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Week Three
May 27
Our group arrived back in Harrisonburg at about 8:00 pm on Saturday evening. We had already bid goodbye to three members in Frankfurt and five in Washington. Bonnie and I are so glad that we traveled on this tour.
Some people wonder why our group went to places that some people only visit when accompanied by armed guards. I remind them that many of the places we visited are safer than our own city streets. While on this trip, we heard that the city of Baltimore is considering curfews because of gang activities.
What did we like most about this trip? It’s hard to nail it down to just one thing so I’ll name several:
1. The opportunity to “walk in the footsteps of Jesus” was the best part. Many of the gospel stories come alive as we read the so-called “fifth gospel” the land itself. Of course, we visited sites related to the Old Testament as well.
2. The cross-cultural aspect of this trip was really special. We didn’t just visit the sites. We talked to the people who live in the land. We ate new foods and shopped in quaint places.
3. The group experience helped us to see things from a variety of perspectives. Each day, we have opportunities to share our new insights and questions with others. This made the visit much more memorable than if we had been there on our own.
~Ervin Stutzman
May 24
Today was a long and rather exhausting day. But it was worth it. We started off by driving to the ruins at Tell Dan, the northernmost town in Israel at the time of King David. There is a huge contrast in the landscape and vegetation from southern Beersheba, where we visited last week. Here the landscape is lush and green. Three springs flow from the base of Mount Hermon to form the Jordan River.
From Tell Dan we drove to Banyas, a place with a very nice 10-meter waterfall. We took a 90- minute hike along the river to Caesarea Phillipi, the site of Peter’s famous confession. Along the way, we saw a couple of ancient flour mills driven by water wheels in the swift current.
During the day we drove along the borders of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
We witnessed places where border skirmishes had taken place as recently as 2006. Finally, we took a breathtaking ride down from the Golan Heights to the Jordan River. Our bus driver skilfully negotiated a number of hair pin curves on the steep descent. We applauded the driver and breathed a sigh of relief when we got to the bottom.
Finally, we went to the Jordan River just south of the Sea of Galilee where five members of our group were baptized. All were baptized Christians, but chose to be baptised again as a sign of recommitment to Jesus Christ. Two were seeking God’s grace for various kinds of healing.
This has been a memorable day I shall not likely soon forget.
~Ervin Stutzman
May 23
Today we went to the top of Mount Tabor, the site where Elijah called down fire from heaven. It is also the traditional site of the Mount of Transfiguration. Along with six others, I hiked up the mountain while the rest of the group took taxis. The road is too steep and full of sharp curves for the bus. The sight from the top is breath-taking.
On the way back to our hotel, we also stopped by Mount Arbel, which provided another breathtaking sight over the Sea of Galilee. Some of us went swimming in the Sea of Galilee. It made me wonder how many times Jesus might have swum in that place.
Today we reflected on what we have seen. What seems to impress most of us here is the hope that we see in the Palestinian Christians. Our hearts are being knit to them.
~Ervin Stutzman
May 22
Today we drove from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee. We all went by boat across the northwest part of the sea to Capernaum. There we saw the ruins of an ancient synagogue. We also saw the ruins of the house where Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law. What a thrill to walk in places that Jesus walked!
We ended up at the Pilgerhaus Tabgha inn, built here by the German Catholic church in 1889. It is a wonderful place to stay with a gorgeous view of the Sea of Galilee. This place feels like a capstone to our time in the Middle East.
~ Ervin Stutzman
Week Two
May 21
The highlight of my day was our visit to Nazareth Village. (See http://www.nazarethvillage.com/ for excellent photos from the site.) We walked through a first-century archeological site as well as modern reproductions of the village where Jesus once lived. I was amazed by the way the buildings stay cool on a hot sunny day.
It was thrilling to walk along the hilly paths past the ripening wheat field, an olive press, a wine press, a cistern, and a typical family home. I petted a two-week old donkey colt and observed a shepherd caring for his sheep. I watched as a woman spun wool and wove it into fabric. I gazed as a carpenter used ancient tools in his workshop.
This evening after a typical Middle-Eastern meal, our group gathered in the synagogue for a time of reflection. What a lovely day to be in Nazareth, once home to our Lord!
