Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, how sweet....

dear friends,

This may be a real short report as others are waiting for the computer. We visited a Israeli settler this morning in a settlement outside of Bethlehem. My friends, and recent delegates, Mike and Judy White can well identify with the experience having recently met him themselves on a trip there. He was very articulate about his reasons for being on the land, and while "sympathetic" to the suffering there, and what has happened since 67, he felt that many of the claims of the Palistinians were unjustified. He spoke little about the illegal nature of the occupation. Finally getting to meet a settler after two visits here, filled in the picture for me. Intractible is the word that comes to mind. I was discourage by the pessimism of both peoples here. The settler,however, felt that his settlement would not be dismantled, and therefore, was not worried. The Palistinians, on the other hand, are very pessimistic. They feel that they, under the occupation have everything to lose and that their leadership is weak and will not represent them well.

I must sign off. Will talk with you tomorrow. Love and peace, Bill

Annapolis and beyond

Today was a heavy day with visits with two very articulate and scholarly gentlemen; one from Sabeel and the other from Musalaha, a group who believes that "as conflict in the Holy land persists, Israelis nd Palstininians find themselves in the midst of a violent and intractible struggle. Years of coflict between our peoples have allowed a process of dehumanization of the "other". Believers are also impacted by the cycle of fear, violence and hatred. Thus reconcilition has become one of the central issues with the body of the Messiah". Salime and leaders of messianic Israeli and Palestinian christian communities lead groups of Israeli and a Aalestinian men on desert trips together to learn about each other and discuss their common values. The gentleman from Sabeel suggested the Peace process now being discussed in practical way avoids the core values of the Christian faith: peace, non use of weapons, human rights and non discrimination because of race. He says unless the discussions are around these core values, nothing will be achieved. The rest of the after noon was spent on a tour by the ISRAELI committee against House demolitions which showed how the Israeli government is incrementally building settlements which will establish more 'facts on the ground" that prevent the Palestinians from living on the land. A closing on a positive note is that none of this need happen if we as Americans object. The work is ahead of us. BILL

A day in the City of Jerusalem

We walked around the old city today, and several places were new for me including the pools of Bethesda. A special moment came when we as a group took our turn singing in the Byzantine church of St. Ann's. We sang some hymns together in the 800 year old church nearby the the healing waters where Jesus was believed to have healed. I just happened to have one of my harps with and the accoustics were truly amazing. It was a shared moment, as we were joined in the end by some thirty Koreans, also Presbyterians. I will cut my report some tonight, as I must move on to hear Romi ElaHonen talk about the bereaved parents association. His voice is a powerful one around the issue of suffering, as he has given the most with the lost of his daughter by a suicide bomber. Love, bill

Thoughts on the Palestinian dimension

GREETINGS, FRIENDS FROM JERUSALEM!

We arrived in Jerusalem this evening after leaving Jordan this morning; lunch in the City of Jerrico, and time on the Mount of Olives, neither of which we did last year. What I learned from the stay in Jordan is that the Palestinian dimension of the equation is much larger than the West Bank and Gaza. It is whereever Palestinians were forced to go that carries the energy, including to Jordan. Intellectually, I knew this, but it didn't compute until now. Those Palestinians who have made it in other places, still carry memories of the spaces that were once theirs, hence the broader interest. The dynamics must be a little like what Jews feel for land of Israel, minus the physical presence that Palestinian refugees experience, which seems a huge difference upon reflection. We are staying at the Glorio Hotel, one of the Crusader places within the Old City. It is a wonderful feeling to see the international nature of this town, with Jews, Muslims and Christians roaming the city the area together. We will be here through Wednesday and into Thursday before heading to Bethlehem.

Haven't heard anything from any of the potential bloggers. Am wondering if they have the right address, or a bit afraid to hang out in space.
BILL

Today we worshiped with an Episcopalian community. An English and an Arabspeaking priest led the service. The scripture was taken from Matthew and focused on "the peacemakers", interestingly enough. The sermon, which we received a copy of, was on peace with justice. I don't believe in coincidence, as my Quaker friend reminds me, it is not just coincidence. (notice the name of blog. Perhaps the priest caught my blog -nahhh?)

Having communion with the congregation was special in this beautiful church, located on the ridge of one of Jordan's many hills. Afterwards, we had a wonderful brunch and a panel discussion where heard from a former member of the Senate and advisor to the King; the director of Hospitals, and a political candidate who was a specialist on the refugee problem here. Clearly they were all wanting us to hear about their perspective on the impact of the war in Iraq on their economy and social system. They feel very much alone in addressing the needs of the Iraqis whom they refer to benevalently as "guests". They don't feel they are being heard by others in the world,even isolated. They are also not very optimistic about the Peace meeting in Annapolis because they feel that the U.S inequivalically supports the Israeli position on all the major issues. They maybe right.

Tomorrow, we leave Jordan for Jerusalem. I've learned much from our hosts here. I look forward to talking with you from the old city where we will be staying. Peace, Salaam,Shalom, Bill

Greetings from Amman. We arrived after a long flight to find a beautiful moon and welcoming people. We had wonderful mideastern dinner with the Office Director of the Middleast Council of Churches, who gave us an inspiring challenge to address the rising needs of the Iraqi refugees who are living in Jordan and elsewhere. The Church Council has been dealing with the daily needs, but feels it is those who invaded Iraq who need to "step forward. As the Jordanians, They can not do it alone. She thanked us for our presence here. Tomorrow we walk to worship with members of the episcapalian church a few blocks away and have lunch with them. So far, so good. Thanks for your prayers and support. Bill

Tomorrow I leave with your blessings. I go, not out of any sense of nobleness, but with humility, as I seek to express my faith, and find hope with people who struggle in the midst of despair to bring about peace with justice for all. I go to seek ways in which I can share my experience with my faith community and friends at home. I go to seek ways to partner with persons there and at home. And finally, I go for adventure of the kind that have blessed me since my days with Peace Corps, and beyond, and have continued to freshen my life in new and exciting ways.

Greetings to friends and supporters,

This is the site I will use to share my experiences in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories during Advent with you and others. Glad you've decided to come along. We will begin transmitting on November 24th when we arrive in Amman, Jordan. Bill