And just the
moment when you are all confused leaps forth a voice hold me
close I’m love and I'm always yours.
- Rumi
Blessed are the peacemakers, for
they will be called children of God.
Matthew 5:9
I had already begun to blog about a fun adventure my Mom and I had
undertaken in May, when the NPR sound waves interrupted my train of
thought. My hands left the keyboard as I
listened to the reporter interview Palestinian families who were registering
with U.N officials at a shelter site, near Gaza.
With a sigh, I sat back from the computer and felt my chest tighten in the
way it does when I experience the discomfort of having so much, when others
have so little. I thought about how I
had taken a bike ride that morning, through a gorgeous, protected expanse of
preserved land; and how very soon, I would be joining friends in their cozy
home, to watch the final World Cup game, all in the safety and freedom of a neighborhood
adjacent to my own, where there would be plenty of good food and water and
anything we could possibly need. And
then my thoughts went to all the people around the world today, who aren’t able
to count on any of this. Whether
recovering from a natural disaster, or trying to survive in land torn by civil
unrest and war, I found myself in that moment, sending prayers to all points of
the earth, asking God to ease the suffering, to end the fighting, to provide
humans with the courage and willingness to forge peace. And, at the same time, I expressed gratitude
for all that I have, for how blessed I feel.
In that moment, I realized that I, “should” be writing about the sadness
I feel about the Israeli-Palestinian impasse.
And that thought was immediately followed by my confusion about what I
could possibly say that hasn’t already been pondered, which then made me think
of all the activists who - throughout the ages - have tirelessly persisted,
continuing to talk about things that have endlessly been pondered, simply
because it wasn’t (isn’t) okay for everyone else to be sitting back and not
taking a stand.
Granted, it’s not as simple as saying that my taking a bike ride or
watching the World Cup means I’m, “sitting back.” There are, however, undeniably difficult
realities surrounding the things I enjoy, quite possibly happening at the
expense of another. Carbon bikes are
manufactured in Asia. Can I guarantee
the working conditions for the employees at those factories? I cannot.
In the weeks before the World Cup, there were horrific headlines about
FIFA and their dismissive treatment toward the Brazilians. What
would Jesus have said to FIFA?
Hhrmphf. This world can feel so
complicated.
In recent months, several Christian denominations have implemented their
decision to divest from Israel. Maybe,
in reflecting on impotency we typically feel, when facing something so large as
a decades-old argument, in a country and culture not my own, the first step is
to simply say, “I’m not supporting either side.” Maybe by stepping back from
the particulars of one side or the other, we can begin to see the people, the
faces and lives of our fellow humans.
When you find
yourself caught up in “making it fair,” or choosing a side, what helps you
regain neutrality? What have you been
part of recently that (large or small) was a peace-making effort?
About Lauren: Lauren lives in Berkeley, CA. She serves as Dean at The Chaplaincy
Institute (ChI), an interfaith seminary and tends her private practice as a
spiritual director. You can read
Lauren’s blog at: http://www.laurenvanham.com/
Wonderful post. Thank you.
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