The Holy Land's people of hope need our solidarity

by the Right Reverend Thomas Clark Ely, Bishop of Vermont
Mountain Echo
July/August 2004

As we approached the checkpoint for our entrance into Bethlehem on the first full day of my recent pilgrimage to Israel/Palestine, I could feel the tightness growing in my stomach. I knew everything would be fine, and yet the thought of a young Israeli soldier with an automatic weapon boarding our bus to check our passports made me nervous and sad and angry all at the same time. Unlike those who live in Bethlehem, our passage through the checkpoint was relatively easy, but it gave me an initiation to an experience that I would hear described over and over again by the Palestinian people as intimidating, degrading, dehumanizing, frustrating and demoralizing. And, try as I might to understand the need for security and the right to self defense on the part of the Israeli government, I could not bring myself to accept that this was the best or only way to deal with the conflict, the fear, the anger, the suspicion, and the separation between people, all of whom have a connection and “claim” on the land.

This first trip to the Holy Land was a moving, troubling, educational and deeply spiritual experience for me. I was ever mindful of—and very grateful for—all the prayers that were being offered for our well-being. Vermonter Henry Carse, who teaches at Saint George’s College, explained one of the interpretations of the Jerusalem Cross: the large cross represents the person on pilgrimage to the Holy sites, and the four small crosses represent the pilgrim’s community as they support and pray for the pilgrim and the pilgrimage. That sense of community prayer and support was very strong for me, and I thank you for it.

Six more days of pilgrimage followed that first day in Bethlehem, and each was filled with rich and varied experiences that I am still sorting out. Our day in Bethlehem included visits to the Azza Refugee Camp, the Church of the Holy Nativity, the Lutheran “Christmas” Church, and the Holy Land Trust, where we met with Christian and Muslim teenagers who are part of a program called “ Remember the Innocents.” The program assists young people to hope and work for peace through the practice of non-violence. I was particularly moved by the stories of these young people, who have really never known peace and yet who have hopes and ambitions for their lives that can only be fully realized when there is peace.
Some of the highlights from our other days included:
• A visit to Jacob’s Well in Nablus, where we had the opportunity to greet the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church and later met with the Governor of Nablus. The governor spoke about the effects of the Israeli “occupation” on the lives of Palestinians.
• A quick overnight in Nazareth, where we met with several Anglican clergy and heard about their ministries and the challenges they face. It was during this part of the journey, especially along the Jordan Valley Road, that I found myself thinking about the journeys of Jesus and the disciples.
• A visit to the Metzer Kibbutz, an intentional secular Jewish community “co-existing” with their Arab Muslim neighbors. The witness of these communities and their efforts at peaceful coexistence and cooperation is stunning, especially following an incident in which an Israeli mother and her two children were murdered in an attack by a Palestinian “terrorist.”
• A conversation with women who are part of the Jerusalem Link, an Israeli/Palestinian women’s peace cooperative. The next day they participated in a peace demonstration at the construction site for a portion of the “security wall.”
• A moving conversation in the West Bank village of Beit Umar with Israeli and Palestinian members of a Bereaved Parents Circle, all of whom had lost children as a result of the violence and were now united in their efforts to work for peace.
• A pilgrimage to the Old City of Jerusalem, including prayers at the Western Wall and in the Church of the Resurrection.
• A visit to two Anglican-run schools in Ramallah, where we met some wonderful young people, some of whom will be in Maine this summer as part of the Seeds for Peace camp.
• A bus tour of the “Jerusalem Envelope” (the portion of the security barrier encircling Jerusalem), led by an Israeli Jew who talked openly about his support of the barrier for security reasons, but also of his opposition to the confiscation of additional Palestinian territory beyond the 1967 border known as the “Green Line.”
• A visit and conversation with people involved with Sabeel, a religious grass roots peace organization, heading by the Reverend Naim Ateek, an Anglican priest.

There were many more encounters, many more experiences and powerful stories to recount from each day of our trip. The violence, the shrinking prospects for peace, the plight of people caught up in conflict, and the constant worry about the future of this land and its people is a troubling thing for me. The Christian population, presence and voice are diminishing in the Holy Land. The ministry of the Anglican Church in schools and hospitals is a vital mission that is under serious threat as a result of work visa restrictions. I know I need to learn and understand more. I need to find ways to share what I experienced and listen to voices from both sides. I plan to go back.

Everywhere we went, we encountered people of hope who asked for our prayers, our presence and our solidarity in the struggle for peace. I have taken their plea seriously, and I invite you to do the same. Learn all you can. Listen to all sides. Challenge assumptions. Urge the active reengagement of the United States in the Road Map for Peace. Visit if you can. Pray and work and give for peace.

Shalom,
+Thomas