My Reading List, Plus Inspiring Stories

In addition to our mission endeavors, conversations, and visits, I have been able to sneak in a little reading this summer and thought I'd commend to you a few books. First, I've enjoyed Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century. Friedman is a great thinker and an unparalleled writer. His perspective on the world's changing economy and political realities are worth our attention.

Secondly, I've read From This Holy Mountain by William Dalrymple. This is a most unusual travel memoir that traces the history of Christianity, people groups, and the rise of Islam through eastern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel/Palestine, and Egypt. It's a long, slow read, but uniquely informative and oftentimes entertaining.

Two final recommendations would be G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy and a current novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon. Both are worth your time and attention.

Now, back to the matters at hand. Each day we wonder how our experience could become any richer, and each day we encounter some person or gain some perspective that leaves us deeply moved. Occasionally these experiences break our hearts, as at daybreak last Monday when we witnessed an elderly Palestinian woman from Bethlehem as she got caught by Israeli soldiers trying to use the Tantur property to sneak into Israel with basket of vegetables to sell at market. She pleaded, argued, and was eventually turned back and denied entry. She was just trying to make a living; the young soldiers were just doing their job to maintain the security of their homeland. It's a heart-breaking circumstance, one which happens hundreds of times a day. Yesterday, however, was also filled with portraits of extraordinary commitment and real hope. I will share with you just two.

The first person is Nuha Khoury, deputy director of the school at the International Bethlehem Center (IBC), a bright light of Christian expression located just a few hundred yards from the spot of Jesus' birth and associated with Christmas Lutheran Church. Articulate, attractive, and talented, this young woman is dedicating her life to the children of Bethlehem, using every ounce of her considerable ability to advocate for their future. In addition to leading a K-12 school for the children of Bethlehem (the majority of whom are Muslim), she leads summer camps, a wellness center, art camps, music camps, and peace camps. These are first-rate programs serving children acquainted mostly with war, military occupation, and poverty.

I was inspired by her the results of her work, by the big vision she has for the future of this ministry, and by God's hand obviously at work. But even more, I was inspired by Nuha's personal commitment and zeal. She has a Ph.D. in history from the University of Michigan and could teach most anywhere in the world. Before the invasion of Bethlehem, her family was one of considerable means. She has many options. And every day she wakes up to the stark realities of Bethlehem, asks God to bless her work, and gets to the business of ushering in the kingdom. I hope we can cross paths with her in the future.

As an interesting sidenote and glimpse into the life of Bethlehem residents, while Nuha was talking to a group of us (about fifteen) gathered around a table on a lovely terrace at IBC, another employee interrupted us with a look of great consternation and a rapid-fire Arabic language conversation ensued which left Nuha with tears in her eyes. The other employee left, and when Nuha could not gather herself immediately she said,"I might as well share this with you."

"For years my father has owned a hotel right here in Bethlehem and has done well with the tourist trade. But now the separation wall has been built right on our property sealing off one side of the hotel such that guests from the west no longer want to come. The Israeli government claimed the hotel was on their land and so we went to court to fight for our hotel. Yesterday we received word that we won our case and can keep the hotel, but just now I am being told that soldiers are breaking down the front doors and invading it. We will try to resist them, but there's not much we can do."

As I said, each day includes some event leaves us deeply moved.

We left Bethlehem to head approximately thirty miles south to the ancient city of Hebron. Over the last 15 years Hebron has been in the news regularly as clashes between residents and settlers occur frequently. Specifically, we went to an ancient village outside Hebron called At-tuwani where Palestinian peasants have been living for 1500 years. Even today, most of them live in ancient stone structures built into the hill such that their homes are half cave and half house.

All religions and nations have extremist adherents, and some of the most extreme Zionists have settled in the wooded hills above At-tuwani. Interestingly, most of them aren't even from Israel but are Zionists primarily from the United States and other parts of the world who have settled in the high ground surrounding Hebron. From there, they arrange periodic attacks on the people of At-tuwani in order to drive them from the land. The most recently attacks have included poisoning their wells, the fields where their goats graze, and attacking children from surrounding villages on their way to school in At-tuwani.

You might ask, "What's inspiring about this?"

At least two things. First, the people of At-tuwani don't attack back. They have decided to be peaceful in their response. One man, whose 72 year old mother had been beaten, said, "We are simple people who have lived here for 1,500 years. We want a simple life. We are shepherds. We will not attack."

Secondly -- and perhaps most inspiring -- were two people (Christina, a young woman from Italy, and Mary Yoder, a nurse from Ohio) who work on what is called "Christian Peacemaking Teams" (CPTs). Mostly CPTs are there to document facts, videotape events, and give even-handed reports to police, the U.N., and other government officials. These CPTs, however, are also escorting the children from surrounding villages safely to school. So each day, they walk the extremely remote and hot hills of Hebron for two and a half hours in the morning and again in the afternoon so that the children of the region can attend school in relative safety. The CPTs have also been attacked -- some severely beaten and injured -- and yet they remain boldly serving the needs of the world's children in vulnerable circumstances.

As a brief glimpse into life in Hebron (as offered before about Bethlehem), while we were there the CPTs were called to document an event happening out in the fields near At-tuwani. Apparently, some settlers had obtained a combine and were harvesting wheat fields not their own. As is so often the case, the police were called but arrived an hour late, after the harvest had been stolen and the combine taken away to the settlement. It was a sad glimpse into the life of people in Hebron.

I'm grateful for the extraordinary commitment displayed by these servants and am inspired to consider what sacrifices I make for my convictions. The Christian life here is lived under tough circumstances, and it requires innovative, brave, and deep faith that perseveres regardless of external circumstance.

Thank you for the opportunity to learn from these people. The whole Henderson family is growing in ways beyond our imagining.

Peace,

Bob