Pilgrimage Hopes and Expectations – A Mosaic

Pilgrimage Expectations and Hopes – A Mosaic

In preparation for our travel to the Holy Land, we have many ideas and emotions about the journey.  We have read and heard stories and facts.  Everyday, our eyes and ears are attentive to the news and the human stories being told.  There are constant shifts in perspective and policy and promise.

In a meeting, about a month ago, we did an exercise posting single words that described our Expectations and our Hopes for the journey.  As we depart, I think these words are still applicable and will be touchstones as we live into the pilgrimage.

Expectations         Hopes

Sacred               Friendships

Anger                Understanding

Despondence      Insights

Seeking              Exploration

Surprises            Grace

Friendships          New Relationships

Confusion           Admiration

Possibilities         Faith

Adventure          Awareness

Learning             Tolerance

Tradition             Discovery

Frustration          Deepening

Ancient Sites       Mediterranean Climate

Discomfort          Good food

May we all find what we hope for and more!

Refugees and Dual Narratives

             One of the things that encouraged us to use MEJDI tours is their concept of a dual narrative, that we would have an Israeli and a Palestinian guide, representing their unique backgrounds and perspectives.  Two books that were highly recommended for understanding Palestinian and Israeli histories were A Tale of Love and Darkness by Israeli author and activist Amos Oz and Once Upon a Country by Palestinian activist, philosopher, and President of Al-Quds University, Sari Nusseibeh.  These two excerpts from their books help underscore the different views about refugees:

Amos Oz (after 1948):  “Nearly everything in the young state in those days was named for those who had died in battle, or for heroism, or for the struggle, the illegal immigration and the realization of the Zionist dream.  The Israelis were very proud of their victory and entrenched in the justice of their cause and their feelings of moral superiority.  People did not think much about the fate of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees and displaced persons, many of whom had fled and many others of whom had been driven out of the towns and villages conquered by the Israeli army.

Sari Nusseibeh:  “…addressing an Israeli audience….It doesn’t matter whether you set out premeditatively to cause the Palestinian refugee tragedy, I told them, the tragedy did occur, even as an indirect consequence of your actions.  In our tradition, you have to own up to this.  You have to come and offer an apology.  Only this way will Palestinians feel that their dignity has been recognized, and be able to forgive.  But by denying all responsibility, besides being historically absurd to the point of craziness, you will guarantee eternal antagonism – a never-ending search for revenge.”

Preparing for the journey

 

Although our St. Mark’s pilgrimage does not “officially” begin until September 25^th in Jerusalem, the truth is that we have been preparing for over a year.  In good St. Mark’s tradition, we have spent time educating ourselves about the Holy Land and the Arab/Israeli conflict and we’ve invited the whole community to join us.  This blog is an important part of that sharing.

Our speakers have included Amb. Philip Wilcox (Ret) director of the Foundation for Middle East Peace and former Counsel General in Jerusalem, and Aziz Abu Sarah who heads MEJDI Tours which attracted us because of its “dual narrative” approach, meaning we’ll have both an Israeli and a Palestinian guide.

We’ve explored peace making strategies with Rabbi Marc Gopin and heard first-hand about life for Palestinian Christians from Rev. Sari Ateek and Philip Farah.   Rabbi Jack Moline gave us an American Jewish perspective of Israel.  Corinne Whitlatch, former Executive Director of Churches for Middle East Peace and glass artist, and author Jane Geniesse shared cultural insights.  Our own Lindsey Jones talked about her work in a Bethlehem refugee camp.

Peter Hawley maintained a lending library of books, DVDs, and CDs about all aspects of the conflict as well as taking us through a mini-version of a class on Steadfast Hope.  Individual members of the group researched some of the Biblical sites we will visit.

Some of us will have read a lot, some of us will have not, some were able to attend all of the discussions, some only a few.  And that is just fine.  No matter how much any of us knows or doesn’t know, there will be much to learn individually and as a group.

When he learned he and Gretchen could not make the trip with us, David Willson wrote:  “I wish you all a journey of peace, nourishment of the body and soul, enrichment, learning and understanding.”

That is our hope as well.