocam and didn't bother to read the instruction manual, but still!
It's 1 pm, and I've done a day's work already. You can actually get nearly a day's work done between 7 and 10 am, which frees up the rest of your day to play den mother and traffic cop. I like getting stuff done. Which is great, because there's LOTS to do here.
Already looking at other trips back to the Middle East. I also need to start checking my portfolio a bit more closely; I think it would be cool to be retired and go on a trip every quarter or so. But that means you have to be able to finance it, which means I shoulda started yesterday.
Considering that I didn't have anything to say today, it looks like I've written enough. Check out my videos on Youtube. Pray that I'll get better with my little videocamera.
Instead, I wandered through life, learning that I wasn't good at being the square peg jammed into the round hole (or vice-versa). Yeah, even when stoned out of my gourd I could often do better at things than people who loved them with a passion (I'm the person who took first year calculus in high school because I liked the pictures the equations made. When I tried to do it in college because I was dating an engineer, I failed at it miserably). Excellence is pretty much a personal habit. Or at least it was prior to the days of Kaplan, surgically-precise information gathering, and the internet and resulting information overload. Excellence is still a habit, it's just that there are now so many things to distract one from the normal execution of one's habits.
All of which leads me to wonder why I'm so abysmally bad with a videocamera. I get that I'm recording life and am not editing it, but my GOODNESS! There's lots of panning and unsteadiness -- sure I was using a pocket videocam and didn't bother to read the instruction manual, but still!
It's 1 pm, and I've done a day's work already. You can actually get nearly a day's work done between 7 and 10 am, which frees up the rest of your day to play den mother and traffic cop. I like getting stuff done. Which is great, because there's LOTS to do here.
Already looking at other trips back to the Middle East. I also need to start checking my portfolio a bit more closely; I think it would be cool to be retired and go on a trip every quarter or so. But that means you have to be able to finance it, which means I shoulda started yesterday.
Considering that I didn't have anything to say today, it looks like I've written enough. Check out my videos on Youtube. Pray that I'll get better with my little videocamera.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
You can't make it up...
Got to the office before 8 this morning; it's 5:30 and I've accomplished little of what I set out to do. We change signatories on our bank accounts and suddenly all the account names change; every vendor in the South Bronx wants to sell us something (some guy actually came to the office today and brought chicken and beans. I wouldn't see him, cuz I'd just come back from DD where I succumbed to the stress with a gingerbread donut. Which, by the way, is just like everything else at DD -- sugar with a different name.) I have one person who requires two hours of supervision every other week and who, if told to walk down the block, would have to have instructions that said "Lift left foot approximately 6 inches off the ground. Swing left foot forward and place in front of you ...." I can't believe it!
I still feel like I'm living in Plato's Cave. So many times I wish I could live in those shadows -- whether created by me or by others -- I wish I could live in those shadows, because it's a bit more predictable there, and it's not as intense there. But once you've seen reality, even though it's more intense and more taxing and whatever, once you've seen reality there's no way you can go back to the shadow life.
So I guess I'll go home and grade papers. If it were possible to break my spirit, I think today could have done it.
Byron Cage's song, "Broken but Healed" comes to mind. I have to start with the last refrain, though, because that's what's important:
"God has healed, He has delivered.
He has mended my brokenness.
Gave me a miracle to fit my need;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, I have received.
I have received"
I don't like regular mimes, but I do like Gospel Mimes so here are some gospel mimes doing a routine to it:
And here are the lyrics:
So you enter into this building,
you brought your burdens, brought your pain.
I have a message for you today,
that when you leave here, you won't be the same.
So you tell me you've been to your physician,
look at you there's been no change in your condition.
Reach out and touch the Master's Throne,
there's healing for your mind, your body, and your soul.
God can heal, He can deliver.
He can mend your brokenness.
He has a miracle to fit your needs,
once you trust Him, you will receive.
God knows about your situation,
but with every test and every trial there is revelation,
that God is able to supply every one of your needs;
He's here to touch you, heal you, He'll set you free.
So by the time that you leave this building,
my prayer for everyone in here is that you'll have your healing.
Once God works a miracle to fit your need,
go tell the world, what you have received.
God has healed, He has delivered.
He has mended my brokenness.
Gave me a miracle to fit my need;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, I have received.
I have received.
And here's a video of Byron actually performing it:
I'm spozed to be in a meeting in Manhattan in 15 minutes, so guess I should get off the computer and head south now.
I still feel like I'm living in Plato's Cave. So many times I wish I could live in those shadows -- whether created by me or by others -- I wish I could live in those shadows, because it's a bit more predictable there, and it's not as intense there. But once you've seen reality, even though it's more intense and more taxing and whatever, once you've seen reality there's no way you can go back to the shadow life.
So I guess I'll go home and grade papers. If it were possible to break my spirit, I think today could have done it.
Byron Cage's song, "Broken but Healed" comes to mind. I have to start with the last refrain, though, because that's what's important:
"God has healed, He has delivered.
He has mended my brokenness.
Gave me a miracle to fit my need;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, I have received.
I have received"
I don't like regular mimes, but I do like Gospel Mimes so here are some gospel mimes doing a routine to it:
And here are the lyrics:
So you enter into this building,
you brought your burdens, brought your pain.
I have a message for you today,
that when you leave here, you won't be the same.
So you tell me you've been to your physician,
look at you there's been no change in your condition.
Reach out and touch the Master's Throne,
there's healing for your mind, your body, and your soul.
God can heal, He can deliver.
He can mend your brokenness.
He has a miracle to fit your needs,
once you trust Him, you will receive.
God knows about your situation,
but with every test and every trial there is revelation,
that God is able to supply every one of your needs;
He's here to touch you, heal you, He'll set you free.
So by the time that you leave this building,
my prayer for everyone in here is that you'll have your healing.
Once God works a miracle to fit your need,
go tell the world, what you have received.
God has healed, He has delivered.
He has mended my brokenness.
Gave me a miracle to fit my need;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, I have received.
I have received.
And here's a video of Byron actually performing it:
I'm spozed to be in a meeting in Manhattan in 15 minutes, so guess I should get off the computer and head south now.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus...
So I'm back in NYC. Tore a nail and have a band-aid on, which inhibits my ability to type. But anyway, I'm back at work and I'm AMAZED at what I see around me. I can't diss work online, even if I'm the boss, so I need to let it go. But I. Am. Soooo. Tired.
And I'm grading papers. Can't really speak freely on that, either.
What I can speak about is the persistent, enduring diarrhea I've experienced since the trip. It started in Jerusalem, where I just felt cold and achey. The trots started later. While I didn't lose any weight hiking Mt. Sinai or walking around Jerusalem, in the first four days at home I lost something like 8 pounds. That would not have been significant in my old body, but now represents a significant percentage of my body weight. But it's all good. (Question: Why does every one of my 44 employees think that my job is to respond to their immediate needs? Am I the Executive Director or am I the Den Mother?)
