News out of Palestine

Today was a sad day in news from Palestine.

Rachel Corrie's death was ruled accidental. A 67-year old shepherd was attacked by settlers. Water cisterns, sheep stables and residential dwellings in Zenuta were destroyed by bulldozers.

The attack and destruction are not rarities, by any means, but some days, peace seems very far away.

A Sunday in Bethlehem

mosaic in Church of the Nativity

We started this Sunday morning at the Church of the Nativity, in Bethlehem. This is the supposed site of Jesus' birth. We went on a tour through the church - still quite ornate for my Protestant upbringing, but not quite as overwhelming as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. We saw some beautiful mosaics from the fourth century, the Grotto of the Nativity (where ♪ they laid him in a manger ♪), and bullet marks left over from the 2002 seige, when Israeli Defence Forces occupied Bethlehem and tried to get at Palestinians - militant and not - staying inside the church.

bullet marks on Church of the Nativity

We worshipped that morning at St. Catherine's Franciscan Church. It was all in Arabic, so was a bit hard to follow... but they did sing one song that I recognized - Here I Am, Lord - so I sang along in English. The church was packed that morning, and I found myself reflecting on what it must be like to minister to people who live in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. 60 Minutes profiled Christians in the Holy Land in April earlier this year, and featured St. Catherine's Church. Their report is well worth the 14 minutes and 4 seconds of your time. (St. Catherine's starts at about the 1:40 mark.)

We had a picnic lunch outside the church, and then had some time to wander. We found a beautiful olive wood carving shop and I bought a nativity set (appropriate, no?). They were also selling sets that came with the wall... Were the magi to try to get to Jesus in Bethlehem today, the wall would block their way. The owner of the shop took us back to show us the workshop where the eight carvers he employs work. At a second carving shop, the owner let us go on to the roof of the building and we had a beautiful view of the surrounding area. We then walked through the lovely Milk Grotto Church, though no one in our little group chose to put the fertility legend to the test (just so you know).

nativity scene with the wall

woodcarvers

the view from a Bethlehem roof

roadblock on the way to Tent of Nations

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Tent of Nations, just outside of Bethlehem. Our bus couldn't take us all the way there because of a road block that had been set up to restrict movement. Once we arrived, Cathy Nichols, from the United Church of Christ in the U.S., spoke to us about advocacy and how to talk about what we had seen in the area once we returned home. She had some good illustrations for conceptualizing the conflict: for example, thinking about those who want peace and those who don't (as opposed to other categories we usually apply to those living in the area).

We then heard from Daoud Nassar, the owner of Tent of Nations. Daoud told us the history of his family and their land, and about being part of the Christian minority in the region. He described the countless court cases he has been through in trying to maintain ownership of his land and prevent demolitions. He has not been able to get building permits, so cannot build anything, or have running water (while nearby settlers have swimming pools...) or electricity. He told us of violence by the settlers from the five surrounding settlements, and of the effect the road block (that we crossed earlier) has had in cutting off his farm from Bethlehem. I would encourage you to read his family's story - it is a good representation of many of the issues facing Palestinians, particularly around building permits and encroaching settlements.

Daoud refuses to leave, refuses to hate, and refuses to be a victim. As the sign says when you enter the Tent of Nations, "We refuse to be enemies." He faces his situation with positive, creative action. He drew on his Christian faith for this strength - "Jesus didn't say blessed are the peacetalkers," he told us. Action must occur. Tent of Nations have various programs that work on peacebuilding - summer camps for children of all three major faiths in the area, programs for women, tree-planting projects, and events for almond/grape/olive harvests to bring people together. The Tent of Nations also hosts international volunteers on its farmland - this shows solidarity, but also educates. He encouraged those Christians who make pilgrimages to the Holy Land not only to "come and see," as the Kairos Palestine document encouraged, but then to "go and tell."

I was amazed, that afternoon, of the willingness of Cathy and Daoud to confront injustice. I am very hesitant with confrontation, and it was so powerful to see these people standing up to the oppressor. "They are very brave," I wrote in my journal that evening.

On the way back to our bus, we saw a car drive someone to the roadblock, drop the person off, and then another car picked the person up on the other side of the roadblock. This is daily life for Palestinians - so many barriers - and yet they continue to live there. Going about one's daily lives - insisting on living, working, going to school, visiting with each other - is in itself an act of creative resistance to the occupation.

