Myers Park Clergy: Spread Affordable Housing, Start Here

This commentary was published in the Charlotte Observer on Sept. 9, 2010, with fellow clergy leaders south Charlotte: Peter Brown, St. Mark's Lutheran Church; Ken Carter, Providence United Methodist Church; Steve Eason, Myers Park Presbyterian Church; Chip Edens, Christ Episcopal Church; James Howell, Myers Park United Methodist Church; Steve Shoemaker, Myers Park Baptist Church; and Steve Wilson, Little Church on the Lane:

We've known it for 10 years. We have an affordable housing crisis in Charlotte that affects thousands of families: the working poor, the nurse, the teacher, the construction worker and those who are homeless and one step away from having a home. We estimate we need 12,000 units. City and county government cannot build us out of this crisis.

We also have a "concentration of poverty" crisis. Look at a city map which depicts concentration of poverty, and there is a dramatic "Crescent of Poverty" which begins in west Charlotte, sweeps up over the north edge of uptown and ends in east Charlotte. This Poverty Crescent affects everything in Charlotte: schools, economic development and a vital "social capital" built from relationships across racial and economic lines.

Myers Park clergy are concerned about this looming and worsening crisis. We support a "locational policy" that will disperse mixed-income housing fairly and healthily across our city. We are also doing something. We are working on a mixed-income housing initiative in the middle of Myers Park which will provide housing for a few families and wrap support services around them so they will thrive in their new homes.

Our faith commitments compel us to a hospitality that welcomes others, that sees in the stranger a neighbor. This is a modest step, but only our first step. We believe others will join us. If this crisis is to be adequately addressed it will need everyone's help: public, private, faith communities and the active goodwill of all our citizens toward making this city a hospitable place for all people across economic, social, racial and religious lines.


The prophet Isaiah spoke about "the repairer of the breach ... the restorer of streets to live in." This can be our aspiration and holy work together: to repair breaches and restore streets and create safe homes and neighborhoods for all who long for this essential need of human well-being, and to discover new neighbors, and to make our city truly a community. Let us make southern hospitality more than a southern charm, also the mark of a city passionate about repairing the breach and restoring every street as a good place to live.

Final Glimpses

Dear Friends:

Life continues to amaze and confound here. Yesterday I had an extended conversation with the former moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) - Fahed Abu-Akel - who happened to come to a lecture Suzanne was giving. He was in attendance along with folks from the U.N., World Council of Churches, an Armenian priest, a Paulist priest, several Biblical scholars, a Jewish scholar, and various other entities from around Jerusalem. You know, your basic Greensboro audience.

As we are leaving for London tomorrow, let me offer just a few last glimpses of our experiences here. Last night some lingering stomach problems caused me to walk down to the pharmacy in Bethlehem next to the grocery store I've been using. Mr Awad, the grocery store proprietor, greeted me on the porch and I asked about the adjoining pharmacy, which appeared closed. He said, "Yes, it's closed. But if you are sick, I have a key." So inside he goes to get the key and within minutes we walk into the next door pharmacy which suddenly has extended hours and a very loose prescription policy. As we search around for some immodium, I can find only the "needs chilling?" liquid variety.

Mr. Awad says, "You want tablets?""

I'm just concerned about the "needs chilling part," I said, as it was about 90 degrees in the pharmacy at that point

"Tell me exactly what's wrong with you," says my grocer.

I offer the gory details and immediately he whips out his cell phone and begins a rapid-fire conversation in Arabic. Upon hanging up, he says, "He's coming. You sit here five minutes." So there I sat in the pharmacy, waiting for who knows what. About five minutes later, into the parking lot screeches a car and out pops the pharmacist. He inquires about my illness, suggests a few options, goes over the ingredients of each medication, explains it all in extreme detail, suggests various options for a wellness plan, and sells me what I need for five dollars.

I thank him profusely, compliment him on his English, and he says, "I'm not so good in English. Arabic, yes. Italian, yes. French, yes. But English, not so good."

