Part 2: The Rest

The rest of my Christmas holiday was a rather odd mixture of Israeli and American.

I went to the post office, which was open on Christmas day, to get the gift my parents sent from America.

I went to the grocery store, also open, to buy ingredients to make Christmas goodies. Like eggnog.

I had friends over and we ate pizza (which is a Christmas Eve tradition in my family) and watched a Christmas movie. And made snowflakes. Which is likely to be the only snow I'll see this year - the temperatures have been quite warm recently.

For Boxing Day a bunch of us got together for the traditional Christmas Day meal and a white elephant gift exchange. It was a day late, but hey, why stand on ceremony?

It was a very different Christmas, but I was blessed to be in this land, at this time, with many friends around.

Part 1: Christmas Eve

This Christmas has been a unique one in many ways. Every year, each Christmas is a little different, but this one is definitely a statistical outlier.

Most of the reason can be wrapped up in the "who" and the "where." While I have been outside of Montana for parts of the Christmas season before, it was rare, and I've never before been outside of the states. More than that, I've never before spent Christmas away from all my family.

This year I spent Christmas in Israel. Ironically, Israel, the place where the first Christmas took place, is rather apathetic at best, hostile at worst, towards Christmas today. In spite of the lack of perceivable Christmas cheer in the air, I was blessed to have several good friends in the area to keep me company over the holidays.

On Christmas Eve (morning) several of us set out from Jerusalem, intent on walking to Bethlehem. Sometimes, in reading the Bible, it is easy to get a distorted view of distances in Israel. Bethlehem is roughly 5 miles south of Jerusalem, and most of that is fairly level, along the "Patriarchal Ridge Route." Walking was in itself quite an experience. We had to go through the check point, and then we walked along the wall for a considerable ways. I've spent very little time in Bethlehem and thus have had little chance to observe the wall. It is a poignant reminder of the distinct lack of peace in this land where the Prince of Peace was born.

We left the wall behind as we ventured deeper into the modern city of Bethlehem. In contrast to most of the rest of the West Bank, the area around Bethlehem still has a large Christian population. Christmas decorations were found in abundance, as well as shops blaring Christmas music in various languages. It was not really what I had expected. One would think, in an area so important in religion, that one would find religious expressions of celebration. It was in fact, rather western and secular. The blaring songs, while recognizably Christmasy in flavor, rarely mentioned Christ. The decorations, while again, festive, focused on Santa (or occasionally Dora the Explorer). And, to top it off, the Christmas cards we got from the Palestinian police had swords and the Dome of the Rock on them (wishing us a Merry Christmas 2010).

We watched several scout troops parading, most of the with flags, bagpipes, and drums. They reminded me that we were not in America, which was good.

When the parade had finished we went up to Manger Square. We sat outside the Church of the Nativity for a while and ate lunch. We went inside for a brief time. The line to see the groto area was excessively long (and most of us had already seen it) so we skipped that part.

After exiting the church, we set out to find Shepherd's Field, in Beit Sahour. I had never been there before, but apparently there are two locations and churches that commemorate the site where the angels appeared to the shepherds. We wound up at the Greek Orthodox site. The Shepherds, if this was indeed their field, unfortunately left no trace of their shepherding. There were some fun Byzantine ruins and caves to explore, along with a nice little chapel. It was quiet and park-like and did overlook some fields, so it had a nice feel to it, removed from the chaos of modern Bethlehem. I got to read the story in Luke 2 to the rest of the group as we looked out over the fields.

From there we made the trek home. We were all fairly tired at this point, and the way to Bethlehem was all up hill, so we caught a bus which took us most of the way back to Manger Square. From there we walked to the check point where most of us caught a bus back to Jerusalem.

By the time I got home it was nearly dark, but the day wasn't over. I had agreed to go with Emily to the house of a family she knew for Christmas Eve dinner. It was good to meet more Americans in the land, and I had a chance to play with their children. I suppose it made up a little for not being able to have any of my little cousins around for the holiday.

When I got home for that I worked on preparing some food for Christmas morning...and then I went to church.

The service at St. Andrew's Scottish Presbyterian Church started at 11:15. I found some people there that I knew and sat by them. It was a nice service. The Christmas carols were interesting. Most of them I knew the words...or the tune...or both...but not necessarily together. We ended up singing "O Come, all Ye Faithful" to the tune of "Angels we have heard on high," which is not as easy as it might sound. The church seems to often sing songs to different tunes, so I'm not quite sure if it's a Scottish thing, or if it's specific to the church, or if it's occasionally organist error. Then we sang "Silent Night," except the translation was quite unlike what I've always heard in America. That in itself was quite interesting. Then there were lots of people, most of the whispering to each other in Hebrew throughout the service. I'm fairly certain some of them were there either out of curiosity or as part of a school assignment.