Photo: Tent of Nations

July 7 continued... Child prisoners in Palestine

(Another long post... and no pictures! Sorry, friends.)

During our afternoon in Aroub Refugee Camp, we met Gerard Horton, who works with Defence for Children International in Palestine. Military law has been in effect in Palestine since 1967, and, according to DCI, an average of 9,000 Palestinians are prosecuted in two Israeli military courts every year, including 700 children (page 6). Most children (we're talking 12-18 year olds) and adults are usually arrested at friction points - where settlements and/or Israeli roads are located close to Palestinian villages. There have been many arrests in the Aroub camp - it is surrounded by settlements and is quite close to a road used by settlers and the army. The army uses the military courts to keep control over the population and to protect the 500,000 settlers in the West Bank.

Gerard described for us how a child might come to be arrested. Let's say some children throw stones at a soldier. The army doesn't know who threw the stones, but they need to deter future stone throwing and to demonstrate that they are in control. They might look at the criminal records of those who live near where the incident took place, or use collaborators (children - often poor and feeling like they have no other choice - who the army pays to provide information on other children or people in the camp/village).

Once they have picked a child to arrest, the army will show up at the child's house with 30 vehicles in the middle of the night. (Seems excessive, no?) There will be yelling, maybe sound blasting, and the family will be forced out of the house. The person to be arrested is handcuffed with plastic ties (which can stay on for as long as 24 hours). Neither the child nor the parents is usually told why the child is being arrested, or where they're being taken. (Let's just reflect, for a moment, on how crazy this seems. Can you imagine this happening to you or someone in your family?!?) The child might also be injured while they are travelling, handcuffed, in a military vehicle.

The child can then be left outside for five or six hours - until the police officers show up for work in the morning. He/she (though they are mostly he) will be interrogated for about two hours, possibly threatened and hurt with physical violence. Most interrogations end in confessions, and the child then signs a confession which is written in Hebrew (which the child doesn't understand). The child would then be detained in the West Bank for a few days, and then transferred to a prison inside Israel. This violates the Geneva Conventions, and is one of the reasons behind the recent hunger strike being carried out by Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

The child must be brought before a judge within 8 days, and would meet a lawyer for the first time upon appearing in the military court.

And just in case you're wondering, the lawyers who represent these children don't challenge the inadmissible confessions (made without a parent present, through interrogation and violence, signed in a language the accused doesn't speak) because the child would end up being in jail for longer while waiting for a trial and might get a heavier sentence at the end of it. Pleading guilty is easier, quicker, and comes with a shorter sentence.

Now, I am not saying that throwing rocks is appropriate. Of course not. But there are certain things that the international community has agreed on when it comes to arresting and detaining people, and they are not being respected here.

We heard from several people who have been detained, including several teenagers. Two of the teenagers were arrested for a short video they made about collaborators in the refugee camp. We heard stories similar to the situation that Gerard had described - arrests in the middle of the night, harsh interrogations, jail for periods of 6-8 months. They also described the conditions of the prisons for Palestinians - quite unbelievable.

DCI-Palestine issued a report earlier this year about children held in military detention. If you are interested in these issues, it is definitely worth a read.

Gerard's presentation felt a bit like the one we got from the United Nations - there are clear problems with the justice system that violate international law and the fundamental human rights of children and adults... and yet we do nothing. (Okay, that's not quite true... DCI is working very hard in the region, and a report just came out in the UK about Palestinian children in Israeli military custody. So there is some work being done... but the international community could be doing more.)

It was very difficult to leave the refugee camp later that afternoon. We had just heard story after story of human rights being abused, of fear-filled, sleepless nights spent wondering where a son had been taken and if he was okay, of being questioned by soldiers just because you wanted to get to work or school. The people who had hosted us that day walked us to our bus. We stepped into the air conditioned vehicle, and I remember,  as we pulled away to return to our hotel in Bethlehem, watching out the window as these young men walked back into the camp... Not home, a place where they have been forced to live and where they face oppression all the time. I thought about them as I lay in bed that night as well - were the soldiers there as I tried to get to sleep, taking away someone we had met that day? And what about right now, as I'm sitting at my dining room table a world away? I think often of the people I met that day.

