Travelling

Today I traveled for over 12 hours.  Mostly driving, stopping a few minutes here and there to get gas, go to the bathroom, or, of course, take pictures.  I am fairly certain that one could traverse the entire length of Israel in that time, without even trying very hard.  In comparison, I traveled through only 3 states out of 50:
Colorado,

Wyoming,

Montana. 

(Please forgive the blurry pictures...they were snapped as I quickly passed by.)

And however far I drove, I had no problem reading the road signs (though they did vary from state to state), or talking to people, or understanding the gas pump instructions.

I've been back in the states for well over two months now, but these sorts of things still strike me:
1. The inexplicable luxury of not having to ask for help with the gas pump (because each one asks you to enter different information and none of them "speak" English).
2. The experience of walking down a sidewalk and realizing that, for a change, you are not walking twice as fast as everyone else on that sidewalk.  Some people are even running and passing you!
3. Still walking down said sidewalk and realizing that you have no problem understanding the conversation of the two women walking their dogs nearby.  In Israel I got used to ignoring people - they were rarely talking to me and I could almost never understand what they said anyway.  Here, it's harder to block out ambient conversations because I can actually understand them.
4. Remembering that I can look men in the eyes here, without fear that they will think me a loose women and make an accordingly inappropriate comment.
5. Friendly exchanges, in a language I understand, with complete strangers.  Again, this could happen in Israel, but it was rarer...probably because most gas station attendants were men and prone to be a little creepy.  (See #4.)
6. The immense distances.  The United States is a diverse country, but Israel has almost all the same types of landscapes, stuffed into a much smaller area.  It still amazes me that I can drive for hours without much change in scenery,
here...

 to here...

 to here...

to here.  

 Changes are noticeable, but not dramatic.

7.  The vast emptiness takes my breath away.  One can drive for hours without seeing more than a town or two, each only a couple thousand people.  The immense distances in between, broken only occasionally by a barn or farmhouse, still amaze me.  I love these wide open spaces.  They made me wish I had time to stop the car and explore.  

These sorts of things do make life and traveling easier and more pleasant.  Still, for all it's problems, I miss Israel.  I listened to a story on the way home about an orthodox Jew in Jerusalem.  The descriptions and place names were so familiar - Mea Shearim, Old City, Jaffa Road, Damascus Gate, Khamsin - I could picture it clearly and longed to be there myself.  

For now, however, God has me here, so I will strive to enjoy English and comprehensible gas pumps and huge wide open spaces and other small pleasures of life in these United States.  

Reflections on past thoughts

Though it's been a while since I've posted much of anything here, it's not from lack of thought. It may be from lack of coherent thought, but I'll try to lay some of my more recent thoughts in order here, for your viewing pleasure.

One thing I've been reflecting on is how much coming here has changed me. For example:

The other day I was reflecting on the time, 11 years ago this month, when I came to Jerusalem for the first time.

I remember visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and one of the members of our group was yelled at by a priest because he supposed his picture had been taken. Looking back, that seems so bizarre. I have since been to the church, numerous times, with numerous people and numerous cameras and have never had any similar incidents. I think it must have been just a fluke - the priest there that day, who was probably also a tourist, was just extra sensitive about pictures or something. I remember that we as a group were a little freaked out about it, though, wondering if that was the norm, wanting not to do anything wrong.

We were so naive, both in our daringness and in our caution. Some of the things we avoided doing out of caution were just as crazy as some of the things we did out of ignorance. Of course, that was pre-intifada. Some things have changed in Jerusalem since then. Nevertheless, it amuses me to remember some of my thoughts from that time.

For another example, the other day I asked one of my friends who started in the master's program here at the same time I did, "Do you ever think about what an idiot you were?" Realizing quickly that it probably wasn't the most tactful question, I started to back-track and explain. Fortunately, he realized what I was getting at and a terrible misunderstanding was avoided. The thing is, looking back, I remember all sorts of little thoughts and expectation and ideas that I had about the world and Israel and even higher education, and slowly but surely, those ideas have been almost imperceptibly changed. Yet looking back, the change is dramatic. Ideas of what is safe and what isn't have been revised as experience has informed my knowledge. Experiences that were once new and strange have become part of daily life. Which is not to say that I feel utterly independent and capable of living here indefinitely, but I am closer.

