Accross the Lines, Israel-Palestine, Feb 2002

Our CMS delegation was in the Land of the Holy One at a very significant time, a relatively peaceful window of opportunity, before the current high level of violence flared up. We had entered the complexity of this part of what many call the ‘Muddle East’. We had observed, listened to the voices of those we met, heard heartbreaking stories, experienced at first hand what is often reported in black and white. And now we, in turn, report in black and white all that ‘we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked at and our hands have touched… this we proclaim’ (1 John 1: 1) We therefore concentrated on reporting rather than interpreting.

We never did cross the line completely. No-one can. Our partners are mainly Palestinian Christians, ‘Living Stones’ as they are so often called. Institutions we have related to for over 150 years. We did meet with the CMJ reps and also Messianic Believers, but we never did hear the voice of the Russian Emigrant, living in the newly build settlements. However we did meet a young Jewish Zionist, who was demonstrating against the Women in Black. His name was Sloma from Detroit and he was keen to shout out a number of ‘proof texts’ (such as Ezekiel 37:21-27, Ez 48:30, Zeph 8:19, Josh 1: 2-4, Gen 1:14, 12:3, 15:18, 16:12, 17:8, 17:21, 35:10.) With the Israeli flag on his shoulders, he was emphasising his perceived right to return to dwell on land given to Jacob. Expounded his theology of the land, he was possessed with a passion. He listed his grievances -

‘If you say anything against Arafat you will be killed. He is sending young children to the front line as suicide bombers. Theirs is a Muslim mind-set, illogical. They do not think like you and I’.

It is hard to engage with fundamentalism, such passionate believing. I tried to get him to look at scriptures other than the ones he was quoting so fervently - that emphasise justice and mercy and hospitality to the stranger in our midst. (e.g. Micah 6:6 Hosea 6:6) But its difficult to hear when you are shouting.

The Jerusalem Post carried an article on a peace activist, Eliyahu Charanamarit McLean  part of a group that meets facing the western wall every Friday at noon, praying for understanding, tolerance and reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis. 

'People ask me: Are you right wing or left wing? I reply It takes two wings to fly .... and we can fly when we yearn and work together towards harmony and wholeness, when we speak from the heart and learn to respect each other's differences. Then true peace can come to all of us who are blessed and destined to share the Holy Land together'

CMS is committed to Peace Justice and Reconciliation in the Land of the Holy One. If we are indeed going to fly with this one, then we too need those 2 wings. We need to relate to Palestinian Arab Christians and Messianic Jewish Believers. We also need to emphasise the things that make for Peace, between the three Abrahamic religions. Especially in the City of Peace, where mosque synagogue and church seek to co-exist, as on the tile from the Armenian Pottery that has inspired us all.

from your own correspondent 
CMS Palestine-Israel Delegation February 2002

UPDATES 

for statement see the CMS web archives 

Church group prays through bombing   13/2/02

It takes two wings to fly   Jerusalem Post 

Jerusalem Peace Makers:  Eliyahu Charanamarit McLean