~Ervin Stutzman
May 21
May 20
After the morning worship service at the Anglican Church, we went to the Kibbutz Lavi for lunch and a tour. This kibbutz was founded 58 years ago by Jews displaced by the Holocaust. More than 600 people live in this community where everything is owned in common. It is a religious kibbutz with a synagogue at the center of community life. Only conservative, observing Jews may join. I was impressed by the kibbutz's tour guide, who spoke candidly about the advantages as well as the difficulties of community life.
The kibbutz has four means of economic support -- 1) a synagogue/church furniture factory, 2) a 250-cow dairy, 3) a hotel, and 4) income generated by professional members who work outside the kibbutz. Our guide contended that there is no place in the world where the ill, the elderly, or the handicapped have better care.
Nothing intrigued me more than the tour guide's explanation of the way they conform to the sabbath laws for their dairy farm. According to Jewish law, cows may not be milked on the sabbath, but this kibbutz milks three times a day, seven days a week. They found a way to hook up the milkers without having them turned on for a few seconds, so it is not typical work. Secondly, they allow the first milk drops to go down the sewer rather than into the tank. It is as though the cow is milking itself.
I had mistakenly assumed that there is little controversy in modern Israel about Sabbath laws. Our Shabbat (Sabbath) meal with a family last Friday evening was an eye-opener. I learned that there is plenty of debate among modern Jews about the proper practice of the sabbath. It reminded me of discussions in my home chuch about what work could rightly be done on Sunday.
Ervin Stutzman
May 19
On Saturday morning we visited the "Parable House" in Taybeh. This is a 300-year-old home that depicts the living conditions in first-century Palestine. I was deeply fascinated by the way they use this house to illustrate the meaning of Jesus's parables. The house itself, along with the olive press, vine press, and farming implements help bring the Biblical stories come to life.
Taybeh is the modern name for the city where Jesus once retreated with his disciples. The Gospel of John (11:54) tells about this retreat following the raising of Lazarus from the dead. The city has been populated solely by Christians since the first century. They intend to keep it that way. The Roman Catholic priest who hosted us expressed deep gratitude for our visit and expressed hope that many other tourists would visit there.
While in Taybeh, we visited the "peace lamp factory." This company produces candles along with peace lamps and other ceramic pieces. We were impressed by their vision to bring a message of peace to the world.
~Ervin Stutzman
May 17
Today is Thursday and our last day in Bethlehem. We will spend the day in Jerusalem tomorrow and then head north for our last week in Israel. This morning we went to the farm of the Nassar family to learn about their family and the land they live on and also to work a while.
The family bought this land in 1916 and have lived on it since then, originally living in caves at night and working the land in the day. One son of the original land owner lived in the same cave for more than 60 years until he died in 1987. Even with official ownership papers, which many Palestinians do not have for their homes and land, they are almost constantly in court over ownership. They cannot do any building on their land and within the last two years the access road to their farm is blocked with a huge bolder. Their land is situated on a lovely hill not far outside of Bethlehem in a Palestinian area. They are surrounded by four Jewish settlements and the people of the settlements want access to the farm land for a road. These Palestinian people have been harrassed, soldiers have been on their land, a helicopter has landed on their property with armed soldiers, and people from the settlement come to walk on their land and challenge what is going on.
They live with no electricity and with water that they catch in a cistern. They have been challenged about the cistern on their own land. These people have a dream though. They want to live in peace with their neighbors and to that end have developed a program called Tent of Nations to bridge between people of different religions and nations. The program seeks to build bridges of understanding, reconciliation, and peace on a broad-spectrum base. They bring people from various nations together to work on real projects and activities on real ground. We had a sample of that in working the real ground today, pulling weeds and moving small rocks.
They have a program of reconciliation that brings youth of various cultures together to interact in a camp setting. A tree planting program seeks to bring international and local participants together for planting trees as a sign of hope and solidarity for peace and justice. Work and study camp programs allow groups to help improve and maintain the facilities on the land and support the land existence. There are other programs and if you are interested you can check out the web site.
www.tentofnations.org
Blessings,
Martha Murray
May 16
Today we visited Beersheba, a site in the Negev where Abraham stayed for a time. We walked through the archeological restoration of the city's ruins. We gazed down an ancient hand-dug well. We dropped a small stone into the well and waited for the sound of the splash from its depths. It took more than five seconds!
