Hearing the story of Daoud at the Tent of Nations in West Bank
Over the past four years I have had the opportunity to spend a significant amount time in the Middle East. I no longer approach the time as a tourist, but instead seek out relationships and experiences as a listener who has much to learn about the way God is at work in contexts much different than my own. In that posture, it has been remarkable how much I have learned and begun to integrate into the way I live, love and lead back in my neighborhood. Theologian Paul Knitter describes it well when he refers to ones inherited worldview as a telescope. No matter how objective we may think we are or desire to be, we all see the world through a specific telescope/worldview. When we choose to look through the telescope of people who are “different” than us, we begin to get a more comprehensive picture of the world and the way God is at work within it.
Leading our first Learning Community to the Middle East apart of The Global Immersion Project I recently co-founded, I was invited to take a look through the lens of friends’ telescopes who live amid conflict in Israel and Palestine. Here are some of my key learnings:
1. Stories Over Facts – No matter how many stats we present or information disseminate, there is nothing more powerful than being invited into and experiencing ones story. Especially a story that shatters our stereotypes, prejudices and understanding of justice.
2. Learning Happens Best Through Exposure – Those of us in the West have unprecedented access to information for learning. One step of exposure into lived (experienced) history brings about far more learning than read/heard history.
3. Stereotypes Aren’t Broken Unless We Are Willing to Listen – The posture of a learner makes ALL the difference in what they learn. If we choose not to be transformed by the reality around us, we won’t. Two people can actually listen to the same story and come out with two different responses based on their willingness to set aside their own presuppositions for the sake of humbly listening and learning from those of different persuasion.
4. Being a Presence of Reconciliation is Only as Real as Your Weakest Link – When walking the streets and into the homes of those living in conflict zones, you are not viewed as individuals, but as one community. It only takes the words/actions/disposition of one within a community to compromise the presence of reconciliation we are committed to representing.
5. Being Present And Returning Matters – People who experience daily injustice often have people come see and experience their story. These people often “feel sorry” for them and say their going to go home, bring attention to their situation and some even say they’ll come back to help their cause. This rarely happens and does more harm that good. Having advocated, stayed in constant contact and returned multiple times to my friends experiencing injustice in Israel/Palestine I can see in their eyes a building sense of partnership, care and belief in us and our work.
6. Living, Loving and Leading Differently is Contagious – Rather than pull into parking lots, our Learning Communities pull into driveways. Rather than isolate ourselves from the areas of conflict and tension, we fully expose and immerse ourselves in it. We wander far off the beaten path of Holy Land tourism. People both in the States and inhabitants of the Middle East notice the difference and want to know more of why we’re doing what we’re doing. Rather than follow in the footsteps of Jesus in the Holy Land, we seek to encounter the people with whom Jesus footsteps led him towards. That’s Good News and that’s contagious.
Rabbi Eliyahu catching up with Muslim friend
7. Art of Peacemaking Requires Living in Radical Tension – To be a peacemaker requires holding conflicting narratives in tension so we can be a presence of reconciliation in the middle of it all. We compromise our ability to be peacemakers in the way of Jesus when we lose our ability to stand with people despite our differences.
8. Sharing Tables is the Beginning of Sharing Humanity – There is something sacred about sharing a meal with people who we have been taught to hate or disagree with because of the portrait we have been offered by the media, leaders or information in the West. It is in the conversation and shared life that exists around a table that we are exposed to the humanity of “the Other.”
9. How I Act in My Neighborhood Informs How I Act Abroad (and Visa Versa) –
I don’t know how many times we heard from locals in Israel and Palestine that our life, theology and politics in America have direct implications for their everyday life. Some went as far as saying, “Until your theology and corresponding policies change, there will be no change here.” As a Learning Community, we have also been radically formed by our exposure and experience in the Middle East. We see people, conflict and social realities differently so as to allow us to better live, love and lead like Jesus back in our neighborhoods.
10. This Generation is Hungry to Live Differently – Both the difference makers who participated in our Learning Community and the vast majority of the Israeli’s and Palestinians with whom we interacted with are committed to live out a new reality. A reality that transcends blind prejudice, false assumptions and conflict that is based more on the fear of the past than in the reality of the present and future. Amid the pain, violence and injustice there are individuals and communities that are offering a grassroots movement that is stirring up great hope and a new future.
As the flu season approaches, we are going to hear a slough of ways we can avoid getting sick. Use hand sanitizer…ALWAYS. Sneeze the opposite direction of the crowds…got it. Don’t lick the inside of a hotel bedspread…tempting, but I’ll resist. It goes on and on and on.
But today I stumbled onto an article a friend posted from Weather.com that upended my sarcasm towards the sure-fire strategies of avoiding the flu. I was upended because it was so true of the life I currently live.
They argue that the #1 way to build your immune system is to be present in COMMUNITY. Here is what they say:
Research shows that the fewer human connections we have at home, at work, and in the community, the likelier we are to get sick, flood our brains with anxiety-causing chemicals, and live shorter lives than our more sociable peers. In one study, researchers who monitored 276 people between the ages of 18 and 55 found that those who had 6 or more connections were 4 times better at fighting off the viruses that cause colds than those with fewer friends.