Before we left the camp, we sang a song together that was sung during apartheid in South Africa:

Courage, brothers, you do not walk alone.

We will walk with you, and sing your spirit home.

Courage, sisters, you do not walk alone.

We will walk with you, and sing your spirit home.

Looking back and moving forward

Another break from my travels, but important news for Palestinians - the United Church of Canada, last weekend, voted to boycott goods from Israeli settlements. As Thomas Woodley says, "Most, like me, admire the courage of UCC members to live out their faith-driven principles."

I thought that the United Church's report on Palestine and Israel was balanced, well-informed, and respectful of the dignity of all peoples of the Middle East. It is a great backgrounder on the conflict, I think, on current issues facing Palestinians, and on what we - as Canadians - can do to support all those in the region who are working for peace.

And while this is a small step on the road to peace, it is a significant one. Today especially, I think of the words of a Canadian who spent his life working for love and justice: "Don't let them tell you it can't be done." Let us continue to work toward Jack's vision of a better Canada and a better world.

Day 6 (July 7) - Aroub Refugee Camp

After our tour of the occupation the day before, on July 7 we set out to see what life is like for Palestinian refugees. We visited Aroub Refugee Camp, just south of Bethlehem.

On the drive to Aroub, we saw the wall and settlements that surround Bethlehem – the city cannot expand (as a city naturally would) and Palestinian access (to Bethlehem and to their agricultural land in the surrounding area) is restricted by these barriers. In addition, the road we travelled from Bethlehem to Aroub is controlled by Israelis, and it is closed to Palestinians between 10 and 20 times every week, sometimes for an hour, sometimes for a day. It is very unpredictable, and you can imagine how difficult this makes it for people to get to work or school consistently in Bethlehem. I admit I complain a lot about the state of public transit in Canada, but my commute faces nothing like this.

When I picture a refugee camp in my mind, I see tents, dust, heat. I think of the cause of the refugees – drought, conflict, illness – and the temporary nature of the camp (although even camps like Dadaab are challenging this characteristic). This is all based on media, of course – I hadn’t, before this day, visited a refugee camp. Aroub challenged many of my images.

 Aroub Camp was established in 1949, right after the Nakba. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) says that there are 10,400 people on the less than half a square kilometre of land, although numbers we heard that day went as high as 12,000. The UNRWA runs three schools in the camp (one for boys, two for girls) and provides health services. Lots of UN blue throughout the camp, actually. And Palestinian flags. There are two tall Israeli guard towers nearby, and Israeli forces sometimes close the main entrance to the camp. There are buildings, not tents – the camp looks like its own little city – but on closer inspection, there is still a temporary nature to the place. In the most incredible example of hope and faith I have heard in a long time, many of the refugees who fled in 1948 still have the keys to their homes. They will return, one day.

We spent the morning cleaning up a school yard. And… no, I have no interesting insights about picking up garbage. It was nice to feel a bit helpful, though, and we had a good opportunity to speak with our local guide for the morning. His grandparents were Bedouin and came to Aroub when it opened to escape the violence.  He is 20 years old, so has lived in the refugee camp his entire life. He told us of the challenges of being a student in a refugee camp, of the daily visits of soldiers to the camp and of the frequent arrests of children (more on this later).

Photo: Sabeel

We had lunch at our guide’s house – mjadarah (so good for vegetarians!), with yogurt and salad on the side. We stayed in the refugee camp for the afternoon to hear about child detainees… more about that in the next post :).

photo: Sabeel

Day 5 (July 6) continued... A glimpse into the conflict

Lemonade with mint at Jerusalem Hotel

After a full morning with the UN, we had lunch at the Jerusalem Hotel – maklube, amazing lemonade with mint, and baklava for dessert. So delicious!

