Next Steps - The Trip Ends, the Journey Continues

So here we sit in the Newark airport in the we hours of the morning waiting for our flight home. We are tired and ready to be home.

We have had an incredible trip,
have seen so many holy sites,
have been challenged by wonderful speakers and situations,
have learned about the complexities of this beautiful land and its even more beautiful people,
have argued and cried together,
have renewed our baptisms and celebrated communion,
have been encouraged to transfer all we have learned into our daily lives.

We return home completely changed in ways we have identified but in many more ways that we are as of yet unaware. This trip, our fellow travelers, the people we met along the way, will continue to work on us for days, months, years to come.

And now, here is the challenge . . .
be patient with ourselves. The changes will not transfer overnight.
continue the process we have begun.
never forget.
This is a lifelong calling toward a lifelong journey of faith together. And it is only together with all of our perspectives; all of our experiences; all of our lives that we will find a way forward.

We are humbled by the presence and history of those who have gone before us.
We are encouraged by those who walk beside us.
We are reminded of the place and purpose we have in this beautifully complex and wonderfully messy world in which we live.
May we find the courage to be human together and appeal to our better angels to leave this world a more wonderful place because we have been a part of it.

Thank you for your prayers!
The trip is over, but now the real work begins . . .

Next Steps - Day Eight - Al-Aqsa Mosque, Dome of the Rock, and Yad Vashem

Today began with the once in a lifetime opportunity to visit the third most holy site in all of Islam - Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock. There is no way to convey the power of this experience in words or in pictures. Not many have the chance to venture into these mosques. They are not open to the general population. George helped make this possible for us. And the participants of Next Steps lived fully into the opportunity. The beauty we met there is beyond compare. The holiness experienced was palpable.

The rock around which Dome of the Rock is built.
Muslims believe it was from this rock that Muhammad ascended into heaven.

Following our visit we had free time to explore the Old City. We were able to walk through the various quarters, purchase some souvenirs, and eat delicious food.

Then it was off to Yad Vashem, the holocaust museum. To say this experience was moving would be a gross understatement. We will be unpacking this visit for weeks, months, and perhaps even years to come.

The view as you leave the museum.

A monument to the children’s lives that were lost and whose narrative was silenced.
Inside, the names are read in a continuous loop along with their ages.

Thank you for your consistent prayers and support. We will be busy tomorrow, so this is our last blogpost. Thank you is not enough to express our gratitude for this opportunity. We will be processing this experience for years to come.

Peace. Salaam. Shalom.

Next Steps - Day Seven - Narratives, Narratives, Narratives

This was one heavy day. It was a day when the walls, a church, and people spoke to us. And we tried to listen.

First stop was Efrat Settlement outside of Bethlehem where Ardie Geldman shared the narrative of an Israeli settler. Ardie was born and raised in Chicago and moved to Israel after graduating from college.

Next, we drove into Bethlehem to visit the wall which separates Israel and Palestine. The wall itself speaks volumes.

Then we visited Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem and heard from Rev. Victor Makari, a PCUSA minister who works with the Lutherans and Episcopalians in their justice and reconciliation work. He is appointed to this position by the PCUSA national office in Louisville.

Finally, we had the honor of visiting the Ibda’a Cultural Center at Deihesheh Refugee Camp. We met with Hamzeh Abedrabbu who told us about his personal refugee experience and then gave us a tour of the camp.

There is a lot to process today. We are tired and full and ready for another great day tomorrow. I leave  you with this. Our tour guide, George Filmon, told us this during a meeting with him, Tyler, and May Zawahreh that he has never done a tour like this one. He said that we are not just interested in visiting the sites, but that we are wanting to engage the narratives that exist in the land, and that we are seeing the people for who they are. Then he said, “This is what it means to be Christian. This is what Jesus was about. This is a real pilgrimage.” This is what we are hear to do. This is what we hope to continue to do when we get home. This is an incredibly humbling thing for someone to say about us.

Thank you for your prayers. They are supporting us along the way. Peace! Salaam! Shalom!

Next Steps - Day Six - Tragic Rebellion, Ancient Writings, Salty Water, and an Evening Prayer

Today, we departed our hotel to drive to Masada where we learned about and experience both the beauty and the tragedy of that UNESCO World Heritage site. The views from the top were incredible, and the story is one human tragedy stacked upon another? If you are unfamiliar with the story, here is a link to information found on the UNESCO website.

Model of Masada

Roman Bath at Masada - part of the amazing complex designed by Herod.

The diamond shape is the remnants of the largest of eight Roman soldier camps built during the siege. 

Hot room in the Roman bath. Notice the original pipes from the 1st century BCE.

After our time in Masada, we departed for Qumran where a secretive and separatist sect of Judaism, the Essenes, dwelt and practiced their faith until the time of the destruction of the temple and the siege at Masada. This community was responsible for preserving what has become one of the most important archeological finds of the last century, The Dead Sea Scrolls.  Tens of thousands of scrolls were discovered that revealed the life of the Essene community, but more importantly, confirmed the accuracy of much of the Hebrew Scriptures (commonly called the Old Testament).

Scriptorium, where the Essenes copied sacred texts. 

Twice a day, the Essenes participated in ritual bathing.

Thousands of scrolls were discovered in this cave alone. 

After lunch it was time for a dip in the Dead Sea. No danger of sinking. Everyone floats!

This sleepy camel perfectly captures the way we feel tonight! It was an early trip to bed for all of us.

Thank you for your prayers! They are buoying us along the way. We have another incredibly full challenging day ahead of us tomorrow.

Our evening ended with this magnificent prayer offered by one of our college student participants:

Mother, Father, God, first, thank you for this wonderful opportunity to travel and see new things. Thank you for bringing us together so we may see your work, and your history. In the coming days, we pray for energy, open-mindedness, understanding, and empathy. Although we know as humans it is easier to ignore the humanity of our fellow brothers and sisters, help us to realize that hope starts with us. Help us to remain open to others’ stories and be cognizant of our privilege along with others hardships. Use us, Lord, and let us be a light in a land ravaged by conflict. Let us be the hope the professor spoke us to be in these hopeless spaces. We pray for refreshing sleep to wake tomorrow to do your work. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.