Our Nightly Conversations

Dear Friends:

Our life in Israel/Palestine continues to thrive, and the rhythm of our days has turned a bit more traditional. As mentioned earlier, our children are attending a camp in the mornings run by Christmas Lutheran Church. The camp is designed to serve Palestinian youth in Bethlehem and has been a great experience for all three of our children. For instance, today Abbie was befriended by a girl named Amy, a 17-year-old Bethlehemite, who recently returned from living in Honduras where her father works at the Japanese consulate. These are rich experiences for all of us, and we remain deeply grateful for the ministry of Christmas Lutheran Church.

Our specific geographic location has given us tremendous exposure to the circumstances in the West Bank and the challenges facing the Palestinian people. Just yesterday, the lead story in the Jerusalem Post reported that 55,000 additional Arabs now living in Jerusalem will be separated from the city by September when the wall is to be completed. This morning I heard CNN report that further building in the West Bank has been halted by the Israeli government; however, if I lift my eyes from the computer screen for a moment I can literally see new construction going up on confiscated land across from Tantur. It's a complicated situation, full of half-truths and interpretation.

However, the richness of Tantur is its ecumenical focus. People presently studying here hail from the Philippines, Ukraine, Australia, Spain, England, Scotland, Belarus, and New Zealand. As you might expect, each person brings a unique faith perspective to the pressing matters of our world and this land. Therefore, I'm particularly pleased that the next two weeks at Tantur will feature lectures, readings, and field visits regarding the persecuted history of the Jewish people. Though I've studied the Holocaust thoroughly, familiarity with the long history of Jewish persecution is essential to understanding the Jewish mindset, their understanding of the land, and Israel's posture to the world. In particular, I am looking forward to next Tuesday morning which I'll spend with a visiting scholar in Jewish history who has published widely regarding how persecution has shaped the mindset of Israeli Jews today. These lectures will be accompanied by a visit to Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust museum, as well as other activities. Perhaps the greatest learning, however, occurs at night when we all gather on a terrace for coffee, wine, hot chocolate (the kids!), and conversation. As you might imagine, the nuance and sophistication of the conversation is very stimulating.

I'll try not to sermonize on the blog, but one recurring theme Suzanne and I find when faced with the issues of this land (and the world) is the relevance of Jesus' teaching. Peace will not happen in Israel and Palestine (or the world) without forgiving enemies. Taking the form of a servant toward one's neighbor is clearly the path to life. Praying for those who persecute you brings with it irresistible moral force. Believing that "in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave nor free," would provide a clean slate from which to move toward long lasting solutions. Imitating the one who laid down his life so that others might live is this land's greatest hope. So, simply on a personal level, both Suzanne and I find it profoundly meaningful to see the relevance of Jesus' teaching in a land that seems irretrievably divided and broken.

Speaking of Suzanne, she is spending her mornings putting the final touches on her book (right now focusing on the scintillating work of indexing scriptural references and authors) to be published in January and will be glad to turn in her final draft before we leave Israel. The title "Christology and Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark," gives us hope it will be a runaway best seller! We'll tithe to the church all proceeds from the movie rights.

We miss you and pray for you every day. We continue to request your prayers for our health and safety as we'll be traveling again soon. In about a week, we will fly to London, basically to visit and do some tourist activities. After that, it's to Utah, where I'll remember how to exercise and then to Georgia for a vacation with extended family.

Peace to you all.

Bob