I'm only back a couple of days and feel as beat down as if I'd never left. There is a constant press of responsibilities, which is fine; the issue is that everyone thinks their immediate issue is somehow loftier or weightier than any other issue. It's like ours is a culture of immediate gratification, and no one can see the need for nor the benefit of slow, steady, SUSTAINED progress. Oh, well. Whatcha gonna do? Since my life is about the above, it's not like I can make any sudden moves (although God knows I want to. Sometimes I just want to bolt.).
Despite the possibility of having irreparably damaged a relationship with someone about whom I care deeply, I still assert that, for the most part, I've learned the difference between actions dictated by my emotions and those dictated by the facts of the present circumstances. Unfortunately, in this very politicized, totally undiscerning culture in which we live, many people are spin masters to the point their actual perceptions change to fit their concept of reality. (I think we go here to Plato's Forms theory, or, more appropriately, his story of The Cave.) Yes, that's it. We're all living in Plato's (or Socrates') Cave.
Well, prayerfully, not all of us. But there are enough people living in the cave, mistaking shadows for reality, that it makes it really frustrating to attempt to live in any reality different from the shadow one.
Which is why I just call on the name of Jesus. Sometimes, there's no other help you know. Sometimes, it doesn't do any good to weep, wail and moan. Sometimes, you just need Jesus. This is one of those times.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
The song by Fred Hammond that's playing says, "and so I cried, Jesus, I need You. Please don't pass me by. I cried out Jesus, I'm not ashamed. I need You in my life." I know I'm broken, but You can heal me, Jesus, Jesus. I'm calling You, I might not be worth much, but I'm still willing, Jesus, Jesus. ...
I know I'm broken, but You can heal me, Jesus, Jesus. I'm calling You, I might not be worth much, but I'm still willing, Jesus, Jesus ...
I'm calling You, Jesus, Jesus. I'm calling You, Jesus, Jesus....
And I'm grading papers. Can't really speak freely on that, either.
What I can speak about is the persistent, enduring diarrhea I've experienced since the trip. It started in Jerusalem, where I just felt cold and achey. The trots started later. While I didn't lose any weight hiking Mt. Sinai or walking around Jerusalem, in the first four days at home I lost something like 8 pounds. That would not have been significant in my old body, but now represents a significant percentage of my body weight. But it's all good. (Question: Why does every one of my 44 employees think that my job is to respond to their immediate needs? Am I the Executive Director or am I the Den Mother?)
I'm only back a couple of days and feel as beat down as if I'd never left. There is a constant press of responsibilities, which is fine; the issue is that everyone thinks their immediate issue is somehow loftier or weightier than any other issue. It's like ours is a culture of immediate gratification, and no one can see the need for nor the benefit of slow, steady, SUSTAINED progress. Oh, well. Whatcha gonna do? Since my life is about the above, it's not like I can make any sudden moves (although God knows I want to. Sometimes I just want to bolt.).
Despite the possibility of having irreparably damaged a relationship with someone about whom I care deeply, I still assert that, for the most part, I've learned the difference between actions dictated by my emotions and those dictated by the facts of the present circumstances. Unfortunately, in this very politicized, totally undiscerning culture in which we live, many people are spin masters to the point their actual perceptions change to fit their concept of reality. (I think we go here to Plato's Forms theory, or, more appropriately, his story of The Cave.) Yes, that's it. We're all living in Plato's (or Socrates') Cave.
Well, prayerfully, not all of us. But there are enough people living in the cave, mistaking shadows for reality, that it makes it really frustrating to attempt to live in any reality different from the shadow one.
Which is why I just call on the name of Jesus. Sometimes, there's no other help you know. Sometimes, it doesn't do any good to weep, wail and moan. Sometimes, you just need Jesus. This is one of those times.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
The song by Fred Hammond that's playing says, "and so I cried, Jesus, I need You. Please don't pass me by. I cried out Jesus, I'm not ashamed. I need You in my life." I know I'm broken, but You can heal me, Jesus, Jesus. I'm calling You, I might not be worth much, but I'm still willing, Jesus, Jesus. ...
I know I'm broken, but You can heal me, Jesus, Jesus. I'm calling You, I might not be worth much, but I'm still willing, Jesus, Jesus ...
I'm calling You, Jesus, Jesus. I'm calling You, Jesus, Jesus....
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Back to the Grind
It's Sunday, November 14, and I'm back to the grind. I'm in church, but not worshipping; I wanted to update this blog and now need to grade papers. I'm just not feeling the worship service. We do need to be in prayer for our Senior Bishop, Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr. He's been under the weather lately.
So I've been flat on my back since Thursday morning. The stomach stuff that started in Jerusalem has not ended. My weight stayed pretty constant on the whole trip; since my return home (four days), I've dropped nearly seven pounds. It's great, but I don't think this is the way to do it. I have no energy, can't stand the thought of my protein shakes, and am covered with sweat. Interestingly, I did feel good enough to go to my water aerobics class yesterday morning, but that wiped me out for the whole rest of the day. I think I should probably take this week off from the gym. That will be hard for me, but I think I need to rest.
While I was delirious, I had the strangest dreams! One of them I still remember: I was in Cairo, had rented a car (did I write about how weird Cairo traffic is? No stop lights, no stop signs?) So I had rented a car in Cairo and despite being lost, was zipping around the country doing all kinds of things. I was a little lost, but found my way back. Then I don't remember exactly what happened,but I went back to the store where I had started and didn't see my car. I walked around the neighborhood and never saw the car. While I was walking around, I saw a couple of HUMONGOUS animals -- at first I thought they were elephants, but they turned out to be giant camels -- they had people on top of them, and following them was a HUGE bulldozer type of machine that was pushing up mounds of garbage. The garbage was as big as the the humongous animals, and I had to run fast to not get swallowed up by it.
There was probably more, but that's all I remember now.
Charlie's here talking to me now.
So I've been flat on my back since Thursday morning. The stomach stuff that started in Jerusalem has not ended. My weight stayed pretty constant on the whole trip; since my return home (four days), I've dropped nearly seven pounds. It's great, but I don't think this is the way to do it. I have no energy, can't stand the thought of my protein shakes, and am covered with sweat. Interestingly, I did feel good enough to go to my water aerobics class yesterday morning, but that wiped me out for the whole rest of the day. I think I should probably take this week off from the gym. That will be hard for me, but I think I need to rest.