In a similar way, it's interesting to talk to the semester students or other people who arrived here a relatively short time ago. I hear some of the thoughts that I used to think about Israel coming out of their mouth. I myself have only been here about a year, but that has been long enough to dramatically change the way I think, in some areas at least. I consider my past self rather naive, and I daresay that if I continue to stay here, my future self will think the same of my present self. So, every now and then, when I hear some of the semester students talking, I sort of shake my head and smile to myself and wonder at Dr. Wright's and Diane's great patience in putting up with the same stupid questions and actions semester after semester. I'm grateful for it, though.

I suppose this sort of process always happens when one goes to a foreign country. At first everything is new and exciting (or frightening), but after a year or two, things start to settle into a (hopefully) more proper perspective.

I wonder, though, if in some ways this process is more painfully obvious in the holy land. The people who come here are not generally of the sort who travel to learn about food and culture and see the scenery in a different land. That may be part of the package, but most tourists come here for a religious reason, a pilgrimage, more or less. I won't speak for Jews or Muslims or even orthodox Christians, but most Protestants seem to come feeling that they have a knowledge about and connection to the land, something like "This is the place where Jesus lived and I've studied Jesus all my life so I should know something about it." There is an impossibility of separating the land of Israel from the theology of the visitor. While this is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, it can often lead to erroneous views being passionately propounded. Rather than taking the time to sit and listen and learn about the land from the inhabitants (as I assume one would do in any other country one visited) people tend to take hard and fast stands, such as: "Israel has the right to exist and should push all the Palestinians out," or "Israel is an oppressive government and the Palestinians deserve their own country," or "No one in the Orthodox Church can possibly be actually saved," or "Of course Archaeology proves/disproves [you choose] the Bible!" for a few examples. Armed with these and other immutable ideas, evangelicals descend upon the "Holy Land" and wreak all sorts of havoc. It doesn't help that no matter what inflexible stance someone takes, there will be someone here with a stance that is diametrically opposed, possibly even in the same tour group.

To my shame, such opinions may have not differed so very much from my own not long ago. If nothing else, my time here has emphasized to me the importance of listening to all sides of a story before forming an opinion, and, even once some sort opinion has been formed, to be very careful, tactful, and reasonable in expressing it. I don't wish to imply that it is wrong to ever take a stand, but there are times when it is wiser to be slow to decide.

A few more random thoughts

1. Junior High camp started tonight. As I type the counselors are probably busy making sure everyone is getting ready for bed, doing devotions, and trying to get everyone to quiet down and sleep. As stressful as it is, I have to say that I often miss those days. I rather like hanging out with kids of varying ages and maturities. :) Jr. High became one of my favorite week of the summer. Oh well, tonight I got to hang out with crew kids, which is almost as good. Not quite as good because I have to share them with their crew counselors, but still fun.

2. I made Challah bread again tonight, just for the staff. I know it's not Shabbat, but they really enjoyed it last time...and they get a little tired of chicken nuggets and tater tots, so I figured it would be a nice treat. It was quite tasty.

3. We went to the Big Timber Rodeo last night. It was fun. :) The Wild Cow Race was hilarious, as usual. Our teams did fairly well, both of them managing to at least get into the saddle a couple times, but were unable to place.

4. This is the first time that I've shared an actual room with people other than myself (for an extended time) in...well...years. I've shared a cabin or a 'room' but our beds have always been separated by a wall of some sort. I rather miss having a place that I can go to be alone, but only on occasion. I rather enjoy being around people. It's fun to talk and laugh and plot mischief with my roommates before we go to sleep - which is about the only time we are all in the cabin at the same time. Most of my time is spent in the dining hall...with the food...

5. I finally finished one book on my reading list: The End of Days: Fundamentalism and the Struggle for the Temple Mount. It was interesting at least. If nothing else, I have a better understanding of the recent history of Israel in general and the Temple Mount in specific. He seemed to repeat himself a good bit, and I didn't agree fully with his analysis of some of the fundamentalists, but he did make some interesting points. None of which strike me at the moment, but maybe I'll incorporate them into future postings.

6. I've now started reading The Lemon Tree. It's also about Israel and the Middle East...it was recommended by a friend, so we'll see how it goes.

7. I've recently started occasionally glancing at the blog of an orthodox priest (as another friend mentioned him in her blog). Today's post struck me as rather interesting: You Are Not A Bible Character. I will quote part of it here and then take a tangential trail off of it.

The pilgrim fathers who came to America read their situation into the Bible (or the Bible into their situation) with the result that white pilgrims were seen as fulfilling the role of the Israelites in this, the Promised Land, while native Americans were cast in the role of Canaanites. Thus generations of Joshuas arose feeling Biblically justified in the genocide of America’s native population. Some of that Biblical reading continues to echo in the popular imagination to this day. It was Bad theology in the 17th century and it is bad theology today. Stated in a fundamental way: you are not a Bible character.