Next we headed for King Herod's ancient fortress at Masada. On the way, we drove through the Judean desert with its majestic silence. The strata of earth tones on the hills have their own beauty. At this time of year, the wadi that wind between the hill lie empty, waiting for the winter rains.
Not far from Masada, we stopped for lunch at a small oasis staffed by Bedouins. There a dozen of us rode in a camel caravan. The ride was long enough for these "ships of the desert" to leave us a little saddle sore.
After coffee and a short presentation by a Bedouin man, we were served a delicious lunch. When we entered the large tent, we removed our shoes and sat on cushions around low tables. The muliple-course meal included eleven dishes. We left there well sated. So sated, in fact, that some of us were hardly prepared for the long climb up the Roman siege ramp on the west side of Masada. Once at the top of the fort, we marveled at the panoramic view. The Dead Sea and the mountains of Moab lay to the East, the Judean Desert to the West.
Because a thunderstorm was threatening, we left a bit earlier than we had intended. Although we saw no rain on the way, we returned to Bethlehem to find that they had had a deluge, including a bit of hail. It is most unusual for them to have rain at this time of year. We rejoice with them for the rain, since it waters the crops and fills the cisterns.
~Ervin Stutzman
May 15
Today is Tuesday and we spent the day with members of the Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) at two sites. In the morning we were at a Palestinian village called At Tuwani where approximately 200 people live, made up mostly of five family groups. The village has a dirt and rock road leading from the highway and the entire village is built on what appears to be rock. Some of the older homes are made of rock and the newer ones are made of concrete and cinder blocks. The school is a newer building that is two stories tall. There is a newer building where medical care is provided by physicians on a visiting basis.
Children from this village walk to school across a field, past a Jewish settlement, and past a soldier outpost. People from the settlement were harassing the children as they walked and members of CPT were asked to walk with the children to ensure their safety. Eventually, the soldiers were directed to ensure the safe passage of the children and they do that duty almost every day. Members of CPT check on how things are going and sometimes they have to stand in, but the children are making it to school.
The children in this village are precious and if you saw them playing you might think that they are like any child you see anywhere, but they are not. They live in houses that are mostly too small for them. They have water from cisterns. They have electricity four hours a day from a generator. Many of the houses in their villare are listed for destruction by the Israeli government because of problems with permits or some other reason. There are no toys and supplies for the school are very limited. What they do have is strong family relationships, love, and strong community.
A man in our group carries a pocket full of balloons to give to children and they are often tickled to receive this small gift. The children in At Tuwani were particularly tickled. I played with a little boy who appeared to be about three years old and didn't quite know what to do with a balloon. He popped the first one he had and then one of his sisters gave him another one. We tapped the balloon into the air and I made sure it got to his arms. When the balloon traveled in another direction, his mother made sure it got back to me so I could direct it to the little boy. It must have been evident that I wanted to play with him. After a few minutes he was laughing and calling out "ÿea" when the ball came into his arms. It felt a little like home, but not at all like home.
The women of the village served us a wonderful lunch of rice and chopped tomatoes and cucumbers. It was really delicious and beautifully presented in what must have been bowls from at least two or three households. We had bread that had been baked over a fire and tasted like no other bread I have ever had. There are daily challenges for these people and constant uncertainty as to what might happen to their homes, but in their faces and in conversation you see and hear hope. It was an amazing morning.
In the afternoon we were with CPT members in Hebron, but that story is for another day.
Peace and love,
Martha Murray
May 14
Today was the most difficult day on our trip. At least most members of our group seemed to feel that way. A young Israeli took us on a three-hour tour of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian areas of east Jerusalem. He explained the legal and political strategies used by his fellow citizens to demolish Palestinian homes. Two young Israeli soldiers watched as we walked through the rubble of a demolished home. We grieved for the people who had lost their place to live. We were angered to learn that evicted residents were charged for the demolition. Insult added to injury!
We walked along the security fence, the high concrete wall that separates communities in Jerusalem. It seemed clear to us that it does little to provide actual security.