It turns out that he was born in Bethlehem, educated in Italy, attended pharmacy school in France, and is now the proprietor of this formerly thriving store whose business is being destroyed by the wall. And still he's a man kind enough to leave his family at 8:00 p.m. in order to help some stranger who can offer nothing back but a five dollar sale.

Today brought more experiences of hospitality, though as you probably expect by now, it was accompanied by some surprises. Samer, the taxi driver who takes our children to camp each day, invited us over to his home for dinner, an amazingly gracious gesture especially considering that their third child was born just last week. All five Hendersons ambled down past the checkpoint where Samer picked us up. As we drove to his house, he said something very out of character for his cheery disposition, "It's a bad day in Bethlehem. Many arrests. Soldiers come in and take many people."

We rounded the curve to see that the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) had closed the street and surrounded the adjacent housing complex (probably 50 homes) with soldiers at their posts and weapons drawn. Looking for a way around, we stopped briefly, only to be greeted by an extremely loud explosion from this housing complex less. When we could breathe again, Samer said, "Don't worry. That's not shooting. No worries. Just bombs."

What great comfort!

It turns out that these explosions (several more ensued) were from explosive devices designed for crowd control; they make such loud noise that people seek shelter and are thus more easily contained, monitored and searched. Samer was obviously used to it.

We found our way to Samer's house where his wife, Tagrid, had prepared a gourmet meal with the help of Samer's parents who contributed freshly baked bread, a spiced salad, and homemade yogurt to complement the large chicken, rice, potato and breaded vegetable platter before us. We feasted, laughed, and shared stories of our children. We were even able to wade into issues of the wall, Arafat, Bush, and Sharon. It was refreshing to be able to be able to discuss our differences with respect and a commitment to understanding.

The whole evening turned into a time we'll never forget. In fact, it was nearly sacramental: gathering at the table of this Muslim family from Bethlehem, talking about their situation, witnessing their deep love for their children, and listening to them speak about long lasting good relationships with their Christian neighbors. As we prepared to leave, one of the cousins who had joined us said, "We are all children of God and need to understand each other. For many years we have had good relations with our Christian neighbors. We live next to each other and work with each other every day. We are all children of God."

That's kind of a typical day for us here in Israel/Palestine: whether it is talking to the moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), the Middle East representative for the World Council of Churches (also at the lecture), an Italian educated and French trained pharmacist, our faithful grocer, or eating dinner with our Muslim taxi driver and his family, we never have any idea what will happen next, just that it will help us live with eyes wide open.

For those of you who have read these entries and commented on them, we thank you. It's been our privilege to share our thoughts and experiences. We know members of the larger Greensboro community have occasionally dropped in on this site, and we invite you to come to Westminster any time you would like. I promise you'll be warmly welcomed. I'll be sharing more of my thoughts in worship on the weekend of August 14.

We leave early tomorrow (4:00 a.m.) for a few weeks of vacation before our return to Westminster. The Lilly Endowment (who funded this endeavor) requires several weeks of reflection and rest to conclude the sabbatical, and we will gladly oblige. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel.

God's peace to you all.

Bob, Suzanne, Abbie, Will and Hannah

Living Stones

There is no shortage of stones around this sacred land. We've seen stones that were part of the rubble left by the Romans' destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, stones that formed part of an ancient Canaanite worship site at Megiddo, a stone marking the (supposed) precise spot of Jesus' birth, and the stone out of which a garden tomb was carved.

But by far the most valuable "excavation" we've experienced during our stay at Tantur has been the chance to learn from the "living stones" of the land -- those people for whom this broken place is home, who live with its harsh and beautiful realities washing over them on a daily basis. Let me introduce you to some of those living stones.

Vivi is Tantur's House Matron, which basically means that she runs the place. It's a huge job, given the groups traipsing in and out for lodging, meals, library use, and seminars. But Vivi always has time for us, time to fill a water bottle with olive oil (the best) because she'd seen our children dipping bread in it at Sunday dinner, time to offer the kids an extra sweet, time to share a meal with us and tell us her story. And what a story it is. This lovely Danish woman first came to Jerusalem as an 18-year-old nanny on a tour of the Holy Land. She stayed because she fell in love with her tour bus driver, a Palestinian Christian who lived in East Jerusalem. (Imagine her parents' response when she initially returned to Denmark and said she wanted to scrap her nursing school plans to marry an Arab!) Together, they raised four children (all of whom live Stateside now); since his death a few years ago, Vivi seems to have adopted the guests at Tantur as her family.

Sami works the front desk, which mostly means he monitors the 20-odd security cameras (told you it was safe!) scattered around this vast hilltop property. He's called us by name since the day we arrived, he's helped us book taxis and arrange outings -- always with a gracious hospitality that makes us feel as if Tantur is spinning just for us. Sami's family is the recipient of one of the soccer balls the church sent with us; I wish you could have seen his eyes light up with gratitude as he spoke of how much his young son will enjoy playing with it.

Jeff and Maria are newlyweds -- both scholars-in-residence here working on graduate degrees from Dayton University -- who have shown special kindness to our children. Every night in the Bethlehem Room (so named for its panoramic view of the little town), where we gather for coffee after dinner, Jeff and Maria engage our kids in conversation and games. Married in the chapel at Notre Dame just a month ago, Jeff is a convert from Judaism to Catholicism (by way of Campus Crusade), while Maria comes from a Catholic family in the heartlands of Iowa. It's been a joy to share this time with them.

Samer is the taxi driver inside the Bethlehem wall who takes the kids to and from camp each day. It's a choice "contract" for him, since tourism and commerce are so depressed in his town, and it's been a choice "contact" for Bob (who escorts the children while I work). Samer has patiently answered Bob's jillion questions about the siege of Bethlehem, the life afterwards, the contours of the terrorist groups we ignorantly lump together (Islamic Jihad and Hamas couldn't be more different to Samer). He has three children, including a one-week-old, and looks forward to a quiver full of five to eight kids. (As a sidenote, Elias Chacour pointed out that, with the Muslim birthrates hovering between five and six children per family, there's no getting rid of the Palestinians!)

Imad was our bus driver on the Galilee portion of our tour. He was born in the Old City but now lives with his family on the Mount of Olives. Imad's highly educated; he's fluent in English and Hebrew as well as Arabic, and he's trained in Interior Design. While he'd love to start his own design business, to do so here would require his service in the Israeli military -- an unthinkable option for this Arab Israeli. So he's driving tour busses, saving his money, and planning to move his family to Amman, Jordan to set up shop. We all fell in love with his 3-year-old son Wa'ad, who joined us for our day trip to Hebron.

Caitlin is another American here with us at Tantur. She's working on a history Ph.D. from Emory on the topic of Jewish-Christian relations in the 20th century, with a special interest in the Holocaust and its impact on those relations. She's a good Presbyterian who describes her bias as ardently supportive of Israel's statehood and who's done some fascinating research in the Zionist archives and the Library of Congress. Yet she too has been somewhat blown away by the Wall and its impact ("I thought it was like a backyard fence!") -- especially the long-term negative impact she feels it will bring for Israel, due to festering unrest and economic despair.

Hopefully, you're catching a glimpse of the richness of our visit and the relationships forged here.

With deep thanks for your partnership in this journey,

Suzanne

Vulnerability

On Wednesday, Israel experienced the second suicide bombing within its borders this year. An 18-year-old young man associated with Islamic Jihad left his small village of Tulkarem and exploded himself in a shopping mall in Netanya, killing three women and injuring many children. It was a senseless act of violence perpetrated on innocent victims. Fortunately for us, it occurred over 100 miles away.

I learned of this by walking into Bethlehem (going our traditional back way that is quicker and avoids the checkpoint) Thursday morning to take our kids to camp. Instead of the typical array of taxis, souvenir hawkers, and traffic, we were greeted only by a line of Palestinians sitting on a sidewalk waiting to be able to get to their jobs, families, and other activities. Israel had closed the West Bank. Military guards stood well past the traditional checkpoints and into Bethlehem armed and ready to enforce the closure. There was no leaving. Immediately I found myself wishing someone had told me this BEFORE I entered the West Bank, and I began to silently pray for a way out. Acting calmly, I escorted the kids to camp (after all, where else could we go!) and fortunately was able to use my American Passport as viable exit currency when I returned.

Later Thursday morning, the Israeli military understandably struck back in more active form. It began with a sweep of Tulkarem, the arrest of several citizens, and numerous Palestinian police. Friday saw more action: air strikes into Gaza and near Tulkarem which killed at least four more Palestinians, all of whom the Israelis identified as suspected collaborators with Hamas (which claims no involvement in the suicide bombing) and Islamic Jihad. Friday brought more military sweeps, this time in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Gaza and various northern towns resulting in the arrest over 30 additional suspected collaborators. Times are tense in this land. Friday also happened to be the day we decided to take a day trip to En Gedi, the Biblical home ground of Saul (Israel's first king), Jonathan, and David (Israel's greatest military leader). You can read about their exploits in I Samuel.

To give our kids a sense of the land we were visiting and its relationship to the biblical story, we spent our time in the car recalling stories we knew from First Samuel. Obviously one of our favorites is Abigail and her powers of persuasion over David. Another personal favorite is the rather long account of the deep friendship between David and Jonathan. Other episodes in the narrative are equally good, and it was fun to recall the events of this particular region.

One final story struck us at such a deep level we could only be quiet and ponder. It comes from I Samuel 24. Saul was King of Israel, but David's success in battle was raising his reputation such that Saul felt threatened. Saul confronted David, an argument developed, and Saul nearly speared David right at the dining room table. David fled for his life and Saul gathered three companies of his best soldiers to chase David through the rock strewn and cavernous hills of En Gedi.

David and his few men were hiding from Saul in a cave when the Bible tells us (in embarrassing detail) that Saul excused himself from his troops to "relieve himself" (yes, the Bible says that) and just happened to enter the same cave in which David and his men were hiding. David's men say to him, "What luck! God has delivered Saul into your hands. Take him while he is vulnerable."

David considers his good fortune and extraordinary strategic advantage, but instead of killing Saul, he quietly cuts off a piece of Saul's robe and hides silently in the cave until Saul is finished his business. Once Saul leaves and heads slightly down the mountain, David goes to the mouth of the cave, calls to Saul and his troops, holds up the piece of Saul's robe, and says, "Saul, King of Israel. I could have killed you. God delivered you into my hand, and here is the evidence! But I spared your life because you are precious to God and to me. We are not enemies. Let us be at peace with one another.

It's a remarkable story of savvy leadership from one of Israel's greatest generals. David found a creative third way to end the cycle of enmity and violence. He saw past the immediate threat, recognized the innate value of his foe, and took the first risky step toward resolving conflict through creative leadership and personal patience.

Quite often the Christian faith has looked to the Old Testament as a faith basis for war and violence, and it is easily found. Yet David - our faith's greatest military leader - expressed a preference not for personal vengeance but for peace. For all of the Hendersons, it was poignant to recall this story in the place it occurred under circumstances that could desperately use such leadership.

Thank you for the opportunity to have this story to come alive in a way we'll always remember and for the chance to share it with you.

We continue to pray for you every day.

Warmly,

Bob

Good News from Haiti

Good news from Haiti. Hurricane Dennis did little damage to Haiti Fund Inc's Comprehensive Development Project (CODEP).

Rodney Babe, the Presbyterian missionary who manages the project with his wife, Sharyn, said he had received an update on conditions from someone living in the mountains. The Babes were among five of us with the project evacuated from Haiti in mid-June because of increasing violence there.

Rodney said he had learned that no one in the CODEP area was hurt by the torrents of rain from Hurricane Dennis. He said he also learned that the waterside compound that serves as headquarters for the project came through in fine shape. The compound is the Babes home. The only damage, Rodney said, was some flooded gardens and broken trees. These days we're watching as Tropical Storm Emily churns westward on a course that could also affect Haiti.

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

We're Fine

Just in case you've heard of the Netanya bombing yesterday (that's north of Tel Aviv), we wanted to let you know that we're fine and far from the scene. We're mostly unaffected, except for the increased security and closing of the West Bank. Thanks for your continued prayers.

Suzanne