Disclaimer: I know relatively little about American history, but I am fairly certain that not all "pilgrim fathers" were guilty of this incorrect application of the Bible. However, as that is not to be the object of my post, I beg that you would overlook this statement and take it up with the original poster if you feel so inclined.

To the subject at hand, when the phrase "You are not a Bible character" is used, numerous thoughts pop into my head, including "Jerusalem Syndrome." However, I think it has a broader application to how we, as "evangelical Christians" interpret the Bible. So often we are quick to read a story about a Bible character and leap to an application: "God did such-and-such for them, so surely He will do the same for me." At times that may be an application that can be legitimately made. Other times, it might be wiser to reconsider. After all, we are not Bible Characters. We do serve the same God, but He does not always work in the same ways.

On a slightly different tangent, his talk of the "pilgrim father" interpretation of the Bible reminded me of the Israeli settlers' interpretation. In their view, all Palestinians are the Canaanites to be driven out. As Bible-believing Christians, we often find it easier to support them in their efforts because they are, as far as we can tell, actual decedents of the Israelites and they are actually trying to take the historic land of Israel. But in reality, they are no more Bible characters than we are. They do not have direct revelation from God, as Joshua did; no divine commands to conquer the land. Some of you may bring up the New Testament: doesn't Romans (and other books) clearly state that God still has a plan for Israel? Couldn't these settlers be those new Bible characters? I don't want to give a categorical "No" to that question, though I am tempted. Even assuming that God does still have a plan for the literal nation of Israel (which I'm sure some of you reading this would disagree with that interpretation), defining "Israel" is still a problem. It is the secular state of Israel? It is all Jews? Is it all Messianic Jews? Is it all Zionistic Jews? None of these definitions quite fit what Israel was in Bible times, which makes it difficult to draw any further conclusions. To take it even farther, even if the settlers are included in "Biblical Israel" (whatever that is), many of their tactics and attitudes directly defy God's commandments and how He told Israel to behave to foreigners and strangers.

8. To stop you before you start thinking I'm "anti-Israel" let me just say that many of my teachers are settlers themselves, or are at least sympathetic, and that I like them all quite a lot. I also understand some of their passion and drive to create and protect a Jewish homeland. However, I am striving to see both sides fairly, which means that I see the wrong done by both sides, and settlers are not exempt. Kicking a Palestinian off his land and then waving a Bible in his face saying that it is your deed to his land is definitely an improper use of the Bible.

9. I should go to bed. I have about 220 people here and they'll all be hungry tomorrow morning.

Random thoughts.

1.  I've been state-side for nearly 3 weeks now.  

2. Which means that I've adjusted to somethings, at least.   For example, I rarely look for a trash can in which to throw my toilet paper any more.  

3. I found a resturant in town that serves falafel, which I find quite impresive, considering the size and location of my town.  It's pretty tasty too.  I might just have to visit it more often...

4. I'm working on integrating some things from Israel into life here.  For example, tonight for dinner I made "mujadarah"- a middle eastern dish including rice and lentils and fried onions.  Here is an example recipe, though it's not the exact one I used.  In honor of Shabbat I also made challah bread, which turned out quite well.  The recipe I used is the first one on this page.  

5. The other day I bought mint and sage so I could make Bedouin tea.  The mint reminds me of Jordan and the sage reminds me of Dahab...and both make me want to go back...

6. I head up to camp tomorrow...or I guess it's today now... so that I'll be able to settle in a little bit before I have to feed everyone (perhaps single-handedly) on Sunday.  

7. I'm kind of sad to be leaving town again, just as I've started to re-connect with some old friends...but on the other hand, I'm rather looking forward to having a demanding schedule again.  I'm hoping that new friends and lots of work will help take my mind of missing Israel and friends from there.  

8. I've started reading Jerusalem Post headlines online.  I find that when people find out I've been to Israel, the first thing they ask about is the current political situation.  If they were to ask about the political situation during the time of Solomon, I might be able to help them, but they never seem to be interested in that.  The joys of being an ancient history major. :)  So I've decided that over the summer I need to educate myself more on the modern state of Israel and current events there.  