In spite of the pain we witnessed, we also saw reasons for hope. We spoke to Palestinans who measure progress not by days, but by decades. It takes newly planted olive trees 40 years to bear fruit. Likewise, it takes years for a displaced people to gain their sense of identity and unity. It takes years to bring about peace and reconciliation. We pray that God will hasten the day when the peoples of Jerusalem may live together in peace and prosperity.
~Ervin Stutzman
Week One
May 12
May 11
I've known for years that there are different perspectives on the conflict in the Holy Land. Today I felt that close up. We met several Christians who cope in different ways with the situation in Israel-Palestine.
We started at Beit Immanuel, the Messianic Jewish center and congregation in Jaffa. Pastor David Lazarus told us how he came to Israel from Boston, Massachusets thirty-some years ago. While living in the desert someone gave him a Bible. He became a follower of Christ and eventually found the Beit Immanuel congregation at the time when Roy Kreider and Paul Swarr were pastors. There he and other youth learned Christian discipleship. He spoke with deep reverence of his Christian missionary mentors.
Pastor Lazarus now works at reconciliation by meeting with small groups of individuals from people groups commonly at enmity with one another. He told a moving story of reconciation between Jewish and German high school students touring Auschwitz. He also recounted a story of reconciliation with an Arab who had served as a Jordanian border patrol officer. Pastor Lazarus served as an Israeli patrol officer at the same border.
Pastor Lazarus has little time for Christians who come from America to try to fix the Israeli-Palestian conflict. He feels they don't understand what it's like "on the ground." He is particularly impatient with people who embrace "peace and justice" values over heart conversion to Jesus. When our group was ready to leave, he offered a lenghty prayer on our behalf.
After a lunch of falafels, we met with folks at the Sabeel Center. There an American named Bob Tobin explained the approach of liberation theology to the Israeli-Palestian conflict. He interpreted the Bible in a radically different way than most of us have understood it. He doesn't believe that God designated Israel to be one land for only one people with only one faith.
A Palestinian woman named Nora Karmi then explained the complicated meaning of the "right of return" for Palestinians. Most Palestians don't expect to return to their native land, but they long for the right to invest, the right to visit, and the right to live in the Jewish areas. Indeed, these rights have been mandated by action of the United Nations, but they have not been respected. Her people live in hope that they will one day receive a documented apology from the Israelis.
After dinner, we heard yet another perspective on the conflict. Mitri Raheb, a Palestian Christian born in Bethlehem, told us that his people have lived on this land for thousands of years. One of his female ancestors may well have helped to care for baby Jesus. Pastor Raheb is now the pastor of the Christmas Lutheran church in Bethlehem, just next to the place where our tour group is staying. In his gentle way, Pastor Raheb explained the meaning of contextual theology in the midst of the conflict. He understands the conflict well, since the first intifada took place right in Bethlehem. He recalls the time when the congregation found it impossible to concentrate on his sermon due to rifle fire just outside the sanctuary.
Pastor Raheb believes that Palestian Christians must learn to see the land of Palestine as being on the margins rather than the center of the world.
For millenia, Palestine has been trampled by surrounding superpowers. In some places in Jerusalem, there have been 70 different strata of civilization. Conquerors destroyed one set of buildings and built another on top of them. Most conquered in the name of their gods as well as their countries.
Pastor Raheb helped us understand that many of us have imbibed a form of religious nationalism that is not true to scripture. He lives with the hope that Palestinians and Israelis can learn to live together is peace. We pray this may someday be true.
~Ervin Stutzman
May 10
This morning as we prepared to leave for the bus, Kevin Clark began handing out packed lunches. “What you got is what you get, and what you get is what you got,” he announced. As at suppertime, the packed provide no menu choice. We carried those lunches with us all morning.We came to the Bethlehem checkpoint this morning resigned to wait for a long time. Yesterday it took 35 minutes for our bus to get through. To our surprise and delight, we drove through the gate in less than five minutes. We can only imagine how frustrating it must be for residents of Bethlehem, who cannot go anywhere outside the city except through this hated checkpoint. Today we met a caretaker at the church by the Pool of Bethesda who has to allow more than two hours for the several-mile trip from Bethlehem to Jerusalem each morning.