While I was delirious, I had the strangest dreams! One of them I still remember: I was in Cairo, had rented a car (did I write about how weird Cairo traffic is? No stop lights, no stop signs?) So I had rented a car in Cairo and despite being lost, was zipping around the country doing all kinds of things. I was a little lost, but found my way back. Then I don't remember exactly what happened,but I went back to the store where I had started and didn't see my car. I walked around the neighborhood and never saw the car. While I was walking around, I saw a couple of HUMONGOUS animals -- at first I thought they were elephants, but they turned out to be giant camels -- they had people on top of them, and following them was a HUGE bulldozer type of machine that was pushing up mounds of garbage. The garbage was as big as the the humongous animals, and I had to run fast to not get swallowed up by it.
There was probably more, but that's all I remember now.
Charlie's here talking to me now.
November 10: Headed Home
So on the way to the Allenby Bridge, Peter tells us that Israeli security will ask questsions at the airport. He tells us just to tell them the truth. He lets us kinow they'll examine us extra carefully for staying in Bethylehem and not somewhere in West Jerusalem. So after arriving 20 minutes late and bickering over the prearranged fare, the driver finally is taking us to the airport (I didn't realize that Israel had only one airport, which is in Tel Aviv.). The cabbie tries to tell us to tell the Security checkpoint that we're coming from Jerusalem -- he says it will be easier.
We decide we prefer to go with the truth. Now they've stopped this guy at every possible checkpoint, and it's pretty clear they're doing it because he is Palestinian. The stop us at the security checkpoint before the airport (yea, on the highway headed to the airport), and they snatch his ID, and tell us to come over because they want to talk to us. Some little boy comes up to me and asks "where are you coming from?" I don't think twice before answering "New York. We're going home!" The guy then says "they are your friends?" I say "we were on a tour." And they let us go. I was so glad to be headed stateside that the location in Israel was of no consequence to me. Just get me HOME!!!
So at the airport, we had to have our luggage scanned BEFORE we could get to the ticket counter. They opened up my laptop and sent it through some machine, and they marked one of my bags for followup. I went to the counter. Without even opening the bag, the guy goes, "you bought mud and salt from the Dead Sea?" I told him yes. He asked me where I got it from. I told him I didn't remember, at some place where we stopped on the Dead Sea (which was actually a lie. I got it at Johnny's in Bethlehem, but since I was intent on taking it home, and since it was in the same packaging as the ones on the Dead Sea, I was not about to tell him I got it from a Palestinian shop). He asked me if anyone steered me to it or picked it out for me. I told him I saw it on the shelf, put it in my bag, and paid for it. He let me go.
After that, we had to go through customs and regular gate security -- I forget in what order. But we got to the airport 3.5 hours early, and it took us a good three hours to get through security. While I understand Israel's preoccupation with security, I can't help but think that, as payback for the Holocaust, they've turned into a nation that mimics some of the worst attributes of the Nazis. I know some of y'all are going to be mad at me for saying that, but it's what I think. Go back to the discussion from the guys in Jerusalem, about how Israel uses the Holocaust as both a shield and a sword.
What's especially disturbing to me is seeing the number of dark-skinned pepole they stop, or when you see that they stop you and don't really check anything, or when you give them your passport and they don't even look at it. I've also noticed that if you make eye contact with cute guys and give them that "I'm flirting with you but I really shouldn't be" look, things generally go easier (another tactic is admiring their bodies when you know they're looking at you but they don't know you know). If you openly flirt with them, they'll shut down, but if you feign interest in a way not obvious to them, they are complimented. Everywhere you go, men are still men.
So I'm on the flight as I write this, really upset to be stuck in a middle seat. I'm even more upset because 1) it's a DL flight, I'm a DL frequent flier and they know my preferences; 2) I tried to select my seat in advance and the stupid iphone app wouldn't let me. I BIG MINUS SIGN for delta, even though the guy beside me is fairly cute and seems nice enough. I'm happy the person with the window seat hasn't shown up yet, but they say it's a full flight.....
*****************************
That was the end of what I wrote on the plane. The guy beside me did show up and sprawled all over the seat as he slept all the way to NYC. We got home without incident. And even though I've had this stomach illness since Jerusalem, I'm thrilled to have gone, and can't wait til my next trip back!!!
We decide we prefer to go with the truth. Now they've stopped this guy at every possible checkpoint, and it's pretty clear they're doing it because he is Palestinian. The stop us at the security checkpoint before the airport (yea, on the highway headed to the airport), and they snatch his ID, and tell us to come over because they want to talk to us. Some little boy comes up to me and asks "where are you coming from?" I don't think twice before answering "New York. We're going home!" The guy then says "they are your friends?" I say "we were on a tour." And they let us go. I was so glad to be headed stateside that the location in Israel was of no consequence to me. Just get me HOME!!!
So at the airport, we had to have our luggage scanned BEFORE we could get to the ticket counter. They opened up my laptop and sent it through some machine, and they marked one of my bags for followup. I went to the counter. Without even opening the bag, the guy goes, "you bought mud and salt from the Dead Sea?" I told him yes. He asked me where I got it from. I told him I didn't remember, at some place where we stopped on the Dead Sea (which was actually a lie. I got it at Johnny's in Bethlehem, but since I was intent on taking it home, and since it was in the same packaging as the ones on the Dead Sea, I was not about to tell him I got it from a Palestinian shop). He asked me if anyone steered me to it or picked it out for me. I told him I saw it on the shelf, put it in my bag, and paid for it. He let me go.
After that, we had to go through customs and regular gate security -- I forget in what order. But we got to the airport 3.5 hours early, and it took us a good three hours to get through security. While I understand Israel's preoccupation with security, I can't help but think that, as payback for the Holocaust, they've turned into a nation that mimics some of the worst attributes of the Nazis. I know some of y'all are going to be mad at me for saying that, but it's what I think. Go back to the discussion from the guys in Jerusalem, about how Israel uses the Holocaust as both a shield and a sword.
What's especially disturbing to me is seeing the number of dark-skinned pepole they stop, or when you see that they stop you and don't really check anything, or when you give them your passport and they don't even look at it. I've also noticed that if you make eye contact with cute guys and give them that "I'm flirting with you but I really shouldn't be" look, things generally go easier (another tactic is admiring their bodies when you know they're looking at you but they don't know you know). If you openly flirt with them, they'll shut down, but if you feign interest in a way not obvious to them, they are complimented. Everywhere you go, men are still men.
So I'm on the flight as I write this, really upset to be stuck in a middle seat. I'm even more upset because 1) it's a DL flight, I'm a DL frequent flier and they know my preferences; 2) I tried to select my seat in advance and the stupid iphone app wouldn't let me. I BIG MINUS SIGN for delta, even though the guy beside me is fairly cute and seems nice enough. I'm happy the person with the window seat hasn't shown up yet, but they say it's a full flight.....