9. Lately, removal of outpostAmerican pressure to stop settlement growth have been the subject of debate in the headlines.  It's interesting to see different perspectives batted around.  Settlers are among the most extreme people in Israel, unwilling to give up even an inch of the land they believe they are Biblically entitled to.  I'll quote from this article:

"Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel's right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine's," the US president said at Cairo University. "It is time for these settlements to stop."

Such statements are rejected out of hand by residents here, who view the increase in American pressure as misguided and ill-informed.

"I think it's symptomatic of Western thought," Gal said. "They read so deeply into a situation that in reality, is quite simple. We're the Jewish people and this is our home, and the Arabs are not going to stop attacking us if we leave Givat Asaf. If Israel pulls back from the settlements, Ben-Gurion Airport will become the next target. You have to ask yourself, what could we possibly gain from another disengagement?"

I have to say that this settler's arogance really struck me.  "We're the Jewish people." As if that is the answer to all questions.  To them it is.  If we push theology aside for a moment, historical rights are hard to determine.  Jews base their claim to the land on their historic presence there as documented by the Bible.  However, the Canaanites had possession long before the Hebrews came, and Arabs and Turks ruled long after the Jewish people were scattered abroad.  As far as total time in the land is concerned, Jews really have a debatable claim.  Of course, everything is far more complicated...which is one reason I wish both Jews and Arabs would be less black and white in their perspectives.  

10. And on the other side there is this article:

An IDF soldier was lightly wounded Tuesday morning after a 13-year-old Palestinian boy stabbed him at the Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus.

Soldiers arrested the assailant, who had entered the checkpoint through the "humanitarian lane," which is meant to be used by Palestinians in need of immediate medical attention and therefore bypasses the inspection in the regular lane.

Such actions seem to lend credence to the settlers' claims.  There is always food for thought in the events in modern Israel...usually depressing thoughts.  It's a mess.

11. I talked to my brother and sister-in-law tonight, which was good.  We talked about my perspective on my church since coming back and sort of brainstormed ideas on how to make all my new-found knowledge useful to the Body.  This question is sort of a corollary to one of the most commonly asked questions I get: "What are you going to do with this degree?"  I tell people, "I will be a better informed Christian."  If nothing else, I want to be able to use what I've  learned to encourage people in their faith...but I want to do that without being a critical know-it-all.  That balance could be difficult to find.  Something to work on this summer.  

12. And with that, it's high time that I head to bed.  My next post will probably be about some camp adventures.  :)

The End, The Beginning

Well, I'm home now...at least if I still consider Montana to be "home."  I think in some ways it will always be home - I've spent by far the majority of my life here, and I still have quite a bit of family here.  My roots here run deep.  On the other hand, I think that, given a week or two to adjust, anywhere can be my temporary earthly "home," so I'll try to be content wherever God places me.  

After we got back from Jordan I spent a day in Jerusalem, packing, wrapping up loose ends, doing a little shopping, and hanging out with friends one last time.  It was probably the best send-off I've had when the sherut arrived to whisk me off to the airport.  As I stated in a previous post, passing through security was less than enthralling, but I did make it through, and all my flights went as smoothly as could be expected.

I had a wonderful few days in Kentucky with my brother and sister-in-law.  It was nice just to have time to sit and talk about things: theology, teaching, kids, Israel, books, food...  (If you guys read this, thanks again for letting me come see you!)

Then back to Montana.  And my brain is still spinning.  There are a thousand things that strike me here at "home." A thousand points of comparison and contrast. A thousand things here that remind me of there…just as when I was there I was constantly reminded of here. 

So many little things. For example:

~ One day I thought I heard bells ringing. In Jerusalem the bells are so constant. You almost forget to notice them, you grow so accustomed to hearing them. Here at home there are a few bells that ring in town, one or two churches, a clock. Nothing that could be heard from where I live, though. I can’t say that I love the bells in Jerusalem. They can be rather obnoxious at times, but in their absence, I find myself missing them.

~ The other day I was driving and happened to be behind someone who was going a little slower than I would have liked. In Israel in such a situation, horns would be blaring immediately, and I admit I was tempted. I don't remember even having the thought of using a horn cross my brain, except possibly when a wreck was imminent, before going to Israel. Perhaps I've changed more than I realize.
~ The menu at a resturant one day reminded me of Dahab - the order things were listed in, and some of the entrees were very similar. Kinda strange.
~ I've been to two graduation parties since being home...and both had hummus. It pretty much made my day, because I miss hummus, and it's not that common here.


