Report from Bishops Hanson and Johnson
National Bishop Susan Johnson, ELCIC and Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson, ELCA
Report and Reflections from the Bishops’ Academy Visit to the Holy Land [1]
January 2009
After two years of planning, bishops, their spouses, and staff members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) traveled to the Holy Land for the Bishops’ Academy, an annual gathering for study and worship. The trip was planned as a witness to God’s will for a just peace for all people and as an expression of accompaniment with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and ministries of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).
The violence that broke out in Gaza shortly before the trip raised concerns about safety, but after prayerful consideration and communication with people who live and work in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the trip continued as planned. Throughout our time in the Holy Land, the situation in Gaza was a dramatic backdrop to our travels and for our conversations with people from different faiths and viewpoints who endure fear and bear oppression in ways that we have never known. Traveling in the season of Epiphany, we looked for the light, the manifestations of Jesus Christ in the land of his birth, ministry, death, and resurrection and we listened to stories sanctified by suffering. We visited holy places that are steeped in faith history and poignantly bear witness to God’s will for an end to the waves of violence that batter this land and people.
Daily Scripture reading and worship framed our journey. Bibles and Evangelical Lutheran Worship were in use in hotels, buses, hillsides, and sanctuaries; we were a worshipping congregation on the move. God’s Word comes alive in a startling and powerful way in the Holy Land and it spoke to us and shaped our days and our learning. We worshipped with brothers and sisters in congregations of the ELCJHL: at Jesus’ baptismal site in Jordan; in a huge, historic sanctuary on the Mount of Olives; at the Separation Wall in a service of lament and longing for all barriers to fall; in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where Lutherans were invited to celebrate the Eucharist for the first time ever in a small stone chapel marked with the stations of the cross. Our presence as we traveled throughout the week was heard as well as seen; “Dona Nobis Pacem” in Lutheran four-part harmony was often raised, sometimes spontaneously, binding our journey and our spirits to a prayer for peace.
The goals of this pilgrimage were: accompaniment, awareness, and advocacy. The trip was planned as a way to embody accompaniment of our Lutheran brothers and sisters in the ELCJHL, whose leader, Bishop Munib Younan, has been a tireless worker for peace in the Middle East. The awareness we sought was a fuller knowledge of the “facts on the ground”—the cruel details of the burden of occupation for the Palestinian people that go unreported in our countries and a deeper understanding of Israeli reactions to hateful rhetoric and killing rockets. Advocacy arises from awareness. We see the calling to advocate for justice and peace as being central in our Christian discipleship, so we sought to gain knowledge and strength for that ministry in relation to this particular setting.
There was darkness: the strangulation of occupation, the diminishing Christian population, the remembrance of the Holocaust, the fear of war. But we saw light: the contagious joy of Palestinian children at the School of Hope, the shared witness of an Israeli and a Palestinian who both lost loved ones and now work together to end the killing cycle of revenge, sharing Shabbat worship in synagogues where congregations prayed for peace in both Hebrew and Arabic, the powerful healing ministry of Augusta Victoria Hospital, the determined presence in Bethlehem and Jerusalem of Lutheran ministries that transform lives and keep hope alive. We tried to plant hope—with our presence, with new olive trees, with words of encouragement. As we traveled, we were greeted with hospitality beyond imagining from our brothers and sisters in faith.
Reflecting on what we saw and what we heard in the context of God’s longing for justice and peace as recorded in sacred texts, we could begin to catch a glimpse of a shared land where all those who seek righteousness can work together for reconciliation. We hear God’s words from Isaiah:
Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness,
You that seek the Lord.
Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
And the quarry from which you were dug. (Isaiah 51:1)
The Holy Land is a land of rocks—they were hewn for ancient structures and still today are used for most buildings. They fill the fields, competing with crops for limited space, and they declare strength and permanence. As Christians, we find in them a reminder of the rock that is our salvation, Jesus, the cornerstone. We look to that rock as the foundation of our faith and the guide to lead us to deeper understanding of the situation we are discovering in this land.
But silent stones cannot tell the whole story. We listened to the “living stones”—the people of faith, who are embedded in this land and who are weary of murderous extremism and the costs of war. They are the holy rocks, hewn from different religious traditions, bearing witness to the possibility of a new way of life based on a shared commitment to peace.