*****************************
That was the end of what I wrote on the plane. The guy beside me did show up and sprawled all over the seat as he slept all the way to NYC. We got home without incident. And even though I've had this stomach illness since Jerusalem, I'm thrilled to have gone, and can't wait til my next trip back!!!
Wednesday, November 10: Communion, Masada, Qumran, Wadi Qelt
For those of you who are reading, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post. I took notes, but it I don't post them to the blog, they tend to get lost. Anyway, we stared the day in the garden of Gethsemane, doing Communion. some say the trees in the Garden are actual witnesses to the Crucifixion, but Josephus and Tacitus, our Roman Historian, tell us that someone razed the entire are for 14 furlongs, which extends beyond the Garden of Gethsemane. Still, there are some VERY OLD trees in the Garden.
1Cor 11: Here is where Paul tells the disciples that he's passing on that which he has received. He's passing on something he received not by hearsay, but by Jesus Christ (which is a hard one for me, since Paul didn't walk the earth at the time of JC. So just where did you get this stuff you're passing on, Pablo? Anyway, I Cor 23 are where e find the words of institution. So we bless and share the bread and wine, we sing a couple of songs, we get our photo ops, and we come down off the mount of olives.
As we head to Masada, we're going to be on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem. There are like two old Roman Roads left, and this one, near Wadi Qelt, is the one like the road used by the Good Samaritan.
We're driving our folk down to the allenby Bridge crossing; on the way back, we'll stop at Wadi Qelt. We'll get good views of the desert from Wadiu Qelt.
Right NOW, we're on the East side of the Mount of Olives. Allezzeria is a modern-day Bethany --- /Alezzeria comes from Alazeron, the burial plot for Lazarus. So Jesus comes up this road, then got=es UP the mount of olives, and then descends into Jerusalem.
On the road to Masada, we're passing by illegal Israeli settlements. We're on Pope Paul VI road, which is the modernized version of the old 'Roman Road. Seeing the stumps of olive trees destroyed ty the Israeli army settlers is heartbreaking.
Now we are qt the "Inn of the Good Samaritan," While it is not historically verified, it IS on the road.
QUMRAN
The significance of Qumran is that the dead seas scrolls were discovered here in 1948? Whenever they were discovered, we know that they were produced here between 150 bc and the time of Jesus. These scrolls, the NAg Hammadi Library, Masada, and King Tut's tomb are considered the most amazing archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century.
What this discovery did was to push back the dating of our existing scrolls by about 1,000 years. Before the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest scrolls were thought to be from the 10th Century. These (Dead Seas Scrolls) show our readings of the existing scrolls were accurate.
Most people referred to the people living here as Essenes. Josephus and Pliny the Elder make reference to people living on the North Shore of the Dead Sea, who had withdrawn from society. The texts, however, don't bear this out. Now (in the 21st Century) we call them Covenanteers. They were not from the priestly caste, yet they took it upon themselves to perform some priestly functions. Because of this, they were considered to be improperly usurping authority. From their point of view, they referred to the High Priest in Jerusalem as the Teacher of Wickedness. They referred to their own High Priest as the Teacher of Righteousness.
In 68AD, members of the community became aware of the approaching Roman legions. They took their documents and put them in pots in the caves. As mentioned before, the scrolls are important to help scholars "fix the text" and show that our readings have not been that far off.
After that, we went to the Allenby Bridge Crossing and watched our comrades head on to Jordan, while we headed back up to Bethlehem. We stopped at Wadi Qelt, and I finally got to take my camel photos.
All the photos from the day can be seen here:
1Cor 11: Here is where Paul tells the disciples that he's passing on that which he has received. He's passing on something he received not by hearsay, but by Jesus Christ (which is a hard one for me, since Paul didn't walk the earth at the time of JC. So just where did you get this stuff you're passing on, Pablo? Anyway, I Cor 23 are where e find the words of institution. So we bless and share the bread and wine, we sing a couple of songs, we get our photo ops, and we come down off the mount of olives.
As we head to Masada, we're going to be on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem. There are like two old Roman Roads left, and this one, near Wadi Qelt, is the one like the road used by the Good Samaritan.
We're driving our folk down to the allenby Bridge crossing; on the way back, we'll stop at Wadi Qelt. We'll get good views of the desert from Wadiu Qelt.
Right NOW, we're on the East side of the Mount of Olives. Allezzeria is a modern-day Bethany --- /Alezzeria comes from Alazeron, the burial plot for Lazarus. So Jesus comes up this road, then got=es UP the mount of olives, and then descends into Jerusalem.
On the road to Masada, we're passing by illegal Israeli settlements. We're on Pope Paul VI road, which is the modernized version of the old 'Roman Road. Seeing the stumps of olive trees destroyed ty the Israeli army settlers is heartbreaking.
Now we are qt the "Inn of the Good Samaritan," While it is not historically verified, it IS on the road.
QUMRAN
The significance of Qumran is that the dead seas scrolls were discovered here in 1948? Whenever they were discovered, we know that they were produced here between 150 bc and the time of Jesus. These scrolls, the NAg Hammadi Library, Masada, and King Tut's tomb are considered the most amazing archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century.
What this discovery did was to push back the dating of our existing scrolls by about 1,000 years. Before the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest scrolls were thought to be from the 10th Century. These (Dead Seas Scrolls) show our readings of the existing scrolls were accurate.
Most people referred to the people living here as Essenes. Josephus and Pliny the Elder make reference to people living on the North Shore of the Dead Sea, who had withdrawn from society. The texts, however, don't bear this out. Now (in the 21st Century) we call them Covenanteers. They were not from the priestly caste, yet they took it upon themselves to perform some priestly functions. Because of this, they were considered to be improperly usurping authority. From their point of view, they referred to the High Priest in Jerusalem as the Teacher of Wickedness. They referred to their own High Priest as the Teacher of Righteousness.
In 68AD, members of the community became aware of the approaching Roman legions. They took their documents and put them in pots in the caves. As mentioned before, the scrolls are important to help scholars "fix the text" and show that our readings have not been that far off.
After that, we went to the Allenby Bridge Crossing and watched our comrades head on to Jordan, while we headed back up to Bethlehem. We stopped at Wadi Qelt, and I finally got to take my camel photos.
All the photos from the day can be seen here:
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday, November 9 - JERUSALEM
Today we go to Jerusalem! First things first, though. I have to give a big shout out to my friend Deante Pierre Wilson. Deante lived with me for a while when he was just moving to NYC. He was raised in the CME Church, but left if for COGIC. I got a text early this morning telling me that Deante had passed away. I don’t know the circumstances, but as I said on his FB page, “Dude, when I told you to come with me to Jerusalem, I didn’t mean like this…” I’m sure my young brother is exploring this sacred city with me today.