That afternoon, we had our first real introduction to reflecting on the conflict through a Christian lens with Sabeel's “Contemporary Way of the Cross.” You’ll recall, from a few posts ago, that we had walked the Way of the Cross in Jerusalem's Old City – the journey surrounding the events of Good Friday – the day before. Based on that, and as part of their mission to “bring alive the message of Christ in the historic context and daily suffering experienced by our Palestinian community,” Sabeel created this liturgical journey along the Palestinian Via Dolorosa:

“This ‘Contemporary Way of the Cross’ has been developed as an act of worship rooted in the land where Jesus was born, lived and died, linking the original events of Good Friday with the continuing suffering of the occupied people who live in that land today. It seeks to help others to understand something of the events which have shaped this troubled place over the last century and draw attention to the very real and constant suffering of the Palestinian people. It strives to provide an honest account of the situation, and simply asks those who take part in this act of worship to listen, to pray for us and to pray with us as we look towards a just, comprehensive and enduring peace.”

The stations of the Contemporary Way of the Cross reflect those of the traditional Via Dolorosa:

	Traditional Stations	Sabeel's Contemporary Stations
The First Station	Jesus is condemned to die	The Nakba of 1948
The Second Station	Jesus carries his cross	Refugees
The Third Station	Jesus falls the first time	1967 Occupation
The Fourth Station	Jesus meets his mother	Settlements
The Fifth Station	Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his cross	Stress and humiliation
The Sixth Station	Veronica wipes Jesus’ face	Solidarity
The Seventh Station	Jesus falls the second time	Home Demolitions
The Eighth Station	Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem	Women against the Occupation
The Ninth Station	Jesus falls the third time	Checkpoints
The Tenth Station	Jesus is stripped	Bureaucratic Oppression
The Eleventh Station	Jesus is nailed to the cross	Gaza
The Twelfth Station	Jesus dies on the cross	The Wall
The Thirteenth Station	Jesus is taken down from the cross	The Loss of Jerusalem
The Fourteenth Station	Jesus is laid in the tomb and after the third day is raised from the dead	What will the fourteenth station be?

Lifta

We did not do all of the stations, as we didn't have time. Nora Carmi, a former Sabeel staff person (who visited Canada earlier this year and spoke to the PCC's General Assembly) led us in our journey around Jerusalem. We visited a depopulated village to reflect on the Nakba, we saw a refugee camp, settlements and the wall, we reflected on how those who call Jerusalem home are living in Good Friday times, we visited a hospital run by the Lutheran World Federation that stands in solidarity with Palestinians by providing them with health services, and we met a woman who lives in Silwan, a mostly Arab neighbourhood in Jerusalem with increasing numbers of Israeli settlers, developments and archaelogical digs. At each station, we used the resource prepared by Sabeel to share a scripture reading, a reflection or testimony about that particular challenge facing the Palestinians, a prayer, and sometimes a song.

Shafat refugee camp

the wall

Silwan (the black tarp at the bottom is an archeological dig)

Shafat refugee camp

It was a very moving afternoon - the silent ruins of Lifta, the chaos of a refugee camp, the suburb-like uniformity of the settlements, the starkness of the wall. Seeing the challenges in providing health care to the Palestinian population. Hearing about the fear-filled sleepless nights of those who live in homes wanted by Israel, and about the reasons that Israel provides for taking those homes - nature reserves and archaeology. As one person said, "It's Jerusalem! If you start to dig, you will find something." But do we really prioritize historic stones over living people?

With much on our minds and hearts, we left Jerusalem for Bethlehem. This meant crossing a checkpoint at the wall. On being so close to the wall, I wrote in my journal, "It is pretty gross. V big and intimidating." Getting through the checkpoint in our bus took about 30 seconds. Upon entering the West Bank, I got my first glimpse of the graffiti on the Palestinian side of the wall and of many proud Palestinian flags.

Dinner at our hotel in Bethlehem, a quick email home (thank goodness for wifi) and then to bed. There had already been so much to absorb - and I knew that the trip was really just beginning.

God of mercy and compassion, of grace and reconciliation,
Pour out your power upon all your children in the Middle East.
Let hatred be turned to love, fear to trust, despair to hope,
oppression to freedom, occupation to liberation,
that violent encounters may be replaced by loving embraces,
and peace and justice could be experienced by all. Amen.
- Rev. Said Ailabouni

Day 5 (July 6): A briefing with the UN

The second full day of the conference started with a short briefing given by one of our Sabeel leaders, Omar. He provided a brief history of the conflict, basically giving us definitions of terms we would hear from others over the next few days: the Nakba, Green Line, Six Day War, Intifada (both First and Second), and Oslo Agreement. (Look at all of those helpful Wikipedia links! It's just like you went to the briefing too!)

