It is hard to believe that I will be leaving for the Middle East in a little over a week as part of a Christian Peacemakers Team delegation (July 20 - Aug. 4). I am both excited and anxious at the same time. In preparation I have been reading about the Israeli/Palestine conflict, most notably former President Jimmy Carter's book, "We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land," "Blood Brothers" by Elias Chacour (a great book from a Palestinian Christian priest and peaceworker who has lived through the experience of the conflict from the late 1940's to the present) and currently, "Tea with Hezbollah" by Ted Decker and Carl Medearis who recently traveled throughout the Middle East visiting with some of the United States' most feared enemies, having tea with them trying to answer the questions "what would it take to have peace in the Middle East?" and "what do you think of Jesus and his claim 'love your enemies?'" Interestingly, almost all the people they interviewed, see Jesus, at the least, as a great prophet whose teaching should be taken seriously. Which makes me ask the question, "if that is the case, why is there so little peace and signs of loving our enemies throughout the world, especially in the Middle East?
It is my hope and prayer that I will be able to remain neutral as we travel to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the West Bank and hear from both sides of the conflict, Israeli & Palestinian peaceworkers, the Israeli soldiers and settlers, as well as Palestinians living within the occupied territories.
Next week I will be away at seminary in western New York preparing both mentally and spiritually for the journey which lies ahead. I covet your prayers for myself, the delegation, and for Mary and the girls while I am away. I will try to update the blog prior to leaving and as much as possible during the experience.
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