There are some wonderful things about being home:
~ I love seeing friends and family. I’ve gotten to see most of my former students in the past couple days and catch up a little. Not enough, but it’s a start. They’re probably what I missed the most while I was away. Still, it’s a little bittersweet seeing them again, knowing that I’m no longer part of their daily life and there’s so much that has happened to them over the past year that I’ve not been able to share in.
~ I love seeing the mountains, and the grass, and the flowers in bloom. I watched people play ultimate Frisbee the other day – on a flat, level, grassy surface. No gaping holes, no poles, no rocks to trip over, no pieces of scrap metal embedded in the ground. It was quite impressive. The mountains, the sunsets…it’s such a beautiful area. I’ve missed that.
~ I love the familiar smells. Especially the smell of sap moving in the cottonwood trees. That smell is an integral part of spring for me. The smells here are perhaps what I missed second most, after the people.
~ I like being able to eat familiar foods – real pepperoni, yogurt that’s not strawberry, peach, pineapple, or plain, cookies, homemade bread, Mexican food, etc.   I even had BACON the other day.  Yeah.  Bacon.  So un-kosher!

On the other hand, there are a lot of things I miss.
~ I miss all the friends that I left behind in Jerusalem or that live far away from me here in the states. This is compounded by the fact that together we had seen and learned things and changed in ways that no one here at home will fully understand. I’m slightly afraid that someday I’m going to say something utterly shocking to the people here.  My theology and my way of looking at life has changed over the year. Nothing dramatic. Just a bit here and there. It all adds up, though. So I miss having people around who understand that change. I suppose most people who come back from their first year of college feel the same way.
~ As much as I enjoy the sights and smells of Montana, I miss the sights and smells of Israel. Those yellow flowers that were blooming along the road to the school. The towers. The roses. The limestone walls. Even the stairs.

~ I miss playing Ultimate Frisbee and celebrating Shabbat together.  

In the end, it's good to be back.  Even though my head is still spinning and I'm reminded of Israel every time I turn around.  So give me a little grace if I seem a little crazy...and hopefully I'll soon settle into a new "normal." :)

Randomness!

Today I went to volunteer again. I helped in a 3rd grade classroom, which went fairly well. I don't think I would have the patience to teach there full-time, though. The kids are pretty wild and the school seems pretty disorganized (both in discipline and other areas.) Anyway... Melissa, who had been going with me, was again unable to go today. I always miss her, but I am also growing in my confidence to go about the city by myself when necessary. Apparently I'm starting to look like I belong too. Today I was walking back to school from the bus stop and a lady stopped me by Jaffa gate to ask about "Mamilla." I think she was Muslim (by her head covering) and I think she was speaking Hebrew, so that's about all that I understood. I pointed her to the Mamilla Mall (hopefully that's what she wanted) and was thanked in Hebrew. Anyway, not sure why she choose to ask me, but I guess I'll take it as a compliment. :)

I heard a fairly strong indictment of Christian music the other day. I was talking to a friend here who likes to listen to rap music. He apparently especially likes this Muslim rapper from Chicago. I must have looked skeptical or something becaue he tried to assure me, saying something like "It's clean - pretty much the same as Christian music." If all we expect of Christian music is that it be clean and otherwise indistinguishable from the music of any other worldview (secular humanism, Islam, Budhism, etc.) then our standards are far too low. (In defense of him, that's probably not quite what he meant, and he would probably agree that Christian music should have higher standards, but I think that his statement, whether he meant it that way or not, reflects the attitude of a lot of people. We listen to Christian music because it's clean, not because it's specifically CHRISTIAN in its worldview.)

Today is election day in Jerusalem. Interesting issues in this city. An article I read the other day said that Jerusalem rated pretty low in "livablity" when compared to other Israeli cities - lots of trash, fewer city services, bad parking. Jerusalem is also on the border between Israel and the West Bank, which means it has a larger Arab population. In addition to the Arab population there are Religious Jews, Ultra-Orthodox Jews, and Secular Jews, all of which have very different ideas of how thing should be. I didn't know this before coming here, but apparently the Ultra-Orthodox don't work so they can spend all day studying Torah and Mishnah. They also have lots of children. They expect to be supported by the government. Kind of a drain on the economy. Jewish-Arab tensions aside, Jewish-Jewish tensions are fierce.

Here's an interesting article: http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1035415.html.

I have Hebrew today! We are working on translating Ruth. As much as I get rather frustrated with that class, I do enjoy starting to understand the text.

I leave for Jordan on Thrusday! I'm pretty excited. :) I get to see the "real" Petra. I'm sure I'll post notes and photos when I get back. Until then...