Today we continued our tour apace, with a schedule that included a great deal of walking. When I anticipated this tour, I had not envisioned so many hills, with so many steps. This excursion is not for the fainthearted or those with physical limitations. After we had visited the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives, our guide Tony Sabella suggested a slightly different route than we had planned. “Is it uphill?” Kara asked. “Everything is uphill,” Tony replied. We all laughed with recognition. Even the shopping areas lie on slopes.
I enjoyed watching people maneuver pushcarts, motorcycles and tractors up and down the long series of steps on busy streets. Yesterday Bonnie and I watched as a young boy pushed a heavily loaded cart down the steps. To slow it down on the steep incline, he stepped on a tire trailing behind the cart on a short chain.
Several members of our group were surprised when we visited the Church of Mary Magdalene, a magnificent structure with five onion-shaped domes. It was built by the white (not Communist) Russian Orthodox Church. As we entered, the nun at the gate gave some of the women in our group were give wrap-around skirts to cover their pant legs. (We observed that a man with shorts was also issued a skirt).
Once inside the churchyard, we learned the background for painting Easter eggs. As the legend goes, Mary Magdalene once gave witness to some magistrates of Christ’s resurrection by showing a white egg. As she testified, the egg turned red. This act of Mary is commemorated in this church building by a very large icon showing Mary with a red egg in her hand. To this day, the people of Russia color eggs red at Easter time.
Shopkeepers prominently display icons for sale in many places around Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Icons come in many sizes and shapes, ranging in price from a 75 cent postcard to wood-based antiques worth hundreds of dollars. Some are inlaid with silver and gold.
In a number of the churches we visited, we observed pilgrims venerating these icons. Our guide told us that the church differentiates between worship and veneration. Only the Godhead is worshiped; saints are merely venerated. During the Melkite Catholic worship service last Sunday, the priest paused, crossed himself, and shook incense as he passed the icons. Two prominent icons lay on his left and his right when he entered the holy place where the altar lay.
This evening we reflected on the highlights of the places we’d visited today. Many of us were moved by out visit to the Garden Tomb. There we had stopped to reflect and share communion. We found deep meaning as we commemorated Christ’s death and resurrection near to the supposed place of Golgotha, the garden, and the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea where Jesus was laid.
We recalled with pleasure the opportunity to sing at the Church of St. Anne. There the reverberations from the many hard surfaces made our rendition of “Amazing Grace” sound much better than anywhere else. As it is, we don’t expect to win any prizes for our group singing. Many of us seem to be musically challenged.
We were also moved by the visit to the Pater Noster, the church where the Lord’s Prayer is prominently displayed in 143 of the world’s languages. There as nowhere else we felt the presence of the Spirit that draws together all true Christians in the unity of the faith. And it reminded us again of the reason for our visit to the Holy Land, the place where Christ gave himself to bring reconciliation to the world.
~Ervin Stutzman
May 10
Not only is this day special because I am in Israel, but it is special because it is my birthday. At breakfast in Bethlehem everyone sang Happy Birthday to me and I was presented with a beautiful lavender shawl.
What an amazing place to be with friends on my birthday, some new and some already known friends. We are a group of 22 (I can remember that easily because we do a head count each time we board the bus), and we are a diverse group. By denomination, we are mostly Mennonite, but we are also Methodists, United Brethren, and also Anglican Church in Australia. We are singles and marrieds. We are younger and older. We are students and faculty. We are from Virginia, California, Colorado, Texas, and Australia. Of course, we started out knowing each other through the common ground of knowing Jesus Christ and immediately were friends.
Today we walked (and walked and walked!) In the morning we started at the Mount of Olives and walked downhill visiting some churches and sites on the way to the Kidron Valley. We stopped at the Pool of Bethesda where we remembered the man who sat by the pool for 38 years that Jesus healed. The sites are just awesome. Seeing actual form and place adds much to the story.
In the afternoon we visited the Garden Tomb where we saw a tomb that is most likely very similar to the tomb of Jesus. Of course, some people believe absolutely that it is the tomb of Jesus, but that is not for me to decide. This area we visited is certainly a beautiful place and a very peaceful place. Our tour guide pointed out where Jesus might have been crucified just below the hill where we were. I have sent pictures of both the outside and the inside of the tomb. We had communion together at this site, we sang, and prayed together. Serving one another communion in this site was a lovely experience. The setting was so peaceful and really fairly quiet for such a noisy place. Just as we finished the rain began to fall. Sitting under trees provided a perfect umbrella and I sat and visited with another traveler until the rain ended.