So we’ll enter through the Moroccan gate, then go up to Hara mesh Sharif, then up through the Northern Gate to St. Anne’s church and the pools of Bethsaida, then on to the Lithostratos, then to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I really want to go in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to see the hill called Golgotha, because I missed that last time.
About 2 pm, we’ll leave through the Jaffa Gate and go to Bill Dockerty’s office at the St. Yves Catholic Relief Peace Society. At 4 we have an appointment in Tentour with Gershon Baskin, an Israeli who founded the Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information. Tonight, instead of eating at the hotel, we’ll eat at a local restaurant called the Tent, about 150 yards from the hotel. This is a really ambitious day, and I’m not feeling good.
So. The dome of the Rock is where Abraham was about to sacrifice either Isaac or Ishmael, depending on whether you’re Judeo-Christian or Muslim. It’s also, in the Islamic tradition, where Mohammad ascended to heaven. The El-Aqsa Mosque, nearby, represents Mohammed’s furthest point of travel on earth.
We’re here in Jerusalem, walking in the footsteps of Jesus, walking where Jesus walked, but the question is, where and how would Jesus walk today?
I am really sick, possibly because I made my protein shake with table water last night. They say you can drink the tap water in Israel, but I’ve NEVER been sick like this. I’m hot and cold, I have a monster headache, I’m lethargic, achy, and have no energy. I also think I might puke. I’m sitting in a corner writing while everyone else stands and talks about I don’t know what, because I don’t feel good and am not listening.
We’re leaving the Dome of the Rock and going to St. Anne’s Church, by the pools of Bethsaida. That’s where the sound echoes so nicely. There are lots of Muslim widows begging here at the Dome of the Rock.
So we made our way through the temple mount. It was Muslim prayer time, so we had to leave. We went to the pools of Bethsaida. Peter had Bible study with the passage from John 5. I only came in on the tail end of it, when he explained how Jesus ad not aversion to dealing with people in pagan temples.
We then went into the Cathedral of St. Anne. I don’t know who she was, but as I said before, the acoustics here are great. Last year, an African group sang before us. They were awesome. We sang Holy, Holy, Holy and a couple of other songs.
By this time, I was really faded, and had lagged behind the rest of the group, but Don stayed with me. We called Peter and he directed us to the Lithostratos, which you enter under the arch that says Ecce Homo. You go into a convent.
Inside, Peter was telling us about the geography of the Old City. I am SOOOOOO tired. A lady from the convent interrupted Peter’s presentation to let us know they have materials in English.
My head is KILLING me, my “light” pack suddenly weighs a ton, but I’m here and I’m giving God GLORY!!! I think what made me sick was making the protein shake with tap water. I saw a black man from Texas. The group was kinda wondering why we were speaking to each other, so we had a discussion about how there aren’t so many black people in Israel. There are actually a decent number; I saw both more black Israelis, black American tourists, and black people from other countries than I saw the last time.
We went up on the top of the Sisters of Sinai Convent, several stories above ground. The cool thing about SBS is that Peter knows people and can get you into places the general public can’t get into. We got a marvelous, 360-degree view of Jerusalem. In addition to being a great photo op, it was really cool when the Muslim prayer calls went off. I videoed it. We’ll see how that comes out.
Mark Twain visited here in 1867, and this convent was just under construction then. Peter is telling us all about the history of the convent. Google it if you’re interested. Now he’s talking about the paving stones in the Passion Area helping us to contextualize the story of Jesus. Here is a link to last year’s blog on the Lithostratos.
So back downstairs, we saw photos and diagrams of the Temple Mount Complex, including the Forum Antonia, which was the holding cell for Jesus during His passion. We will go from there to the Western Wall, and Peter is showing us what was originally in the complex and what’s left. A forum (simply an open courtyard or market place) is what he showed us. They put in paving stones to make the forum. In John, when Pilate brings Jesus out and says “Look at the man,” that is commemorated by the arch Ecce Homo (remember we went through it to get to the convent?). Even though archeological evidence tells us it was built 100 years later, by Hadrian.
After that, we talked about “The game of the King.” Again, look at last year’s blog on the subject. With knowledge of the game, it’s easy to imagine the guards were playing that game with Jesus.
Still in the Lithostratos (which means Stone Street). This was referenced in John 19, where it tells us that Pilate takes Jesus out onto a Stone Street. Then we read Mark 15, starting at the 16th verse and going along to where they crucified Him.
We came from St. Anne’s and started along the Via Dolorosa.
We got into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I TOUCHED THE SPOT WHERE THE CROSS WAS!!!, but the crabby Greek Orthodox priest wouldn’t let us take pictures. I also touched (again) the slab His body was laid on, though I didn’t get any pics doing it this time. I didn’t go to the Empty Tomb again; the lines were too long, and I wasn’t feeling good, for starters.
Another part of the reason I didn’t go to the Empty Tomb is that my hip has started to bother me when I stand for too long. But I think the real reason is that this has become a production line tourist establishment. Last year we came in February and there was a completely different atmosphere. This year it’s November, apparently high season, it’s really crowded, and it seems like they just want to put tourists through. There’s so many tourists, so it’s understandable, but the downside is that you get no time to pray, meditate, and reverence the spot. I wonder if we’ll be rude and pushy and cutting in line when we go to Heaven? If it’s more rude and crowded than this, I don’t know……
3 pm: Our meeting with Bill Dockerty from the St. Yves Catholic Relief Peace Society. Bill tells us that to understand the issues in the Middle East, one needs first to understand the role religion plays in the lives of the people. It is quite different than in the States. Here, whether Christian, Muslim, or Jew, professing believers seem to really believe and to try to live their faith. Perhaps it’s because it’s in the desert and the whole desert spirituality thing, but it’s like people’s sense of spirituality really does pervade every aspect of their daily lives. After the first week of December, when it’s live, go to www.saintyves.org.il for more info.
Last year, the Israeli nut job, Haggain ben Aretz, (link to last year’s blog) had said Palestinians had three choices. They could:
1) Be here with no rights, as second-class citizens
2) Leave; or
3) Stay and be killed.
Again, go to www.saintyves.org.il and download Bill Dockerty’s papers.