Jewish Teacher: B'seder, students, your assignment this weekend is to visit one of those crazy Christian churches for one of their Christmas services.

Student: Are you sure we'll be safe? They're crazy!

Teacher: Yes, crazy, but mostly harmless. They'll just sing Christmas Carols and talk about peace, joy, and love.

Student: Christmas Carols? What are those?

Teacher: Oh, they're songs that they sing once a year that no one knows the second verse to. But they'll pretend!

Student: Why do they do this?

Teacher: Beats me! Christians are just strange like that. But make sure you pay special attention and take notes. I want you to write down your impression and turn them in first thing Sunday morning.

Student: How long do they have to be?

Teacher: I DON'T CARE.*

*Note: This last statement is a verbatim quote from an actual Jewish professor of mine when asked a similar question.

When the service ended it was Christmas Day...which will have to wait for the next post.

Update

For those of you who might be interested in day to day happenings in my life, here's a few things I've experienced in the last month or so:

1. One flatmate had 7 family members visiting, all of whom stayed with us for about a week in November. Crowded, but fun.

2. I went on a 3 day excursion to the Jezreel Valley...

3. Where I found my "Christmas Stick"...it was almost like a Christmas tree hunt at home...but not really.

4. Almost everyone on campus went off to Egypt for 8 days.

5. I finished my last paper (on Angels in Classical Rabbinic Literature) of the semester.

6. I set up and decorated the fake tree that previous inhabitants had left in my flat. It's still not as cool as the Christmas Stick, which was decorated by a friend, but it's festive.

7. We had a Christmas Party for the remaining JUCers who weren't in Egypt. We played Christmas music and ate Christmas cookies and drank chai. And then we played "Signs."

8. Everyone came back from Egypt, only to leave again, this time for home, within the next 24 hours. So, many good-byes were said.

9. A flatmate tried to go home, flying standby, but instead showed back up at home at 4 am with two other passengers who were not allowed on the plane. A few days later and they still haven't managed to get on a flight. Hopefully tomorrow!

10. After a series of calls, I finally found someone who could fix our washing machine, and he finally came today, and it finally works again. Thus, I finally have clean underwear! Semper ubi sub ubi, as my students used to say.

11. I paid a bill today (at the post office, of course, were all bills are paid) and took my depressed not-yet-home flatmate to get some coffee beans in hopes of increasing the cheeriness quotient of the house.

12. Our surprise guests took us to see "Avatar" tonight. With no comment on the plot or intended messages of the movie, it was beautiful, and the 3D effect was well done.

13. First day of winter! And also the warmest day I've experienced here for about a month.

14. Other guests are expected to show up Wednesday morning. Lots of chances to practice hospitality!

15. Christmas is coming...but here in the "Holy Land" life goes by, pretty much as usual. It will be an interesting Christmas.

Memory and Scholarship

Recently, a friend and I decided that we needed to memorize scripture, so we started working on a couple passages together. The first passage that I chose to memorize was 2 Corinthians 10:3-7.

Though I memorized it in the NKJV, I'm giving the NASB translation here, as I think it connects verse 7 to the rest of the passage better:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we.

I am by no means prepared to give an expository sermon on these verses, but when I read through them the other day I was struck by possible applications to the world of academics in which I currently find myself.

I will admit right now that I like logic. I like starting with reasonable premises and coming to appropriate conclusions. I think that reasoning and logic are given by God, to be used properly, to help us discern truth and understand better the world around us. On the other hand, I also think that sometimes logic can be a "weapon of the flesh." This is especially obvious in the world of academia where religion, the Bible, anything supernatural are all rejected in the name of "logic" and "critical thinking."

These verses remind me that logic will only take us so far and it can, in the end, prove to be a false mistress. As Christians in the academic world it is far to easy to trust in our own flawed reasoning and abandon the truth found in the Bible when logic offers contradictions. We must learn to value the knowledge of God above all, and bring thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ - even logical thoughts. This is my challenge, this is my goal.

There's no place like...

...the Middle East.

Proof: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1135516.html.

Little Town of Bethlehem

For many Christians a mention of the "little town of Bethlehem" will bring to mind nostalgic images of manger scenes, shepherds, starry nights, and, ironically, maybe even snow.

Mention Bethlehem here in Israel and very different images come to mind. Refugee camps, razor wire, concrete walls, and checkpoints are among the first things that come up. Especially the wall.

Tonight I went to the "world permier" showing of the movie Little Town of Bethlehem by EMG films. The movie follows three men, a Palestinian Christian, a Palestinian Muslim, and an Israeli Jew, as they talk about the conflict in Bethlehem (where the two Palestinians live) and their pursuit of a non-violent solution. It is aimed at a more American audience, but because it takes place here and was filmed here, the world premier of the movie is here. It was interesting to hear the Israelis and Palestinians who attended the showing comment on it afterwards. It was an interesting film, and they had some very valid comments, both supporting and criticizing the film.

