beautiful & ugly (dual narrative): israel

This morning started off with a typical Global Immersion Project gathering in the garden of our hotel in East Jerusalem. We had just spent five consecutive nights here and little did we know, at the time, but after the Dual Narrative day (Isarel & Palestine) we were about to step into, we would need a change of scenery. TGIP co-founders, Jon Huckins and Jer Swigart explained how the day was going to unfold. They tried to reveal the complexity of it, and they forewarned us about the tension we would be exposed to. They said, "today we will see the best and worst of religion!" They continued, "you will not enter into the Christian narrative, but our presence, as Christians brings the third monotheistic faith that will and must collide with the best and the worst."

Fast forward, as we came from the Israeli settlement of Hebron to the Palestinian side, I met an IDF military member named Abed. We exchanged minced words through his broken English and various hand motions. We talked about the length of his shift at his post. "Ten hour days four days in a row" he said using his fingers to help communicate. We talked about how I was from America. Once he heard this... Curling his arms in the air, he communicated that our army in the US was strong. I agreed and we both chuckled a bit. At this point, as we exchanged laughs, I felt like I had been placed alongside a new friend in the midst of a long day. Then he asked "what you think of Israel?" I said that it was a beautiful country. This brought a big smile to his face followed by an agreeing nod. His next question hit me completely off guard as his tone changed a bit. "And Palestine?" he asked. Hearing him clearly, but unsure exactly how to respond I said, "huh... What was that?" He said a second time, "what you think Palestine?" as an inner battle in my mind and heart ensued, I said again, hmm, what Philistine." the next thing I knew the tip of his gun was touching my shin. He said one last time, "what you think of Palestine?" I swallowed what felt like a rock in my throat and said, I think it is beautiful too." He said, I don't agree and turned around.

Fifteen minutes later I found myself sitting alongside the rest of our team and a local peacemaker, Eliyahu McLean. He had led a group of us to the house of a Palestinian man named Ribhi. Ribhi opened his home for our combined groups. And just prior to the start of our time we all took part in a collective Muslim, Jewish and Christian prayer for our meal, for peace in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and our time together. Ribhi's, wife, daughters and sons served us. It was a true Palestinian meal right on the floor and they did everything they could to make us feel welcome in their home. It was beautiful!

It is hard for me to fully comprehend the tension that exists here in Israel. An American friend who lives here in Israel recently said to me, "you will find corruption on both sides of the wall." Well I've now walked both sides of the wall. There was corruption. There was tension. It was ugly. But it was also beautiful. On both sides.