The internal debate in Israel I s not about security and The Wall. That’s what they sell to the outside world. The internal debate in Israel is about demographics. If you’re going to have a Jewish state, then non-Jews will have to be expelled.,
What’s going on in Israel is, quite simply, ethnic cleansing. I cannot bear it that my tax dollars support this. The modern nation of Israel is not the same as the PEOPLE Israel. The modern nation of Israel, in my experience, is a racist place where if you’re not Jewish, you don’t belong. While there are darker-skinned Jews here, I wonder how long it will be after they expel the Palestinians that they’ll expel the Sephardic Jews? Israel seems to be about repopulating this area with Ashkenazim – it’s ethnic cleansing. There’s a big push to destroy Palestinian homes and to expel Palestinians. They are also pushing to build more of what’s known in Hebrew as Hafrodah, or settlements. The idea is to divide and conquer. Palestinian developments are separated by roads that can only be used by Israelis. Israelis can detain Palestinians WITHOUT CHARGES for 5, 6, even 7 years. Israeli settlements are not DISPUTED, they are OCCUPIED. Like the nut job said last year, some Israelis think Israel’s borders extend from the Mediterranean to the Jordan.
Palestinians living here have not been allowed to build for forty years. Israelis will take Palestinian ID cards on trumped-up charges. There’s a 35-foot high wall surrounding Bethlehem, you have to stop and have armed guards mount your bus – it’s just ridiculous. It is, effectively, Apartheid. For the US to continue to support this government when they do not even respect the US is anathema. We, the American people, need to get over the fear of being called “anti-Semites” (after all, Palestinians are Semitic, too) and take our stand for peace and justice.
Israel treats the world like mushrooms. It keeps us in the dark and feeds us a lot of BS.
I’m to check out a book called “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.” Don’t remember the author. During Bill’s talk, I heard him describe piracy, illegal occupation, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid, all committed by Israel. There’s a website to check out. It’s called www.ifamericansknew.org
Next we went on to meet Gershon Baskin, the founder of the Israeli-Palestinian Center for Research and Information. By this time, I was pretty faded, so don’t know how much of his stuff I got. He started talking about geopolitics. We are in Tantur (which means Hilltop in Arabic). Traditionally, this is the site where Mary and Joseph slept on the night before Jesus’ birth. We are technically not in Israel, but in the Vatican. IPCRI is an ecumenical institute for Christians, Arabs, and Jews to get to know each other. It is administered by Notre Dame, and its mission is to get Christians from all over the world talking to one another.
The tower outside is left over from the Order of the Knights of Malta. It used to be a pedestrian walkway, until The Wall was built.
Here at IPCRI, they’re running a microcosm of the Arab-Israeli conflict. This has become a meeting place for Israelis and Palestinians. They’ve been here on an interim basis since 2001, and they are in favor of a two-state solution.
At the end of the day, the US has to mediate an agreement in this conflict, complete with terms, conditions, and consequences. Why the US? Because we’re funding Israel, for one; because we’re Israel’s only real ally in the International Community for two; and because, for better or for worse, taking a stand for what is morally right and just is what we Americans do. Baskin said that a majority of Israelis and Palestinians want peace, but no longer believe it’s possible. The moderate response does not work. We have to impose a solution.
Israel is covered by a US umbrella. The US needs to stop covering Israel until Israel does what the US wants. In a world community where Israel is increasingly unpopular, the US needs to cut its losses and stop supporting Israel.
That’s all for now. I know it’s sketchy, but I feel like crap and there was a LOT to process today…..
Here are the day's photos:
So we’ll enter through the Moroccan gate, then go up to Hara mesh Sharif, then up through the Northern Gate to St. Anne’s church and the pools of Bethsaida, then on to the Lithostratos, then to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I really want to go in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to see the hill called Golgotha, because I missed that last time.
About 2 pm, we’ll leave through the Jaffa Gate and go to Bill Dockerty’s office at the St. Yves Catholic Relief Peace Society. At 4 we have an appointment in Tentour with Gershon Baskin, an Israeli who founded the Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information. Tonight, instead of eating at the hotel, we’ll eat at a local restaurant called the Tent, about 150 yards from the hotel. This is a really ambitious day, and I’m not feeling good.
So. The dome of the Rock is where Abraham was about to sacrifice either Isaac or Ishmael, depending on whether you’re Judeo-Christian or Muslim. It’s also, in the Islamic tradition, where Mohammad ascended to heaven. The El-Aqsa Mosque, nearby, represents Mohammed’s furthest point of travel on earth.
We’re here in Jerusalem, walking in the footsteps of Jesus, walking where Jesus walked, but the question is, where and how would Jesus walk today?
I am really sick, possibly because I made my protein shake with table water last night. They say you can drink the tap water in Israel, but I’ve NEVER been sick like this. I’m hot and cold, I have a monster headache, I’m lethargic, achy, and have no energy. I also think I might puke. I’m sitting in a corner writing while everyone else stands and talks about I don’t know what, because I don’t feel good and am not listening.
We’re leaving the Dome of the Rock and going to St. Anne’s Church, by the pools of Bethsaida. That’s where the sound echoes so nicely. There are lots of Muslim widows begging here at the Dome of the Rock.
So we made our way through the temple mount. It was Muslim prayer time, so we had to leave. We went to the pools of Bethsaida. Peter had Bible study with the passage from John 5. I only came in on the tail end of it, when he explained how Jesus ad not aversion to dealing with people in pagan temples.
We then went into the Cathedral of St. Anne. I don’t know who she was, but as I said before, the acoustics here are great. Last year, an African group sang before us. They were awesome. We sang Holy, Holy, Holy and a couple of other songs.
By this time, I was really faded, and had lagged behind the rest of the group, but Don stayed with me. We called Peter and he directed us to the Lithostratos, which you enter under the arch that says Ecce Homo. You go into a convent.
Inside, Peter was telling us about the geography of the Old City. I am SOOOOOO tired. A lady from the convent interrupted Peter’s presentation to let us know they have materials in English.
My head is KILLING me, my “light” pack suddenly weighs a ton, but I’m here and I’m giving God GLORY!!! I think what made me sick was making the protein shake with tap water. I saw a black man from Texas. The group was kinda wondering why we were speaking to each other, so we had a discussion about how there aren’t so many black people in Israel. There are actually a decent number; I saw both more black Israelis, black American tourists, and black people from other countries than I saw the last time.
We went up on the top of the Sisters of Sinai Convent, several stories above ground. The cool thing about SBS is that Peter knows people and can get you into places the general public can’t get into. We got a marvelous, 360-degree view of Jerusalem. In addition to being a great photo op, it was really cool when the Muslim prayer calls went off. I videoed it. We’ll see how that comes out.
Mark Twain visited here in 1867, and this convent was just under construction then. Peter is telling us all about the history of the convent. Google it if you’re interested. Now he’s talking about the paving stones in the Passion Area helping us to contextualize the story of Jesus. Here is a link to last year’s blog on the Lithostratos.
So back downstairs, we saw photos and diagrams of the Temple Mount Complex, including the Forum Antonia, which was the holding cell for Jesus during His passion. We will go from there to the Western Wall, and Peter is showing us what was originally in the complex and what’s left. A forum (simply an open courtyard or market place) is what he showed us. They put in paving stones to make the forum. In John, when Pilate brings Jesus out and says “Look at the man,” that is commemorated by the arch Ecce Homo (remember we went through it to get to the convent?). Even though archeological evidence tells us it was built 100 years later, by Hadrian.