While I don't want to spend lots of time talking about the issues presented by the movie and the comments afterward, I do want to encourage other Christians to not forget the modern Bethlehem as they celebrate events in the ancient Bethlehem this Christmas season. Remember our brothers and sister (there is even now a large Christian population there) who have lived under oppression their whole lives. I don't want to make a statement about whether Israel is right or wrong in its actions towards the Palestinians, but the fact is that life is not easy for them. Remember them and pray for them as some start to try to stem the tide of violence and as they yearn for peace.

Favorite Christmas Carols

Everyone has one. Mine just happens to be one that is utterly unknown by your average college student.

So here's an introduction to what is, if not my very favorite carol, at least in my top 5 or so. I don't know the second song they sing, so feel free to skip it if you like. On the other hand, they have a beautiful sound, so why not enjoy it?

And to aid in your enjoyment, here are the lyrics.

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright, she bore to men a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;
True Man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.

The verdict is in...

We, the members of the jury, find Alana guilty of missing teaching.

It's true. I was thinking the other day about how I hate learning all these cool things, and then having no one to tell about it. That may be part of the reason I blog so much - it's about the only instructive-type-outlet I have.

So, while I still have no idea what the future may hold after, oh, about May, actually, I must admit, I hope it includes teaching, in some form or another.

Israeli Food

I have come to realize that, since coming to Israel, my whole outlook on food has changed. My likes and dislikes have changed, my "staple" foods have shifted...It's partly because of the foods available and normally eaten here, and partly because of the other American people I'm around. Nonetheless, there have been changes.

Following are three very loosely organized lists:

1. Foods I was introduced to here in Israel. These are foods that, to the best of my knowledge, I never had before coming here, for whatever reason.

2. Foods I have come to like/love. This list includes foods that I liked before coming here but have learned to like even more, as well as foods that I previously disliked.

3. Foods that have become a staple. This includes foods that I perhaps more or less familiar with before coming here that have become a main part of my diet, either because I love them so much or because they are so readily available.

Foods I was introduced to:

Falafel - Ahh...the amazing fried chickpea burger...how I love thee!

Shwarma - I think I prefer falafel, but still amazing

Caramelized Onions - I really am not sure how I managed to avoid ever having these before Israel, but these could almost be in the third list. Here at HaShum we eat them with almost everything. I personally had them with two meals, just today.

Quinoa - Really, this is a South American thing, but somehow I learned about it here. Good source of protein, especially considering the scarcity of meat at my place.

Kohlrabi - Weird vegetable...but not bad.

Coconut Milk - Having never cooked with this before, I am still in awe of its amazingness...and need to do more experimentation with it soon.

Foods I have come to like/love:

Sage - In America I always liked sage in things like stuffing or chicken noodle soup. Here, the Bedouin put it in tea. I LOVE sage in tea.

Cilantro - I'm not sure how I managed to avoid using fresh cilantro until this year, but that seems to be the case. I don't think I was quite introduced to it here, but I have definitely come to love it more, in a variety of dishes, since my arrival.

Olives - I've always like the black, American-style of olive, but the green or the more bitter black olives were more problematic for me. At school last semester there were often olives in the dishes...and being too lazy to pick them out, I just ate them, and so began to be able to stand them. This year a couple of my flatmates love olives...so I've continued eating them...and I think I've come to actually like them...at least pretty close. I even ate some by choice on our field study this weekend!

Cucumbers - I find it hard to believe that until about a year ago, I never liked cucumbers. I avoided them like the plague. Here they are so readily available, and so tasty (compared to what's usually available in the states), it's almost silly to avoid eating them. They could fit in my third list.

Tomatoes - Similar story to the cucumbers. I grew up generally disliking tomatoes. Here, I eat the little ones like candy.

Sweet Potatoes - I still don't think I'm a fan of the whole "candied yam" thing with marshmallows and all that... But I have come to appreciate sweet potatoes in other dishes, like this recipe of Aubrey's, which also includes caramelized onions.

Lentils - I still don't use these all that often, but I like them a lot, and they're very common here.

Foods that have become a staple:

Pita - This may surprise you if the only pita you've ever had is the dry, gross, store-bought variety found in the states. That's nothing compared to the fresh, warm, soft pita you can buy daily on the streets of Israel. Hardly a day goes by where I don't have a pita or two.

Hummus - Ah, hummus (or chumus?)... What would pita be without good hummus? Again, hard to find good hummus in the States...but here, it's amazing.

Peppers - I liked peppers a lot before coming here...but here, the bell peppers are so cheap, so beautiful, so amazing...Yeah, they're pretty much a staple.

I'm sure there are other foods that have changed my life...but I'll stick with these for now.