After that we headed to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. This was a pretty intense technical briefing - lots of information - but very interesting. The Occupied Palestinian Territories isn't what we normally think of as a humanitarian emergency - an earthquake, flood or drought. The person giving the briefing made it clear that there wouldn't be the humanitarian emergencies that both the West Bank and Gaza are facing were the political conflict to be resolved. (Politics play into the natural disasters too - of course - but they are particularly pronounced in these emergencies.) The briefing focused on these humanitarian issues and how they could be addressed.

Gaza: Restricted movement for people and goods

It was particularly interesting to hear about issues facing Gaza, since access to that region is so restricted. Very briefly, it is very difficult for people to leave Gaza, even during times of conflict. Exports into and imports from the area are also restricted. For example, importing construction materials into Gaza is not permitted. Israel argues that Hamas (the political party in charge in Gaza right now) could use those materials to build military structures. At the same time, though, this makes it almost impossible for the UN to re-build structures (including homes) that have been destroyed during conflict. Finally, there are restrictions on the use of land within Gaza and on the use of fishing areas in the Mediterranean sea.

These circumstances are contributing to a collapsed economy and loss of jobs, a need for housing and shelter (there are high rates of overcrowding and domestic violence), difficulties in accessing health and education services, and high levels of physical insecurity.

The three (very reasonable, to me, at least) requests coming from the international humanitarian community regarding Gaza are: that the land, air and sea blockades are lifted; that safe access to restricted areas on land and sea is granted; and, that civilians are protected from hostilities.

West Bank: Restricted movement because of Israeli development

The issues in the West Bank are similar, with some slightly different complications. As with Gaza, there are restrictions on the movement of Palestinians. Israeli control of some areas makes it difficult for Palestinian cities to expand. (There is a complicated system of control in the West Bank between Israeli and Palestinian authorites. Check out Wikipedia article on the Oslo Agreement for more information.) There are also road barriers and check points.

Two of the most obvious sources of tension (and humanitarian concerns) in the West Bank are settlements and the wall. The UN says that settlements, under international law, are illegal. They fragment the West Bank and make movement difficult. There are often road networks to connect the settlements that Palestinians are not allowed to use. In addition, there is violence between settlers and Palestinians, and settlers do not usually face punishment for this. The wall is an obvious restriction on movement. Most of it is in the West Bank, so again - it fragments the area and separates communities from each other and, often, their agricultural land. I will talk about checkpoints more in another post, but for now, some people are separated from their work, places of worship, families. Permits are required for West Bank residents to pass through a checkpoint at the wall.

The humanitarian community is making similar requests to alleviate the stresses of forced displacement, difficult access to services (including water) and food and physical insecurity in the West Bank: protect civilians and end impunity for violence; end the forced displacements; and allow safe movement to access services and assistance.

Anyway, this is really just a brief look at the humanitarian situation in the region. OCHA's website has tons of resources about these issues, including maps that highlight many of the problems - where the settlements, road blocks and other movement restrictions are located. You should check them out.

So what?

My impression at the end of the briefing was how clear and obvious some of these humanitarian issues are... and yet how hesitant the international community is to highlight these problems. Many of the UN's requests look directly at human rights - access to health care, clean water, education. Do we choose not to see these human rights abuses? Why do we just stand by instead of making a statement about the importance of human rights for everyone?

One other thought, particularly when thinking about solutions to the conflict... How possible is a two-state solution when settlements (many of which have been there for decades) and road networks permeate the West Bank?

Starting that afternoon, we would begin to see how these realities affect the lives of Palestinians trying to go about their daily routines.

Borders in the Holy Land

A bit of a break from the conference today, as other interesting things continue to happen in the world! I will do my best to put another post up about my trip over the next few days.

In the meantime, a very interesting article from the New York Times on borders in the Holy Land. It is good for us to think about history - how this land came to be the way that it is today, where the borders have come from, and what they actually mean - what do they join, what do they separate.

Israeli Jews and Palestinians have much in common. Maybe — just maybe — one day the realization will dawn that the complicated, contested and highly lethal border between Palestinians and Israelis is separating brothers from brothers, and sisters from sisters.