We have seen so much already on this trip and there is certainly more to come. Each day has special highlights and memories. I will always remember this birthday celebrated in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. I will remember a little boy named Mustafa who followed us around the refugee camp on his bicycle (with no pedals, only metal rods). I will remember the friends I made on this trip. I will remember that I am away from home for a long time. I will remember when I read some of the stories of the Bible what the area looked like, sounded like, and smelled like. This is really a transforming time.
Blessings and love,
Martha Murray
May 9
May 8
Today is Tuesday, May 8, and it is 9:30 pm. We have returned from a very full day of walking, observing, and interacting after leaving our lodging at 7:50 pm. Many images and more questions run through my head as I sit here, so let me pick one specific image to share with you today.
I am very tired and ideas are not coming easily. I am very hot and dirty from walking all day in a dusty city. Perhaps tomorrow will bring some answers. For now, good night!
~ Martha Murray
May 7
I-AM-IN-ISRAEL!
I say that sentence slowly because it is still somewhat difficult for me to believe. Today is May 7, Monday, evening, and we have had another full day of being out and about in this amazing country. Our first full day in this country was spent in Jerusalem where we began to get acquainted with the people and the country, and where we heard the first calls to prayer.
We left Jerusalem in the late afternoon (we will return for more visits) and traveled to Bethlehem. Bethlehem is five minutes away from Jerusalem, and at the same time worlds away.
When we arrived, our bus waited behind a line of cars waiting to receive access to the city at a checkpoint. The people in the cars were Palestinian and the guards at the gate were Israeli. One of the cars was turned away and I wondered what was the reason. Was it something simple like misplaced papers? Was it something more serious? Were they trying to get home or were they visiting? Every question I have asked since I arrived here begs more questions to be asked and so far there are many more questions than answers.
On our first evening here we joined together for our evening worship and reflections. Kevin Clark invited us to share a word or a thought about how we are feeling on arriving in Israel or about our expectations and early thoughts. The word that came to my mind right away was discovery. I want this to be a time of discovery and I want to remain open to where that discovery might lead. I have a sense that paradigms will shift and I am open to that happening. I am excited to follow developments in new ideas and new understandings. I am also excited to know what God will reveal to me about what I am to do with this experience and how He will use this experience in my life and ministry.
When I think about discovery I think about many aspects of the meaning of this word. I think of discovering something about other people, places, this land, about Jesus and his life, about God's plan for this place and its people. I also think about discovering something about myself. Some thoughts and words from others in the group included; helplessness, open and closure, anger, hopelessness, elatedness, and searching. You can guess that many of us are on a journey of discovery and change.
In our travels we will meet Jews, Arabs, Christians, and Muslims. We will learn something about their lives, their beliefs, and their struggles. I will try to bring some of that discovery to you through these journal reflections. Others will join me as we go on our journey together and will share their ideas and impressions as they, too, go on a journey of discovery.
~Martha Murray
May 6
All of the members of the group arrived safely from our different places. We stayed at the Lutheran Guest House in Jerusalem on Saturday night. On Sunday morning we attended the Melkite Greek Orthodox Church, in Communion with the Catholic church. It was a fascinating liturgy conducted in Arabic mixed with a little Greek.
After the service, we walked the ramparts of the old wall in Jerusalem. Later, we strolled through the streets of old Jerusalem and browsed through shops. What a multiplicity of new sights, sounds, and smells. Most of the shop owners seemed to know some English.
In the late afternoon, we came to the Dar Annadwa International Center of the Abu Gabrun guesthouse of the Christmas Lutheran Church. We were invited to join in a concert produced as part of Austrian Cultural Week. We heard three musicians in concert. All of the music was composed in Vienna in the last 200 years.
After the concert, the guesthouse served us Austrian food. The menu included soup with liver Dumpling, Wiener schnitzel with oven potatoes, followed by Apfelstrudel. Somehow, I hadn't imagined this much cross-cultural diversity as part of a tour of Bethlehem! Since the dinner lasted until 10 pm, most the of group was ready to head for bed. We're still coping with jet lag.
~Ervin Stutzman