What to do: Don’t let a jam-packed workday or hectic schedule get in the way of your friendships. Stop by a co-worker’s office for a quick Monday morning catch-up, or e-mail/text your friends at night to stay in touch when you’re too busy for phone calls.
Brilliant.
Reflecting on our experience in Covenant Community (with NieuCommunities), I recently wrote this in our book Thin Places:
“God created men and women as communal creatures. In addition to being ontologically designed to be in union with the Creator, we were designed to be in communion with fellow humans and to the rest of the created order.”
We are hardwired for community. We can’t fully be human outside of it. And when we are outside of it, we not only expose ourselves to physical illness, we expose ourselves to the illness of disconnection with God, others and creation.
Every day for the past week, every social media outlet has told their version of the current uprising stretching across the Middle East (Egypt, Libya, Yemen) . Whether it’s pictures of Embassy’s burned to the ground, rioting citizens or highly politicized comics, the surge of content has been anything but “feel-good” and hopeful. And that’s because the events and corresponding responses have been anything but “feel-good” and hopeful.
Shared Meal in Middle East
My heart breaks because I know the events that are unfolding do not represent the majority of those who inhabit the Middle East. I spend a significant amount of time in the Middle East and have built deep, life-long friendships. Just two weeks ago I sat around a table and shared a meal with Christians, Jews and Muslims in the home of a devout Muslim family in this region. A day after that, I served alongside Muslim youth workers who are promoting non-violence and reconciliation in the face of oppression and poverty. On the same day I sat with an Arab Christian who embodied Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount in dealing with daily injustice by saying, “We refuse to be enemies.” Lastly, and what keeps playing itself over and over in my head, are the words spoken to me by a Muslim friend named Omar who lives in the Middle East. He said, “Please give this message to all of your American friends. We (Arab Muslims and Christians) desire peace. The violence you see in the news does not represent us. It is not the majority, it is the smallest minority of extremism. Please listen to our story and accept our friendship.”
I am now back in the States and am seeing that the fear, hatred and violence promoted by governments and media also being promoted by Christians in response to the events in the Middle East. One Christian posted a picture of the world that had completely blown up the Middle East and labeled it “Ground Zero.” The caption said, “There, I fixed it. Problem solved.” This “solution” would mean the death of some of my dearest friends.
My heart breaks because of the hateful stereotyping, racism and violent response being disseminated by Christians who in one breath proclaim the Jesus who calls us to love our enemies and in the next breath encourages their government to blow them up.
As followers of the pro-people Jesus, is this best we can do? Is that a reflection of the Christian hope that was brought about by and through the acts of the Suffering Servant? Have we lost our imagination that leads to the participating in the restorative mission of God for the cosmos?
Friends, we can do better. We must do better.
How then shall we respond?
Grieve the loss of life. My heart breaks for the Americans (and their families!) who were killed in the violence. Ambassador Stevens seemed to be a man who cared about people and did well at engaging the lives and stories of those he lived among. He represented well what many Americans desire of foreign policy and relations. His loss, and those of his colleagues, is a tragedy.
Listen, Learn and Be Still. We would do well to slow down and listen to the stories of others before telling their story for them. Those that have stepped foot in other cultures (whether domestic or international) know how much we have to learn as products of each of our unique upbringings and world views. Slow down, listen, learn and be still before jumping to words or actions that may do more harm than good.
Generous Muslim Host
Have eyes for common humanity before common politics and religion. We all inherently know that the diversity of humanity isn’t going to allow for us all to perfectly agree on politics and religion. Rather than look at people (again, domestically or internationally) through the lens of politics or religion, look at them through the lens of a shared humanity. All humans were made in the image of God. When we see Jesus in the eyes of “the other” it is much harder to hate, hurt and demean.
Pray: Pray for the healing of others, from all nations and religions. Pray for peace in places of conflict. Seek forgiveness from our bling prejudice. Ask for courage for those who promote Kingdom values. Pray for new friendships to be cultivated among former enemies. Pray for your/our enemies.
Ask hard questions. How might have my political or social involvement perpetuated or sparked some of the recent events? Am I an objective observer or are there ways I can be part of the problem or part of the restoration? Is the form of Islam that is being portrayed in the media an accurate form of faithful Islam or a simply an ideological counterfeit?
Live a Different Narrative & Care for the Hurting Among Us. I have heard over and over again, “Oh, it’s those crazy, lunatic Muslim’s just doing what they do again.” It is in times like these that our role as pro-people people in the Way of Jesus must listen, learn and share a different story…a more true story of Islam and those in the Middle East. Those of us that know and have experienced real life with the people who are now being labeled “insane terrorists” must bring to the dialog table the disconnect between perceived reality and reality. We must acquire important resources that will help us better step into this situation with eyes for common humanity, justice and the heart of God. We must live into the narrative God desires for humanity, which inevitably will lead us to care for the hurting; whether grieving families who have lost loved ones or families/individuals who are experiencing hate and stereotyping in your neighborhoods because of the events half way across the globe.
