During my sabbatical, I’ve asked various individuals the question. “If you could stand in front of my students, and if you had only three minutes, what would you say to them?” I’ll certainly pass on the words from four individuals who have lived and experienced Jerusalem life. As a member of the Congregation of the Holy …
51. Claire and Lucy
Their names give these two Palestinian women away. Their names are not Palestinian Muslim names like Khadija or Laila, their names show that they are Palestinian Christians. They know anger and hate, but despite their situations, they have not given into those natural emotions. Claire is in her mid-40’s and has her husband John and …
50. Debbie Weissman: Hopeful Pessimist
Debbie Weissman is a “hopeful pessimist.” After hearing her speak at Tantur about Pesach, the Seder, I decided to read her recently published Memoirs of a Hopeful Pessimist: A Life of Activism in Dialogue. Dr. Weissman is an example of commitment and creativity in this region who does not fall into a rigid, self-righteousness, or …
49. Early Christians’ Imaginings of Jerusalem and the Holy Land
On a Sunday night in Jerusalem, I attended the Detroit Methodist Choral group’s performance. The talented choir’s first sung lines, were “I am bound for the land of Promise….” With similar meaning, the choral group might have sung “I am bound for Jerusalem” or I am bound for the Holy Land.” While the notion of …
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48. “Close Enough:” Easter Sunday and Easter Monday in Jerusalem
I moved into Ecce Homo to be in the Old City during the latter part of Holy Week. Although I am close to the Tantur group, I wanted to be free to come and go whenever I wanted during these days. I could worship twice on Easter Sunday and once on Easter Monday. Before leaving …
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47. “Watch Out:” Holy Thursday and Good Friday in Jerusalem
When I’m with the Tantur group, I experience Holy Week through the perspective of Roman Catholics priests and laity. Among the many things I have appreciated, I have appreciated that the ecumenical mission of Tantur prompted the Roman Catholic Administrator of the Holy Lands to allow non-Catholics to receive communion in group worship. Thus, I …
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46. The Wall’s Guerrilla Artists
The Israeli Wall, the "security barrier," or the "apartheid wall," has been constructed since the Second Intifada in 2000. Although the Israeli government projected a Wall some 440 miles eventually, the government and its contractors have built approximately 275 miles. It varies from a concrete barrier 25 feet in height (primarily around urban areas) to …
45. Hearing Jerusalem
It is unavoidable. The sounds begin as early as 4:20 AM and last until midnight. I constantly hear Jerusalem. I hear the Muslims of Jerusalem. Either the call to prayer or a recitation of a Koran surah begins at 4:20 AM and lasts until 4:25. Then I hear another Muslim reciting from 4:35-4:45. At times, …
44. Touching in Jerusalem
A hand reaches out to touch a carving marking one of the Stations of the Cross. My hand feels a branch of the olive tree Pope Paul VI planted in the Garden of Gethsemane. In Jerusalem, unlike Kolkata or Varanasi or Delhi, other people and I are constantly touching. In so doing, we …
43. Palm Sunday in Jerusalem
I jump on a Palestinian bus at 6:50 AM. Although I had grabbed a handful of change before leaving my Tantur room, I am a tad-bit short. The Palestinian bus driver, though, waves me to the back of the bus. Nice guy! At the Damascus Gate bus station, I walk in the direction of St. …
Journeys: Explorations in Body, Mind, and Spirit 