The most precious living stones for us were the people of the congregations and ministries of the ELCJHL and LWF. We saw their faithful and remarkable witness in worship and in their commitment to be the body of Christ now in the places where he once taught and healed. Without discrimination, the ELCJHL welcomes all children into schools, providing excellent education and the spirit of dignity and bridge-building that respects all traditions. The International Center in Bethlehem has risen as a unique witness for support of the Palestinian people by programs that encourage peace and transform lives through art, cultural exchange, and all levels of education. The Abraham House in Beit Jala is a significant site for local and global interfaith dialogue. The living stones at Augusta Victoria Hospital, whose ministry of healing fills a crucial gap in medical services, as well as other projects of LWF, which maintain a strong Lutheran presence on the Mount of Olives and in the West Bank. The pastors, leaders, and members of these ministries are powerful “living stones” that speak loudly of God’s will for the love of neighbor and the realization of justice and peace.
During our travels, we heard many variations of the words: “You came at just the right time to uphold our spirits,” and we were glad we came. In this kairos time together, God opened our hearts to one another. We began to understand more fully the details of the relentless persecution and cruel effect of the Israeli occupation of Palestine on the lives and spirits of the Palestinian people—the daily humiliations, separation from family, work, and medical care, and the endless frustration in seeking justice. It is impossible to comprehend the daily and increasing limitation of human rights without traveling here and talking with people about their experiences and hopes and fears.
But we also saw partnerships among Christians, Jews, and Muslims that offered hope that our shared Abrahamic tradition can lead to a shared land and a shared Jerusalem. As leaders of the journey, through our visits and conversations with national religious leaders and governmental leaders, we witnessed to the growing commitment of both church bodies to the resolution of tensions in the Middle East. It became increasingly obvious during this journey that a commitment to the growth of ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue is an important basis for building trust and ending mutual recriminations that fracture fragile efforts in peace-making. The deepening of relationships among Christians, Jews, and Muslims, beginning at local levels and continuing into a global context is crucially important to build a coalition that develops the strength to stand against the violence of extremists who regularly destroy hopes for peace.
The awareness of the attacks on Gaza and the unimaginable suffering that they have caused was just beneath the surface of every encounter and every conversation. The strife continued throughout our journey and we heard new reports each day of death and destruction. We experienced a shift away from initial concern for our own safety toward a sharing of the despairing pain, hopelessness, and anger that Palestinians were feeling as they learned the details of the invasion, powerless to save or even comfort those hundreds of people who were killed and injured. We heard the anguish of the Chief Rabbis of Jerusalem who mourned the loss of life. We prayed for an end to the attacks from both sides. As we finished our journey, prayers for a cease-fire were answered, and a temporary unilateral truce was declared by Israel, and then joined by Hamas. We pray that negotiation can continue so that the attacks can be halted from both sides and humanitarian aid can be provided for those who are need food, medical attention, and housing.
If you remove the yoke from among you
The pointing of the finger
The speaking of evil
If you offer your food to the hungry
And satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
Then your light shall rise in the darkness
And your gloom be like the noonday. (Isaiah 58: 9a.-10)
The joint yokes of fear and occupation still are firmly in place in the Holy Land. God calls us, as people of faith, to remove them, to tend to the needs of those who are suffering, and in that way to be a light in the darkness. We pray for the strength to continue our accompaniment, to grow in awareness of the situation and the ways we can help to change it, and to advocate in every possible way for the justice that will lead to the security and shared homeland that is the only foundation for lasting peace. We will be faithful in ongoing visitation to our Palestinian brothers and sisters, determined in our call to be a public church, and communicate with our governments for their intervention in the Middle East, persistent in our efforts to build bridges with inter-religious partners, and courageous in telling the truth of the “facts on the ground” in the Holy Land.
Our brothers and sisters in the ELCJHL pleaded, “Please do not get tired of us.” We are committed to hold fast to all that we have seen and heard and not to grow weary of telling their story in our church bodies and country and to the world. As we continue to live in this season of Epiphany, celebrating the manifestation of God in the world in Jesus Christ and welcoming the Light that overcomes every darkness, we invite many more people to “come and see.”
Gracious God, grant peace among nations. Cleanse from our own hearts the seeds of strife: greed and envy, harsh misunderstandings and ill will, fear and desire for revenge. Make us quick to welcome ventures in cooperation among the peoples of the world, so that there may be woven the fabric of a common good too strong to be torn by the evil hands of war. In the time of opportunity, make us diligent; and in the time of peril, let not our courage fail; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p. 76)
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
ELCAThe Rev. Susan C. Johnson National Bishop ELCIC
[1] Thank you to The Rev. Margaret Payne, bishop of the New England Synod of the ELCA, for preparing the initial draft of this report.