After that, we talked about “The game of the King.” Again, look at last year’s blog on the subject. With knowledge of the game, it’s easy to imagine the guards were playing that game with Jesus.
Still in the Lithostratos (which means Stone Street). This was referenced in John 19, where it tells us that Pilate takes Jesus out onto a Stone Street. Then we read Mark 15, starting at the 16th verse and going along to where they crucified Him.
We came from St. Anne’s and started along the Via Dolorosa.
We got into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I TOUCHED THE SPOT WHERE THE CROSS WAS!!!, but the crabby Greek Orthodox priest wouldn’t let us take pictures. I also touched (again) the slab His body was laid on, though I didn’t get any pics doing it this time. I didn’t go to the Empty Tomb again; the lines were too long, and I wasn’t feeling good, for starters.
Another part of the reason I didn’t go to the Empty Tomb is that my hip has started to bother me when I stand for too long. But I think the real reason is that this has become a production line tourist establishment. Last year we came in February and there was a completely different atmosphere. This year it’s November, apparently high season, it’s really crowded, and it seems like they just want to put tourists through. There’s so many tourists, so it’s understandable, but the downside is that you get no time to pray, meditate, and reverence the spot. I wonder if we’ll be rude and pushy and cutting in line when we go to Heaven? If it’s more rude and crowded than this, I don’t know……
3 pm: Our meeting with Bill Dockerty from the St. Yves Catholic Relief Peace Society. Bill tells us that to understand the issues in the Middle East, one needs first to understand the role religion plays in the lives of the people. It is quite different than in the States. Here, whether Christian, Muslim, or Jew, professing believers seem to really believe and to try to live their faith. Perhaps it’s because it’s in the desert and the whole desert spirituality thing, but it’s like people’s sense of spirituality really does pervade every aspect of their daily lives. After the first week of December, when it’s live, go to www.saintyves.org.il for more info.
Last year, the Israeli nut job, Haggain ben Aretz, (link to last year’s blog) had said Palestinians had three choices. They could:
1) Be here with no rights, as second-class citizens
2) Leave; or
3) Stay and be killed.
Again, go to www.saintyves.org.il and download Bill Dockerty’s papers.
The internal debate in Israel I s not about security and The Wall. That’s what they sell to the outside world. The internal debate in Israel is about demographics. If you’re going to have a Jewish state, then non-Jews will have to be expelled.,
What’s going on in Israel is, quite simply, ethnic cleansing. I cannot bear it that my tax dollars support this. The modern nation of Israel is not the same as the PEOPLE Israel. The modern nation of Israel, in my experience, is a racist place where if you’re not Jewish, you don’t belong. While there are darker-skinned Jews here, I wonder how long it will be after they expel the Palestinians that they’ll expel the Sephardic Jews? Israel seems to be about repopulating this area with Ashkenazim – it’s ethnic cleansing. There’s a big push to destroy Palestinian homes and to expel Palestinians. They are also pushing to build more of what’s known in Hebrew as Hafrodah, or settlements. The idea is to divide and conquer. Palestinian developments are separated by roads that can only be used by Israelis. Israelis can detain Palestinians WITHOUT CHARGES for 5, 6, even 7 years. Israeli settlements are not DISPUTED, they are OCCUPIED. Like the nut job said last year, some Israelis think Israel’s borders extend from the Mediterranean to the Jordan.
Palestinians living here have not been allowed to build for forty years. Israelis will take Palestinian ID cards on trumped-up charges. There’s a 35-foot high wall surrounding Bethlehem, you have to stop and have armed guards mount your bus – it’s just ridiculous. It is, effectively, Apartheid. For the US to continue to support this government when they do not even respect the US is anathema. We, the American people, need to get over the fear of being called “anti-Semites” (after all, Palestinians are Semitic, too) and take our stand for peace and justice.
Israel treats the world like mushrooms. It keeps us in the dark and feeds us a lot of BS.
I’m to check out a book called “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.” Don’t remember the author. During Bill’s talk, I heard him describe piracy, illegal occupation, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid, all committed by Israel. There’s a website to check out. It’s called www.ifamericansknew.org
Next we went on to meet Gershon Baskin, the founder of the Israeli-Palestinian Center for Research and Information. By this time, I was pretty faded, so don’t know how much of his stuff I got. He started talking about geopolitics. We are in Tantur (which means Hilltop in Arabic). Traditionally, this is the site where Mary and Joseph slept on the night before Jesus’ birth. We are technically not in Israel, but in the Vatican. IPCRI is an ecumenical institute for Christians, Arabs, and Jews to get to know each other. It is administered by Notre Dame, and its mission is to get Christians from all over the world talking to one another.
The tower outside is left over from the Order of the Knights of Malta. It used to be a pedestrian walkway, until The Wall was built.
Here at IPCRI, they’re running a microcosm of the Arab-Israeli conflict. This has become a meeting place for Israelis and Palestinians. They’ve been here on an interim basis since 2001, and they are in favor of a two-state solution.
At the end of the day, the US has to mediate an agreement in this conflict, complete with terms, conditions, and consequences. Why the US? Because we’re funding Israel, for one; because we’re Israel’s only real ally in the International Community for two; and because, for better or for worse, taking a stand for what is morally right and just is what we Americans do. Baskin said that a majority of Israelis and Palestinians want peace, but no longer believe it’s possible. The moderate response does not work. We have to impose a solution.
Israel is covered by a US umbrella. The US needs to stop covering Israel until Israel does what the US wants. In a world community where Israel is increasingly unpopular, the US needs to cut its losses and stop supporting Israel.
That’s all for now. I know it’s sketchy, but I feel like crap and there was a LOT to process today…..
Here are the day's photos:
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday, November 8 - background and context
Today we're looking at the background and context of Jesus' birth. We started our day with a visit to the church of the Nativity. The first temple was built by Solomon and destroyed in 586 BC. After the Exile, was the return (the period covered in Ezra and Nehemiah). Today we're going to look at the Second temple period. We're going from the Church of the Nativity to the Second Temple Model to the Mount of Olives.
We started our story with Matthew 2, the story of the Magi. The common themes we identified were dreams, supernatural guidance, traveling, and prophecy being fulfilled. From the birth story in Matthew, we can discern that there were three Herods: Antipas, The Great, and Archilaeus. There are actually about 40 different Herods in recorded history. This rule over Judea and Galilee is the backdrop for the Nativity Story. Herod the Great built the Herodian.
So we chatted, and then we did a walking tour of the church of the Nativity. After that, and a brief tour of the Orthodox church that was the site of Jerome's cell, we went off to the Herodian.
At the Herodian, we were at the foot of the Palace fortress complex. There is a place with columns that we're sure was a swimming pool. It would have been plastered around outside and covered with mosaic. Near the pool are the administrative offices.
One of the things we discussed is that, in addition to "Son of God" being a political title, the use of the term "gospel" is to announce the birth of a king. We looked at political writings used to announce one of the Caesars(?) and then looked at the language in one of the Gospels. They were identical. The Greek word Evangeliion was used to mean the Birth of a King.
From the Mount of Olives, Jesus could easily have seen Herod's workers building the Herodian. He could have seen Herod command them to take down one mountain and put all the excess dirt onto another mountain. This puts the phrase "faith to move mountains" into a new light. Jesus' use of "faith that can move mountains" MIGHT refer to Herod's moving the dirt to make the top of the Herodian higher than any surrounding structure. "Faith to move mountains" doesn't mean magic, it means effort, coordination and determination in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
Matthew 2 has reference to "the house" or "his house." That could be Jesus' house. Peter was telling us all the reasons why Jesus was not a peasant, including the language he used towards the Pharisees (this also applies to the language Paul used towards the Corinthians). This language suggests an intimate relationship, not necessarily an adversarial one.
We tried to go to the Orthodox Shepherd's field in Beit Sahur, but it was closed. So we went out of Bethlehem and to the Mount of Olives. From the Mount of Olives, we went to the Israel Museumm and saw the Second Temple Mount model. We also saw the Shrine of the Book, the Israel Museum's exhibit of copies of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
For lunch we went to some place where we had Schwarma, hummus, and falafel. It was great!! Then we went to a mall to look for some aspirin. I got some granola bars.
We went to the Shepherd's Field, the same one from last year. Along the way, it occurred to me that in life, you get choices. You can see everything painted with the same broad strokes, categorizing or compartmentalizing things so you can attach value (or lack thereof) to them, OR you can deconstruct things so much they completely lose their (or any) meaning. Reality and life exist somewhere in between.
This has been really sketchy because I'm really tired, and just trying to jot down my notes. I don't even have enough steam at this point to put in any personal observations -- I just hope that when I finally have time to upload the pictures, that things will start to make sense. But I want to close here with a quote. I don't know whose it is, but I saw it on that horrible wall that surrounds Bethlehem. It says "Any existence deprived of freedom is a kind of death." -Graffitti from The Wall.
It seems to me that the people of this area are all dying a kind of death. Over the last couple of weeks, I've seen lots of similarities in the genesis of many Near Eastern religions. This does nothing to negate or diminish the reality of the Gospel story, in my mind. But it does tend to make me think twice about any religious tradition that would have exclusion or exclusivity as part of its foundational tenets. It makes me think that such movements have elements of cultism where there should be elements of faith.
My thoughts aren't coming out the way I want them to, and I'm going to bed. Tomorrow we do Jerusalem, then we'll do communion in the Garden of Gethsemane on Wednesday, and then on Thursday, I think, we'll leave for home. I'm sorry I didn't go to Jordan this time; will have to do that next trip.
Here's a link to the photos
We started our story with Matthew 2, the story of the Magi. The common themes we identified were dreams, supernatural guidance, traveling, and prophecy being fulfilled. From the birth story in Matthew, we can discern that there were three Herods: Antipas, The Great, and Archilaeus. There are actually about 40 different Herods in recorded history. This rule over Judea and Galilee is the backdrop for the Nativity Story. Herod the Great built the Herodian.
So we chatted, and then we did a walking tour of the church of the Nativity. After that, and a brief tour of the Orthodox church that was the site of Jerome's cell, we went off to the Herodian.
At the Herodian, we were at the foot of the Palace fortress complex. There is a place with columns that we're sure was a swimming pool. It would have been plastered around outside and covered with mosaic. Near the pool are the administrative offices.
One of the things we discussed is that, in addition to "Son of God" being a political title, the use of the term "gospel" is to announce the birth of a king. We looked at political writings used to announce one of the Caesars(?) and then looked at the language in one of the Gospels. They were identical. The Greek word Evangeliion was used to mean the Birth of a King.
From the Mount of Olives, Jesus could easily have seen Herod's workers building the Herodian. He could have seen Herod command them to take down one mountain and put all the excess dirt onto another mountain. This puts the phrase "faith to move mountains" into a new light. Jesus' use of "faith that can move mountains" MIGHT refer to Herod's moving the dirt to make the top of the Herodian higher than any surrounding structure. "Faith to move mountains" doesn't mean magic, it means effort, coordination and determination in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
Matthew 2 has reference to "the house" or "his house." That could be Jesus' house. Peter was telling us all the reasons why Jesus was not a peasant, including the language he used towards the Pharisees (this also applies to the language Paul used towards the Corinthians). This language suggests an intimate relationship, not necessarily an adversarial one.
We tried to go to the Orthodox Shepherd's field in Beit Sahur, but it was closed. So we went out of Bethlehem and to the Mount of Olives. From the Mount of Olives, we went to the Israel Museumm and saw the Second Temple Mount model. We also saw the Shrine of the Book, the Israel Museum's exhibit of copies of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
For lunch we went to some place where we had Schwarma, hummus, and falafel. It was great!! Then we went to a mall to look for some aspirin. I got some granola bars.
We went to the Shepherd's Field, the same one from last year. Along the way, it occurred to me that in life, you get choices. You can see everything painted with the same broad strokes, categorizing or compartmentalizing things so you can attach value (or lack thereof) to them, OR you can deconstruct things so much they completely lose their (or any) meaning. Reality and life exist somewhere in between.
This has been really sketchy because I'm really tired, and just trying to jot down my notes. I don't even have enough steam at this point to put in any personal observations -- I just hope that when I finally have time to upload the pictures, that things will start to make sense. But I want to close here with a quote. I don't know whose it is, but I saw it on that horrible wall that surrounds Bethlehem. It says "Any existence deprived of freedom is a kind of death." -Graffitti from The Wall.
It seems to me that the people of this area are all dying a kind of death. Over the last couple of weeks, I've seen lots of similarities in the genesis of many Near Eastern religions. This does nothing to negate or diminish the reality of the Gospel story, in my mind. But it does tend to make me think twice about any religious tradition that would have exclusion or exclusivity as part of its foundational tenets. It makes me think that such movements have elements of cultism where there should be elements of faith.
My thoughts aren't coming out the way I want them to, and I'm going to bed. Tomorrow we do Jerusalem, then we'll do communion in the Garden of Gethsemane on Wednesday, and then on Thursday, I think, we'll leave for home. I'm sorry I didn't go to Jordan this time; will have to do that next trip.
Here's a link to the photos