Hebron is known as one of the most volatile cities in the whole region of Israel/Palestine. Located in the heart of the West Bank, both Jews and Arabs have had roots here for thousands of years. Having endured years of conflict, racism, violence and separation, Hebron’s inhabitants have been covered in a narrative lacking an acknowledgment of a shared humanity.
It’s in the middle of such realities that our Learning Community (part of our organization, The Global Immersion Project) feels called to listen, learn and be radically present. Through the art of friendship making, shared tables and storytelling, we desire to promote the just heart of God by being a people of reconciliation in the way of Jesus.
It was this posture that landed us in the underground home of a local Muslim Palestinian family who is close friends with the Jewish Rabbi who was hosting us in the old city of Hebron (he is both a host and dear friend!). Having prepared a beautiful and expansive Palestinian meal, they warmly invited each one of us into their home and said, “Today, this is your home.”
Hebron is home to the Tomb of the Patriarchs, namely, Abraham. It is important to note that all three monotheistic faiths (Judaism, Christianity & Islam) acknowledge Abraham as their father/patriarch. In other words, this is the physical place where religions not only collide, but the physical place where they share a very unique familial identity.
Shared Meal in Hebron
Having taken seats around tables filled with diverse color, rich aromas and new faces, the Jewish Rabbi asked if I would share a blessing over the meal alongside himself and the Muslim home owner. He said to the gathering, “We will now share a blessing over this meal lead by a Muslim, Christian and Jew.”
Standing between my friends – a Muslim Palestinian and Jewish Rabbi – I prayed that this meal would be a picture of reconciliation found among the children of Abraham, because as a follower of the pro-people Jesus who came to bring restoration to all the cosmos, I have to belief this to be true.
For me, it was a thin place; a place where heaven and earth were only thinly separated. It was a microcosm of how humanity can interact when the best of all three monotheistic faiths are represented. Further, as one who has given my life to the work of peacemaking and reconciliation, it was a moment and honor I will never forget. In fact, it will fuel me to live more faithfully into the identity I have been given as one submitted to the life and teachings of the Prince of Peace in obedience to the great Reconciler.
Sitting (on the floor!) around a table with people from all over the world and experiencing radical peace in a context whose reality is often the opposite, I got a glimpse into the heart of Jesus for humanity. A humanity he so adamantly sought to highlight by being a presence of peace and reconciliation among people and in places that weren’t “supposed” to experience either.
Friends, the construction of “The Other” is quickly dissolved when we enter each others’ homes & share a table. We confront and acknowledge our common humanity. This is not only true in the Middle East, but in the neighborhoods, cities and suburbs in which we inhabit everyday.
May we be a people who instigate a revolution of shared tables that offer a foretaste of the Kingdom banquet being prepared by the Resurrected refugee from Palestine, Jesus.
Our Friends Milad, Manar and Neshan who live/serve in the West Bank
Answering our (Jan and I) calling to give a voice to those that don’t have one in Israel & Palestine and our vocation of developing leaders for mission, we are thrilled to announce the launch of The Global Immersion Project. I co-founded the organization with my good friend and fellow Kingdom cultivator, Jer Swigart. Our first Learning Community has completed 3+ months of preparation and are prepared to leave for Israel/Palestine later today! Here is the snap shot intro (or you can justcheck out our website).
Purpose Statement
Cultivating difference-makers through immersion in global narratives
Mission Statement
Through diverse, global friendship-making, storytelling, and real-time living, the work of The Global Immersion Project is to develop difference-makers into people who tangibly live, love, and lead like Jesus. We believe in the just impact, locally and globally, that USAmericans can make if we learn to live in the posture of a learner with God, ourselves, each other, and those who inhabit our global village.
What It Looks Like
We aren’t offering a Holy Land tour or even a short term missions trip. Adopting the posture of the learner, we are offering a four month learning experience that shapes us into people who promote the Just Heart of God in the Way of Jesus. The first three and half months deep dive us into the historical, theological and modern narratives that allow us to enter the narratives of our friends in Israel & Palestine as intelligent travelers who embody the narrative of Jesus. Participants commit to navigating the experience inLearning Communitiesthat are facilitated by Jon and Jer both in person and available through an online platform. Our cultivation takes place in three phases: (1)understanding; (2)exposure & deeper understanding; and (3)resourced integration that is shaped around extenstive reading, documentary viewing, Scriptural exploration and the art of friendship-making. Our goal is to develop practicing theologians who better engage their local and global village as one’s who live, love and lead like Jesus.Go to our websitefor the detailed description, curriculum & theological affirmations that shape this experience.
How To Participate
To apply for the experience or to follow along in the real time stories, pictures and video’s from our time navigating the complex realities of Israel/Palestine, jump on board these platforms:
