Hi, friends. Sorry for the extended silence. Life gets busy.
But... now we're back! To talk about the next day of my trip - another interesting one, to be sure.
We had an early start on the 10th so that we could have the experience of going through a central checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem during rush hour. We were accompanied by EAPPI volunteers who were monitoring the checkpoint that morning. It was a bit surreal - lining up in big fenced-in walk-ways, going through a metal detector, showing my passport to a few different people. It was pretty uneventful for us - foreign passports, lines moving smoothly, and - even at 5:30 am - we had probably missed the busiest time at the checkpoint. But you could see how things could get worse very quickly - if they shut one (or all) of the lines, if someone was not allowed to pass through... Incredible to think that this is the daily commute of thousands.
We met a coffee vendor on the West Bank side of the checkpoint. He told us about how he used to own and farm land that is now just on the other side of the wall (so is no longer accessible to him). He comes to the checkpoint every day to sell coffee - he has no other job now - and to smell his land.
We returned to our hotel for a lecture from Fr. David Neuhaus, a Catholic priest in Jerusalem who serves a Hebrew-speaking congregation. He has an interesting story to tell - he was born Jewish and raised in South Africa; his parents had gone to South Africa to escape the Holocaust. After moving to Jerusalem, he converted to Christianity. His Jewish roots, as well as his Hebrew-speaking congregants, give Fr Neuhaus an interesting perspective on what is happening in Palestine and Israel. (There are interesting profiles of Fr Neuhaus here, here and here.)
He spoke with us specifically that morning about Christian Zionism. It is complicated, to say the least, and has a long history. Lucky for me, the Presbyterian Church in Canada discussed this at their General Assembly earlier this year, and their International Affairs Committee provides an excellent, short-ish summary of the topic (see page 18 of this pdf).
Briefly, according to Fr Neuhas, Zionists state that Jews face persecution and that a solution can be found in immigrating to the land of their ancestors - Palestine. There, they will have national autonomy. This arose with Theodore Herzl in the late 1800s/early 1900s, and was a response to persecution Jews were facing in Europe. Zionism does not discuss what to do with the people already in that homeland (i.e., the Palestinians), nor the borders of that homeland.
Christian Zionists bring religion into the equation. The PCC's report says that Christian Zionists think that Jews returning to Palestine is a pre-condition of Christ's return. While there are significant differences between Christian and Jewish Zionists (i.e., the way to salvation), they both agree now that Jews should have the majority in their homeland. Many Christian Zionists in the West provide financial support to encourage this vision.
So where does this leave the Palestinians who live on the land, some of whom are Christians? In 2006, major churches in Palestine rejected Christian Zionism in their Jerusalem Declaration on Christian Zionism because it is detrimental to a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The Presbyterian Church in Canada also rejected the doctrine at their General Assembly for this reason, as well as the fact that Christian Zionism is inconsistent with Reformed doctrine.
It was a bit of an academic start to the day, but it was important to consider this issue - Christians around the world contribute to the oppression of the Palestinian people through their support of Christian Zionism. Palestinian Christians have asked us to work for peace by supporting a faith that is inclusive, loving and just.
If you're interested in this, check out the PCC's report - it goes more deeply into the theological arguments.
Another post to follow about our afternoon, spent building a house!
But... now we're back! To talk about the next day of my trip - another interesting one, to be sure.
We had an early start on the 10th so that we could have the experience of going through a central checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem during rush hour. We were accompanied by EAPPI volunteers who were monitoring the checkpoint that morning. It was a bit surreal - lining up in big fenced-in walk-ways, going through a metal detector, showing my passport to a few different people. It was pretty uneventful for us - foreign passports, lines moving smoothly, and - even at 5:30 am - we had probably missed the busiest time at the checkpoint. But you could see how things could get worse very quickly - if they shut one (or all) of the lines, if someone was not allowed to pass through... Incredible to think that this is the daily commute of thousands.
We met a coffee vendor on the West Bank side of the checkpoint. He told us about how he used to own and farm land that is now just on the other side of the wall (so is no longer accessible to him). He comes to the checkpoint every day to sell coffee - he has no other job now - and to smell his land.
We returned to our hotel for a lecture from Fr. David Neuhaus, a Catholic priest in Jerusalem who serves a Hebrew-speaking congregation. He has an interesting story to tell - he was born Jewish and raised in South Africa; his parents had gone to South Africa to escape the Holocaust. After moving to Jerusalem, he converted to Christianity. His Jewish roots, as well as his Hebrew-speaking congregants, give Fr Neuhaus an interesting perspective on what is happening in Palestine and Israel. (There are interesting profiles of Fr Neuhaus here, here and here.)
He spoke with us specifically that morning about Christian Zionism. It is complicated, to say the least, and has a long history. Lucky for me, the Presbyterian Church in Canada discussed this at their General Assembly earlier this year, and their International Affairs Committee provides an excellent, short-ish summary of the topic (see page 18 of this pdf).
Briefly, according to Fr Neuhas, Zionists state that Jews face persecution and that a solution can be found in immigrating to the land of their ancestors - Palestine. There, they will have national autonomy. This arose with Theodore Herzl in the late 1800s/early 1900s, and was a response to persecution Jews were facing in Europe. Zionism does not discuss what to do with the people already in that homeland (i.e., the Palestinians), nor the borders of that homeland.
Christian Zionists bring religion into the equation. The PCC's report says that Christian Zionists think that Jews returning to Palestine is a pre-condition of Christ's return. While there are significant differences between Christian and Jewish Zionists (i.e., the way to salvation), they both agree now that Jews should have the majority in their homeland. Many Christian Zionists in the West provide financial support to encourage this vision.
So where does this leave the Palestinians who live on the land, some of whom are Christians? In 2006, major churches in Palestine rejected Christian Zionism in their Jerusalem Declaration on Christian Zionism because it is detrimental to a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The Presbyterian Church in Canada also rejected the doctrine at their General Assembly for this reason, as well as the fact that Christian Zionism is inconsistent with Reformed doctrine.
It was a bit of an academic start to the day, but it was important to consider this issue - Christians around the world contribute to the oppression of the Palestinian people through their support of Christian Zionism. Palestinian Christians have asked us to work for peace by supporting a faith that is inclusive, loving and just.
If you're interested in this, check out the PCC's report - it goes more deeply into the theological arguments.
Another post to follow about our afternoon, spent building a house!
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