Prince of Peace

I have been in Israel/Palestine for 3 weeks today and I have experienced many things. After 3 weeks of observing and experiencing fear, violence, desperation, anger, hatred, evil, as well as hope and joy, there is much I could recount.

Maybe some introduction first. I am currently in Hebron working with Christian Peacemaker Teams. Hebron is about 20 miles south of Jerusalem and houses around 200,000 Palestinians, as well as 200-400 Israeli settlers in the midst of the Old City. Settlers are individuals who have established Jewish communities built on land that was taken by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered to be occupied territory by the international community. In many ways, Hebron is the “heart of the beast,” with regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hebron contains the Ibrahimi Mosque or the Cave of the Patriarchs where, according to tradition, Adam, Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah are buried. This obviously produces a large amount of conflict, which plagues the city. Because of the small contingent of settlers, who tend to be ideologically radical and violent, a large Israeli military presence exists in the city. These ingredients produce a combustible reality where checkpoints, searches, unwarranted arrests and violence characterize the lives of Palestinians in Hebron, which is a microcosm for all of Palestine.

The objectives of CPT are biblically based peacemaking, nonviolent direct action and protection of human rights. (Please check out the link for latest news stories and more explanation of CPT: www.cpt.org) More specifically, since arriving in Palestine, I have been going on daily patrols through the old city, responding to distress calls from Palestinians due to violence or oppression from soldiers or settlers, supporting Palestinian led non-violent resistance, as well as many other activities. Our “weapons” are our presence as internationals, a camera, cooperation with local groups and conversation.

I could easily write about experiencing smoke bombs, tear gas and daily having a machine gun barrel pointed at me. Or I could make it less about me and repeat stories concerning Palestinians getting beaten mercilessly by soldiers. Or, maybe, the best way to demonstrate the reality of Hebron would be to write about settlers who have called me a Nazi merely because I was in Hebron, which meant, to them, that I am “supporting murderers.” However, before any of that matters it is important to determine if we, as human beings, as followers of Jesus have any responsibility to stand for peace and justice, especially concerning Israel. (I apologize for anyone I have left out by addressing this post to Jesus-followers.) This goes much deeper than realizing the US gives Israel 11 million dollars daily in foreign aid to prop up the Israeli State and the occupation or understanding the role of the Church in this conflict.

On Saturdays, the settler community takes Jews on a tour through the Old City, which CPT monitors due to the many instances of violence that have arisen when groups of 50 or so Zionist Jews have walked through the impoverished Palestinian neighborhood with a convoy of 15 soldiers. At one point, a Jewish man on the tour asked me what CPT does and as I explained to him the values of nonviolence in seeking peace he interrupted by saying, “There will only be peace when the Meshiach comes.” A couple of nights later, after attending a lecture by Mark Braverman at Bethlehem Bible College, where the lecturer communicated hope and a way forward, a leader of a Christian missions agency dismissed the presentation by declaring to the CPT team, “There will only be peace here when the Prince of peace returns.” Then, a couple of nights ago, to end a cordial and respectful conversation with an Israeli soldier, he asserted, “Peace will only come with the Meshiach.” In other words, the Messiah is solely responsible for establishing peace here; for making things right. We, as human beings, are abdicated from any role as peacemakers or justice-seekers. That is a sentiment I have heard expressed many times throughout my life, whether in reference to Israel, to the poor or to a variety of other unjust situations. In essence, it gives us an excuse, shrouded in religious rhetoric, to not stand for righteousness and to dismiss concern for others and the world at large.

In my estimation, it seems this belief possesses a kernel of truth. When the Kingdom of God comes in completion then everything will be made right. But, the Kingdom of God is here and now! Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is at hand (Mark 1:14, 15). Jesus, his life, ministry, death and resurrection ushered in a new age: the age of the Kingdom of God. Lately, I have been meditating on Jesus instructions concerning prayer, especially the direction to pray for “God’s will on earth as it is in heaven.” What does pursuing God’s will on earth look like? I believe the answer is standing for the oppressed (James 1:27), working for peace (Matthew 5:9), acting justly and loving mercy (Micah 6:8). This is not a matter of inner-spirituality where we separate faith from action, sacred from secular. In fact, this exact approach has allowed and even produced atrocities throughout history. Instead, by understanding the Kingdom of God as present, we reorder our values and narrative around the most important event in history, the resurrection of Jesus, the inbreaking of the new into old. We are living in the new age where, with the help of the Holy Spirit, God’s will on earth should be pursued with faith and hope that change can be effected, peace can be realized and justice can be achieved.