Day 4 (July 5) - First full day of the conference

First full day of conference = long blog post. Prepare yourself accordingly. Go get some snacks or something.

We started the day with a tour of Jerusalem’s Old City. As I mentioned, Janelle and I had done a bit of looking around the previous day, but now we had someone telling us what we were looking at! We started in the Christian Quarter of the Old City and learned a bit about Orthodox traditions. We also visited the Armenian Quarter.

Western Wall

 The Jewish Quarter was next – home to the Western Wall. We had the chance to go right up to it. Many people were there praying, and writing their prayers on paper to put into the wall’s nooks and crannies. Men and women are split, while visiting the Western Wall, by a divider that is perpendicular to the wall. The day we were there (and I suspect many other days as well), we could see women standing on chairs so that they could see over the divider to observe bar mitzvahs taking place. 

Women at the Western Wall

Watching a bar mitzvah

We then visited Al Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock – perhaps one of Jerusalem’s most recognizable landmarks.  A beautiful golden dome surrounded by intricate coloured tiles. Gorgeous. We were not able to go inside, but the view outside was spectacular enough to satisfy me! We exited the grounds of the mosque and had the chance to see the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.

Dome of the Rock

Janelle and me at the Dome of the Rock

It was then back to the Christian Quarter for the Via Dolorosa, or stations of the cross. This was fairly new for me, as it is not a big thing in Presbyterian churches. We walked through the Christian Quarter, following in the symbolic steps of Jesus as he journeyed toward the cross.  So, just for a few examples, there were stations for where Jesus was condemned, where he fell, where he met his mother and other women, and where he was crucified and buried. The Old City in Jerusalem is a bustling place these days – given that, and the fact that the city has been destroyed a few times since Jesus walked its streets, it was sometimes difficult to picture the events as having taken place there. Still, however, it was kind of a neat reflection as we walked.

Near the station where Simon helped Jesus carry the cross. It is said that Jesus put his hand here when he fell. Photo: Sabeel

The end of the Via Dolorosa, and of our tour of the Old City, was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – the supposed site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. Again, when my mind’s eye has an isolated hill-top as being the setting for these events, it was hard to get my head around this very large, slightly overwhelming church. Lots of stuff to see.

Near the Garden Tomb

We had falafel sandwiches for lunch (yummers) and then had some free time. We took the time to rest a bit, get Janelle some cold medication and visit the Garden Tomb – another potential site of Jesus’ burial and today a beautiful garden maintained by a British NGO. It was a lovely spot, and much more in line with what we think of when we picture the empty tomb.

After our morning tour, we were able to spot some significant things around the Old City during the afternoon that we hadn’t necessarily noticed before – security cameras, the presence of soldiers (okay, we noticed that from the very beginning...) and the presence – and significance – of Israeli flags. The Old City is part of East Jerusalem, which is claimed as part of its capital city by Israel and as occupied territory by the Palestinian National Authority. (Wikipedia has a summary of various positions on Jerusalem, including Canada’s.) Cameras, soldiers and flags usually appeared together near where Jewish settlers live in the Old City.

Photo: N. Whyte

We walked to the Garden of Gethsemane late in the afternoon for the conference’s opening worship service. Some of the trees in the garden are over 2000 years old… so there were there when Jesus prayed, and when he was betrayed and arrested. We all participated in worship, with prayers about coming to Jerusalem from all corners of the Earth, readings (1 Peter 4:12-19, Mark 14:26-50), songs, and a sermon from Salwa Duaibis, a woman who is on Sabeel's Board. Salwa told us, like Jesus told the disciples, to keep awake - to observe what is going on around us in the Holy Land.

Garden of Gethsemane

Worship in the Garden of Gethsemane (Photo: Sabeel)

On the way back to our hotel for dinner, we put “creative discipleship” into action and helped someone who was moving. Glad that the 25 of us were able to save him and his few friends some trips between his pile of stuff and his new apartment.

All in all, a great day - the opportunity to be a bit of a tourist, but also to reflect on life today in communities where Jesus walked, to be still where Jesus was still. The benediction we used in worship that day was:

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships so that you may live from deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in the world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen.
- Franciscan Benediction