In the summers of 2006 and 2007, I had the privilege to work with twenty-four 12-year olds. Half were Episcopalians from the Atlanta area, including 4 from the parish I was serving. The other twelve were from Jerusalem: 4 Israeli Jews, 4 Palestinian Christians and 4 Palestinian Muslims. It's a program called Kids 4 Peace and is a joint effort of the Episcopal Church in several US dioceses, including Atlanta, and the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem.
I mention "K4P" because it's where the seeds of this trip I'm about to take were planted for me. I have to be honest, a trip to the war-torn lands of Israel and Palestine was never too high on my bucket list. But then I met some people. Some children and their adult leaders who were doing the hard work of reconciliation. Doing work that most adults are unwilling or unable to do. For Christians, it's how we understand the work of Christ--reconciling all people to each other and to God and reconciling all of creation, including us, to itself and to God. So for two summers, I learned from them and made myself available to them in any way I was able. And I was changed by that experience.
I leave on this trip with a real intention to avoid preconceived notions of my fellow pilgrims, of what it will be like there, what it will be like to stand on the shores of the Sea of Galilee or in Bethlehem or at the Wailing Wall. It is our preconceived notions of how people and situations will be that get us in trouble and cause us to miss the face of Christ and the movement of the Spirit in our midst. Preconceived notions leave us at war within ourselves, within our communities and between nations.
Continuing to open our hearts to God, to each other, to the goodness of creation, that is our Hope. It is my hope for us in our journey together as a congregation and my hope for myself on this pilgrimage to the lands of our spiritual mothers and fathers, to the lands of our brother Jesus.
Salaam, shalom, peace,
Hunt+
Comments