A Christian, a Palestinian and a Jew
Filed Under: General
Tonight I ate supper with a Jewish Rabbi and a Palestinian Muslim. As our meal came we each offered a blessing from our respective traditions. My rabbi friend arranged the dinner with her friend from Gaza and myself. The meal arose out of conversations I have been having with other religious leaders about what role we might play in bringing together Muslims, Jews and Christians to discuss the conflict between Palestinians and Israeli Jews. Peace in our world depends upon resolving this conflict. When you listen to people on both sides, and when you take the time to study the history of the land, you begin to understand why things are as they are. Both sides have legitimate concerns. Both live with fear and pain and deep seated suspicion of the other side. For years I had a difficult time understanding the behavior of the Palestinians - it seemed so irrational. And then I began to listen to their stories, to see bits and pieces of the life that they had experienced, and I began to understand. Understanding does not excuse acts of terrorism against civilians, but it does help make sense of how these things occur, and is the first step in bringing peace. When I think of the Palestinians I am reminded of Langston Hughes famous poem, “ Dream Deferred.” Even as I begin to understand the circumstances that give rise to suicide bombers, I try to imagine how Israelis must feel living in fear that their children could be killed by such acts of terror, or what we would do if these acts were happening on our soil by those living in a neighboring community. Nowhere is “seeing gray” more critical than in the Middle East, particularly in Israel and Palestine. Seeing gray as it relates to this conflict involves seeing the world through the eyes of the other, walking in their shoes, and understanding their perspective. It includes a recognition that the other has some part of the truth and that the truth in this case is not black and white, but complex and gray. The rabbi and the Palestinian I supped with tonight were able to see the truth of the other, to understand something of the other’s perspectives, and to value one another as human beings. This is where peace begins. In the coming months my hope is that Church of the Resurrection will host a gathering of Muslims, Jews and Christians aimed at helping all of us see the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the lens of both Palestinians and Israelis. I believe Christians have an important role to play as bridge builders and peacemakers. I hope to see us play some small part in that here in Kansas City.
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Andrew Conard | Mar 13, 2008 | Reply
Adam - Thanks for sharing this story. I also appreciated the link to “Dream Deferred” I had not read it before and I think aptly describes the situation.
After having visited Israel last fall, I have seen this conflict in a new light. It is far more complex than I imagined even a year ago. The layers of history in the land are thick, rich, and have a significant impact on how life is lived today. I think that you are right to advocate for looking through the eyes of another.
JeffCling | Mar 13, 2008 | Reply
I am excited to see you engaged in these conversations. I have been involved with the work of the Interfaith Youth Core (www.ifyc.org) and some of what they’re doing to build bridges in the lives of religious young people. I see a great deal of potential for these conversations you’re talking about arising from shared service experiences for youth and adults. I look forward to seeing how things unfold.
davepullin | Mar 20, 2008 | Reply
Adam - This is great you are having these conversations. I see this as a critical issue that will have world-wide ramifications if i is not addressed quickly. I am wondering what role you see the methodist church taking regarding this issue (beyond what you have already mentioned)?
Jeff - I heartily agree with your thoughts that building bridges through the youth is a way to break the patterns of hatred.
This topic is very dear to me as I spent a summer in Bosina in the mid-nineties following the Dayton Peace Agreement and the presence of NATO. I saw first-hand the effects of the hatred between Muslims, Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox Serbians. I heard stories of neighbors who were once friends firing weapons at each other. People having to wear masks so they couldn’t be identified by those they were fighting. I made friends with a young muslim who was forced to kill his friends mother by his superior officer. This type of fighting, which many I talked to did not even want or desire, was often forced upon by the leaders and dictators who had their own agendas.
On the outside, this was an international conflict between Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia….but in reality, it revealed an ethnic war that had been going on for centuries (evidenced by the ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Muslims). It took the military presence of NATO to put an end to the violence, which has allowed the beginnings of reconciliation.
I am wondering if this (military presence) is what it will take for reconciliation to begin between Israel and Palestine? At this point, is there any other way?