Final Reflections – January 17
I think travel blogs like the one I’ve tried to keep here should be visual. We have enough to read in the world. People like to see pictures and the most attractive pictures I could take were of churches, mosques, people and nature. In sharing these things with you I have struggled with how much of the ‘under-story’ to write about. That story is political in nature. It is about the Israeli occupation, the violence, the war in Gaza, violations of basic human rights in the West Bank and the destruction of Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem. I think this story has to be shared in person where we can talk face to face, but it is the story we were most often asked to tell. Our brothers and sisters in Palestine would like for you to know what is really going on in their lives.
Easter Sunrise worship overlooking Jerusalem
The pastors and people of the ELCJHL have a strong sense of purpose and place in Palestine. Since 1967 the Christian presence in the Holy Land has shrunk from about 20% of the population to less than 1%. People have fled the violence of the last 40 years. Children go overseas to college and never return. It is much like the story of eastern Oregon in this regard. Of the Christians who remain Lutherans are a very small part. The six congregations of the ELCJHL have a combined membership of only 2000 members. Yet a lot of Lutheran money goes to the church here. There is money from Germany which started many of these missions. There is money from Sweden and Norway for Augusta Victoria Hospital, the International Center in Bethlehem and scholarships for school children. Money also comes from us in the ELCA although not as much as from European Christians.
ELCA and ELCIC bishops, spouses and staff smile for the camera in Jerusalem
The trip I have just completed was an investment, an investment of both time and money. Our friends in the ELCJHL saw this investment as a gift and it was very much appreciated. Thank you on their behalf – and mine.
Glad to be in school
The ELCJHL believes their existence is vital to Peace in Palestine. They know they cannot create Peace, but they firmly believe Peace will never be found without people of faith active in love. So they are witnessing to Peace as God gives them guidance. They make Peace by educating children, both Muslim and Christian, bringing them into conversation. They make Peace by insuring the healing ministry of Augusta Victoria Hospital is visible, strong and affordable.
Cancer center at Augusta Victoria
There are 17 linear accelerators for radiation treatment of cancer patients in Israel and Palestine, for example. Sixteen of them are in Israel proper and generally not available to people in the West Bank or Gaza. The seventeenth is at Augusta Victoria Hospital, a Lutheran ministry which from its creation has been dedicated to the human needs of Palestinian refugees. The hospital has also helped facilitate meetings between Israeli and Palestinian doctors and administrators. The ELCJHL has been central in bringing Christian leaders into ongoing conversation as well.
People in Palestine, like people I have talked with from Nicaragua and El Salvador, have a strong sense of the difference between people and governments. They are distressed and discouraged by the war. Hamas, Fatah, the Israeli government – all together are killing people and destroying the land. Everybody wants Peace. Everybody wants to feel secure and be free. Peace with justice is what they call it. Not just a pause in Gaza or the West Bank between today’s violence and the next outbreak, but a lasting Peace that will assure Israeli well being and security while supporting Palestinian rights and freedoms.
His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan and ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson
The threefold goals of our ELCA bishops’ trip to Palestine were Awareness, Accompaniment and Advocacy. I certainly have a new Awareness of the realities of this part of the world – and I will continue to try and find ways to share that with you. Accompaniment means walking with brothers and sisters in faith. Being with the ELCJHL, especially in these days of violence in Gaza, was meaningful for us all. Learning, sharing, worshiping and eating together, praying with and praying were our means of accompaniment. I know I, for one, was blessed by the experience. Advocacy simply flows from awareness. I would ask and advocate for support for the ministries of the ELCJHL – both financially and in prayer. Beyond that there is need for advocacy with our own government. Over $6.5 million dollars in U.S. military aid is given to Israel each and every day. That’s an annual budget in 2008 of $2.4 billion dollars. I think there are better ways for our country to support and work for peace in the Middle East than to arm Israel. The ELCA Peace not Walls initiative does not speak to this issue directly (that’s just me), but we as a church do call for a fair and permanent solution to boundary disputes in the Holy Land, an equitable two state solution and a shared Jerusalem based on our 2005 Churchwide Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine.
Worship planning on the bus
So the conversation can continue with us. Thank you for your prayers and support during this trip. As I mentioned in my last post I will be sharing some of this adventure at the Oregon Synod Global Missions event in Salem February 7. We will try to record and post that presentation for those who are unable to attend. When I visit congregations on Sunday mornings I also enjoy spending time with you all in the adult forum. If you would like to use your forum time for this discussion just let me know. I’ll bring the home movies!
Shlama and Shalom,
Last Day – Janaury 15
Thursday Evening, January 15
Sunset over the Sea of Galilee
Waves at Galilee
What makes a place holy? Or a person, or a memory, or a story? As my last day in the Holy Land draws to an end it is hard not to ask this question. The death toll in Gaza is now over 1000. At least half of those were innocent children and civilian women. The death toll from Hamas rockets between the beginning of 2001 to the end of 2008 was 17. One guide I talked with thought maybe this was the least holy of all lands because “Our people keep on killing each other.” I don’t know. Touring holy sites has been the bookends of our trip. I pity those who come here and only see the churches, plaques and candles. It is the people and the land which tell the story. Today was beautiful, but somehow hollow without those sisters and brothers I have come to know in Palestine.
Chapel at the Mount of the Beatitudes
Here is a holy site that is clearly not a holy site. The Chapel at the Mount of the Beatitudes was built in 1939 on a site with no history related to Jesus’ preaching. It is in the general area of Jesus’ ministry, though, and it has a nice view of the Sea of Galilee. The brochures say “this is the spot” and pilgrims come here to pray. What do you say? It is a nice place.
Chapel at the Mount of Beatitudes interior
“It is now the Mount of the Beatitudes for me.” said our guide Tony. He doesn’t mean that in a silly way and he doesn’t mean it in a literal way. “It is a nice place to reflect on the teachings of Jesus, but the real mount is that place where you actually live the beatitudes.’
Columns from a later rebuild over ancient Capernaum
Capeenaum was different. Mark chapter 1 tells a story of Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law in a town called Capternaum. Significant archeological work in this area has recovered much of the biblical Capernaum and there is solid evidence that one house in particular is where Peter lived.
Common area for a typical home
The Sea of Galilee is 600 feet below sea level. It lies in a plain created by volcanic activity long ago so the stone is basalt, not limestone like in the south. Houses were built of this basalt in a Roman style grid system. Exterior walls were shared. Houses were small and a couple generations often lived together. In this house (above) one can see the exterior door with some steps that would have led to a second story or roof (just inside the door and to the left.) The space with the column stumps would have been the common space for cooking and cleaning.
The whole house
The whole house, in this case, would have looked something like this – with three rooms in addition to the common room. Other houses would have backed up to it. This is what the Capernaum of Jesus’ day would have looked like. But this wasn’t Peter’s mother-in-law’s house. That house is now under a Franciscan church.
The church has a window in the floor over Peter;s house
Looking out from the Church of the Primacy of Peter
We ended the day sharing Holy Communion at the Church of the Primacy of Peter. This church commemorates Jesus’ asking Peter, “Do you love me?” It is thought to be at the place where the post resurrection Jesus made breakfast for the disciples after their miraculous catch of fish in John 21. So what makes a place holy? Or a person or a story? Are the places of the Bible any more or less holy than the beaches and countryside of Oregon? Is it where Jesus walked that’s important, or where he walks today through the hands and heart of those who love him? It has been good to be in this land and visit these places. If you have never come here I hope you can someday. I think, though, that there is no more holy place than your home, or your community, or your congregation.
Please pray for the people of this land, and ours. The Jesus who walked the places I have visited has not stayed in this land. He is here, but he is not only here. And pain is not only here, either – but it is here and it needs your love.
Peter, do you love me?
Saturday, February 7, I will be sharing some more of my photos and thoughts from this trip at our Oregon Synod Global Mission Event. I hope to see you there. Tomorrow I will be on the plane and won’t be able to post. However, if you are so inclined check back Sunday or Monday and I’ll see if I can’t get a few closing comments up. Thank you for journeying with me!
Peace,
Bishop Dave
Capernaum as seen from the Sea of Galilee
Shifting gears – January 14
Wednesday night, January 14
We are no longer an official delegation of ELCA bishops to Palestine. Today we became tourists. Perhaps half of our delegation went home today (as planned.) This includes Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson and ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson. We also lost most of our Chicago staff people. The rest of us are on an optional, two day, Galilee tour. This morning we climbed into our buses and headed north. Our first stop was Caesarea, the functional capitol of Israel under Herod the Great, king of Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth. From there we traveled to Nazareth, and then Cana of Galilee. Tonight we’re staying at the Sheriton Tiberias Hotel.
The drive from Bethlehem to Caesarea was about two hours. We drove through downtown Jerusalem and then headed into the country side. Israel gets greener as you travel north and, or course, the overall standard of living is much higher than on the West Bank. Green fields, orchards, vineyards and even plots of artichokes made me feel very much at home. What our guide Tony called our “technical” stop (what I would call a rest stop) was replete with a coffee/latte establishment and a rather large mini-mart. Diet Coke, candy bars, 12-volt car adapters – all the usual stuff was there at above normal prices. As I say, I felt right at home.
Six mile long, Roman style aqueduct brought spring water to Caesarea
Herod the Great was apparently a political and economic genius. There are no natural harbors along the coast of Israel, so he made one. Caesarea was home to his palace, his artificial harbor, an amphitheater, some six miles of Roman style aqueducts and other necessities designed to make the city a thriving trade center. Imported marble and granite pillars enhanced his palace and the name “Caesarea” was of course a tip of his hat to Emperor Augustus of Luke chapter 2 fame – the first Roman emperor to accept the title of divinity.
This statue is from a later date, but it illustrates the fact that Herod used Roman art and architecture in his building - not exactly Jewish!
Columns front and back showing the size of Herod's palace proper
The trip from Caesarea to Nazareth took us through other Biblical lands. We passed Mt. Carmel where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a fire starting contest. We went through the Valley of Megido, site of many Old Testament battles and synonymous with Armageddon from the book of Revelation, and we saw the Mount of Transfiguration off in the distance.
Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth
Nazareth is never mentioned in the Bible until it appears in the birth narrative of Jesus as the home of Mary. Apparently part of the reason for this is that it was a very small community of people, perhaps 200, who lived mostly in caves. The Church of the Annunciation memorializes the announcement of Jesus’ birth to Mary. It is a modern church, built in 1960, but it is built in such a way as to preserve and memorialize other structures that predate it. At the center of the church is a cave home much like the one Mary would have lived in. It was an unusual and most interesting place to visit.
Block walls are modern. Stairs are original
- Meow
We are all tired and going to bed early this evening. Tomorrow we head out for a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and to see some other sites. I’ll try to get one more post up after this trip and then think about some concluding thoughts on the flight home.
Sleep well, or have a great day – as the case may be.
Bishop Dave
Environmental Concerns – January 13
Tuesday night, January 13
Kindergartners at the school in Beit Sahour
On cannot help but be proud of the ministries of the ELCJHL. Yesterday we visited the Evangelical Lutheran School of Hope in Ramallah. Today we were at the Evangelical Lutheran School in Beit Sahour, just south of Bethlehem. The six (!) congregations of the ELCJHL run four private schools K-12, one kindergarten and a boy’s home. These are among the finest schools in the West Bank serving both Palestinian Christians and Muslims. Once again we were able to talk with students who then gave us the tour. (The schools of the ELCJHL charge a tuition of about $500/mo which is perhaps 1/3 of their actual costs. Lutherans around the world help with scholarships and support.)
Faris tells us about himself on the way to our next stop
We left the school in Beit Sahour with Faris, a junior, as our guide for a trip to the Environmental Education Center at Beit Jala. Like most of the HS students we met at the Lutheran Schools Faris is bright, engaged and articulate. He says youth like himself spend about 3 hours a day on “media” – by which he means the news. This is more important to them than movies or other kinds of entertainment. It is their life and their future. Three hours of ‘media’ with about 8 hours for school and 2 hours for homework makes a day. When asked about girls he said that was part of the 8 hours at school. When asked about peace in Palestine he said Jesus was the only hope.
The Environmental Education Center is yet one more ministry of the ELCJHL. On the grounds they have a botanical garden sporting local and biblical plants. They study and band birds, being on a major migratory route between Africa and Europe. They have the country’s only nature museum and are working with brown and black water reuse. They also offer classes, seminars and programs for other schools and universities. While in some ways they are a small program, they are also a one of a kind effort in the West Bank. Like the schools of the ELCJHL the Environmental Education Center is dependant upon support and funding from outside sources.
Palestine's Brown Fish Owl is believed to be extinct
Environmental issues in Palestine are similar to concerns in other parts of the world. However, they are aggrevated by the Israeli occupation. Israeli settlement families use six times the water per capita that Palestines are given – twice what is considered adequate. (Which, yes, means Palestinian familes are cronically short of water.) The settlements are built without sewage or garbage solutions, dumping both in the Palestinian valleys below the settlements’ hilltop positions. (Palestinian sewage systems are also inadequate, but not by design.) Contruction of the separation wall and associated highways and military zones have destroyed countless acres of farmland and thousands of olive trees.
Simon, director of the center, releases a banded bird
The separation wall itself restricts wild animal migration, as it does human movement. Animals unable to move from one area of the country to another – such as hyenas and fox – may starve or end up being shot as they become problems in urban areas. The Brown Fish Owl shown here is believed to be extinct, largely do to loss of habitat associated with the draining of lakes by Israelis.
Palestinians themselves tend to over hunt and overuse water resources as well. Some of this is due to the lack of education and poor habits. Garbage is a huge problem as the Israelis allow no licensed dump sites in Palestine and everything must be burned. Trash can be seen everywhere in the common areas of cities and suburbs.
Graffiti outside the Lutheran school in Beit Sahour
I asked about climate change concerns as this is an interest of mine. Another of our guides said this was absolutely evident in Palestine. Whereas the average rainfall in the area is about 60″ per year the last few years have been drastically down. They also experienced record temperatures this past summer. Environmental concerns as a whole, though, rate low on people’s list. The pressing needs created by the occupation are already pushing people to the brink. The Environmental Education Center takes their work seriously, but they also see it as a way to give youth positive projects and work to do in difficult and painful times.
Bishop Dave
Sabri – Janaury 12
Tuesday morning, January 13
Muslim morning prayers are around 5 AM. You can hear the chanting from area mosques coming through loud speaks, a call to worship. It is kind of like church bells ringing in the distance. The prayers are my wake up call as they are for many in the community as a whole.
Israeli settlement outside of Jerusalem on West Bank lands
Israeli settlements in the West Bank come in many styles. I was surprised to learn that this very modern looking housing complex was actually a settlement. This means this housing complex is illegal, built on lands seized from Palestinians. Settlements not only take away land from farmers, cities or homeowners, but they also divide up the land from resulting roads, security complexes, gates and fences which the Israeli government builds to allow settlers easy access to their homes.
Sabri, somewhat crippled and in his 70s, is a 6th or 7th generation farmer
Sabri lives in what used to be the greater NW Jerusalem area not far from Ramallah. After our visit to the school yesterday morning we went to visit Sabri. Sabri is a sixth or seventh generation Palestinian olive orchardist who used to work a 30 acre farm. His father and grandfathers worked the same land. After the 1967 Six Day war Israel seized his farm and home for a future settlement. However, Sabri petitioned Israeli courts for several years demanding that his rights be respected. The Israeli Supreme Court finally allowed him to keep his home only – not the farm. It was a very unusual case.
The checkpoint which leads to Sabri's house
Sabri’s home is now a small peninsula surrounded on three sides by a high cyclone fence with barbed wire, only four or five feet from the walls of his house. The fence is part of the dividing wall. The gate shown here is an Israeli check point which leads only to his home. The checkpoint can be, and sometime is, closed for days at a time. He or his family may be inside the house or out, it doesn’t matter. However, when the gate is closed they are unable to pass until the police decide to open it again. The picture below is the walkway through the gate to his house.
The walkway to Sabri's home
Sabri's home - ten people from three generations live here
One of Sabri's grandsons
Ten people live in this house representing three generations. Two of Sabri’s sons have been killed by Israeli soldiers. One was shot in a demonstration. The other was thrown into a prison where he died. I did not catch what we was accused of. I think the family never knew.
One of Sabri's granddaughters
Several of Sabri’s grandchildren followed us around as we toured the property. The grandson is carrying an olive tree we brought as a gift. Olive trees in the Holy Land mean peace, life and security. They ofter food and they can live for thousands of years. We were told 100,000 olive trees have been destroyed in this region due to settlement housing, roads and the building of the separation wall.
Settlement around Sabri's home as seen from the back of his house
The settlement around Sabri’s home is a housing development as seen here through the fence is back of his house. I noticed the settlement was complete with a central water tank, cell phone/satellite dish tower and other modern conveniences. Palestinian homes in the area, and all through the West Bank, have black water tanks on the roof. The mayor for the scattered towns of this area said their water is turned off at least one full day a week. Individual storage for water is essential so that families can have water during these times of deprivation.
The settler's road leading to the complex around Sabri
This “settler’s road” is one of many that crisscross the West Bank. It is a modern road created specifically for the settlers that live around Sabri’s house. Palestinians may neither use it nor cross it. So, the road becomes an effective part of the expanding separation wall. Because of such roads and deviations in the route of the wall there are currently some 500 miles of wall for a 250 mile boarder. The mayor of the area said 70% of the lands here which rightly belong to the Palestinians are now inaccessible to them. Israel has built an occasional tunnel underneath this road as a gift to the Palestinian people.
Bishops hard at work planting olive trees (at least some of us were!)
An ancient olive tree from the Jerusalem area. It is probably over 1000 years old.
After visiting with Sabri we bishops planted maybe 50-100 olive trees in a defunct orchard and had prayers at the wall. I think the whole day made the Israeli police nervous. There were security vehicles sort of always buzzing around the perimeter of wherever we were. On the bus ride back to Bethlehem we encountered a “flying checkpoint” which is a mobile blockade set up to stop vehicles and check for ID. Palestinians encounter these often, in addition to regular checkpoints and crossing gates. We simply had to show our passports to the armed Israeli soldier who came on the bus. Locals were of the opinion that his checkpoint had been set up because of our visit.
Bishop Dave
Kids! – January 12
Monday Evening, January 12
Children playing at the Evangelical Lutheran School of Hope in Ramallah
What’s not to love about kids?!! Today we traveled north from Bethlehem to Ramallah. The ELCJHL has a school there.
Kids love cameras the world around
Classrooms are a little crowded at 32-28 students each. However the Lutheran schools are well respected. Not only do they do academics well, but they have a holistic curriculum and concern for the kids. The stress of occupation creates significant problems with depression, nightmares, paranoia, bed wetting, withdrawal and the like. This is what we were told. You wouldn’t know it from the brief exposure we had to these great kids, though.
The school dance troop performs for us
Music and art are important parts of the school’s curricula. They enrich the kids’ lives and gives them wholesome ways to express themselves. This dance troop is an extra-curricular activity. The kids seem happy and hopeful as they dance. We had a good time with them.
Hope for Palestine
Realities of daily life for Palestinian children
These are drawings done by the school’s children. As is common in our schools the older children have also done murals in the playground.
Everything is the wall and the occupation for these children
The school is one of the few schools which is co-ed. About half of the students are Muslim. Twenty percent or so are Christian. All are welcome and there is inter-religious conversation in class with the older kids.
The neck scarf is a traditional Palestinian design
"Tell people in America that we are not terrorists." - Nada
After the dance program we had a tour of the school. We also had the opportunity to talk in a small group with some of the older children – grades 9-12. Nada (to the left) lives in one of the refugee camps. She told us how Israeli soldiers had broken into their home one night and made everybody stay in an upstairs, locked room for 36 hours with no food, water or facilities. They were never told why. Their house was ransacked and significant damage was done. Then the soldiers left.
Other youth told us about their hopes to go to college, own a car dealership, be an interior decorator, etc. They were fun youth. There is an edge of anger in their lives, though. It is hard to blame them.
As we talk with Palestinians about their future, the war in Gaza, what can bring peace to the land and the like there is always one theme that comes through loud and clear from these people. They want a future for their children.
My soccer buddy!
Bishop Dave
Worship with the Saint – January 11
Sunday, January 11
Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem
The bishops worshiped at various churches of the ELCJHL around Bethlehem today. I was at Christmas Lutheran Church with is attached to the “International Center of Bethlehem” where I am staying. This center is part of the ministry mix offered by this congregation. In addition they have started a school, vocational training programs, health and wholeness training and opened a restaurant in another part of town in an attempt to help revitalize a dying business center. All this from a worshiping community of maybe 40-60. The congregation didn’t really share their pastor’s vision at first. Now they are doing so much. The congregation is tired of peace talks. They seek to a peace witness on the ground, actually helping things be different. All these programs together are now called the “Diyar Consortium.” “Dar” means “house” or “home” in Aramaic. “Diyar” means “homes” in the plural, or it can also mean “homeland.” It is a wonderful thing for the people of the area.
Besides some 20 or so bishops and spouses in church this morning there were students from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago plus, of course, the regular church members. The service was a mix of English and Aramaic – I’m sure for our benefit. Most of the people here speak English pretty well, though. After worship was a typical coffee hour (except it was super strong Aramaic style coffee in tiny cups) and then we had lunch with host families. I was able to talk with my host father Tony at some length. He is the principal of the church’s Lutheran School which we will visit on Tuesday. He is a very interesting individual.
Flight to Egypt Window
The church building dates from the mid 1800’s when German missionaries came to Palestine. The building is an interesting mix of German and Palestinian elements. The stained glass windows have German text on them and there is a beautiful little baroque organ in the back. Strangely enough I felt very German this morning! The window shown here, “Flight to Egypt” has become especially meaningful to the congregation as many of them are essentially refugees themselves. Pastor Raheb is not only a visionary, but he and the congregation have a strong sense of who they are and why their ministry in Bethlehem is vital. In fact, I would say this about the ELCJHL as a whole. They are convinced that Christians are a necessary element of any possible peace for this part of the world. As Bishop Younan says, “We can’t create peace for Palestine, but there will be no lasting peace without us.”
The pastor here is Mitri Raheb. He is a wonderful person who has certainly won my deep respect. If you’d like a flavor of who he is and what I’m learning here try the following video clip. It’s about seven minutes long.
Shlama,
Bishop Dave
Hebron – January 10
Road Blockade in Hebron
Saturday Night – January 10
Today we benefitted greatly from some morning lectures on the ELCJHL’s Christian work in the area and then we took off for Hebron.
Hebron is in the West Bank, south of Bethlehem. The West Bank is currently like a slice of Swiss cheese, with illegal Israeli settlements taking over more and more of the land. Palestinians are pushed into the holes. With settlements come new roads Palestinians may neither drive on nor cross. There are multiple check points, reserved military zones and other physical barriers. Some 45% of lands in the West Bank that rightly belong to Palestinians are now restricted. The place Palestinians may still live are broken into smaller and smaller pieces.
Ibrahimi Mosque Tower
Hebron is a Muslim community. According to Genesis 23 Abraham bought a plot in Hebron at the death of Sarah. Both Abraham and Sarah’s tomb are now enshrined in the Ibrahimi Mosque which is part of what we went to see. We had to pass through one check point otherwise closed to Palestinians and two security points to get to the mosque. However, it was certainly worth the trip as the interior of the mosque was beautiful.
The “pulpit” dates back to the 1100’s although it was not originally in this mosque. Burial shrines for Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah are all here. The actual burial caves below the shrines have not been entered for over a 1000 years. As descendents of Abraham Muslims fully revere this site.
Roof of Jacob's shine and mosque artwork
In 1994 an extremist Jewish settler entered the mosque with a machine gun massacring 29 Muslims in prayer. The settler was attacked and killed by survivors in the Mosque. The event resulted in an increased Israeli military presence in Hebron, the development of further illegal Israeli settlements and the dividing of the mosque. Part of the mosque is now a synagogue and some of the shrines now reside on the Jewish side of the site.
Since the conflict in Gaza continues to heat up we traded in our busses with yellow, Israeli, license plates for busses with green, Palestinian plates. Going to Hebron with busses full of strangers with Israeli plates seemed like an unwise plan. Bishop Younan had arranged for a Palestinian police escort into Hebron for us from the checkpoint on and we stayed together as a group. The police were not so much for safety as they were simply for credibility. We were warmly received and welcomed by those we met. They may otherwise have wondered who we were.
Apartment building is part of Avraham Avinu
There are six illegal Israeli settlements in Hebron. As I mentioned this divides up the community and has devistating consequences for the Palestinian population. The settlement of Avraham Avinu is in the heart of the city. It began as a single apartment building and has grown. The tarps over the Palestinian shops below are to protect people from rocks, bricks, bottles or sewage which Israeli settlers often throw on them. As the street continues along the line of this settlement wire screens have been installed. Bricks and even cinder blocks were clearly visible, having been thrown out of the windows above.
As you can tell from the picture below many shops are closed how.
Protective screen full of bricks and bottles
This is due in part to the danger of trying to run a business in this location coupled with the devastation the settlements have had on the tourist industry.
Along the way a few of us met a young man named Nibal. Nibal said his home had been burned out by settlers from Avraham Avinu and he took us up the stairs so we could see. All of us bought at least something from local venders as in some cases they can sit all day without a sale. Generally there are many Israeli military in the streets of Hebron. Today there weren’t very many. People know we are here and appearances are apparently deemed important.
Nibal. Israeli military post above him.
Nibal's home
During our travels we have been accompanied by Lutheran youth from the ELCA doing a volunteer mission year in the Holy Land. They know their way around. Today we were also accompanied by four young adults who volunteer with the “Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel.” These young (and older) adults from around the world are a non-violent, watchdog community who simply make their international presence known at checkpoints. They walk children to schools through checkpoints their parents may not be allowed to cross and seek to write reports of incidents for general international awareness. Their presence with us today was most welcome as they are experts in identifying and helping to defuse stressful situations. They, of course, speak Aramaic and/or Hebrew and seemed comfortable talking with guards or police. Sections of Hebron in and around the Israeli settlements which they used to be able to enter have just recently been reclassified as secure military zones so they are no longer able to accompany Palestinian children to and from schools and home. They are frustrated by this but can find no way to help further other than just waiting at check points at appropriate times.
Please keep these caring people, our own ELCA mission youth and Nibal in your prayers this evening. Thank you.
Bishop Dave
Parents’ Circle – January 10
Saturday morning, January 10
As we seek to sift through the dynamics of life here in the Holy Land we were visited (Wednesday night I think) by two men who are part of a group called “The Parent’s Circle.” The group is comprised of parents and family members, both IIsraeli and Palestinian, who have lost children through the ongoing violence experienced in this part of the world. Their time with us was very moving.
Rami is Israeli. He has served in the Israeli military for three years, as all young men must do in their late teens, and has a family. He is about my age now. His story is here for you.
Mazen was worried about coming in to Jerusalem at this time of violence
Mazen is Palestinian. He was born into and has always live in the Palestinian refugee camps of the West Bank. He was in prison during the time me might otherwise have been in college – without cause. He has two daughters and his story is here. Mazen and Rami have developed an unbelievable love for each other as they have worked together through the Parent’s Circle.
These short videos cannot do these two men justice, but I wanted to share at least a taste of their lives with you.
Bishop Dave
