The Peace of the Middle East

So often in the States I hear if there will ever be peace in the Middle East. I feel like that's a conceited question now. There are times of peace here just as there are times of conflict here. In my opinion the difference between this region and every other region is the reporting, lack of historical understanding, and the deep religious hearts in this region. When I say Middle East I am refering to the Arab region which includes Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, the Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq, and the West Bank. Turkey, Egypt, and Iran are also referred to here, because of their recent importance to the region but it should be understood that these two countries are different in their history, ethnicity, and relation to Islam.

Let's be honest about 6 out of 10 stories that come out of the Middle East are about conflict. Before coming to Israel I wanted to get an update on the country. I made the mistake of thinking that the mainstream news outlets would have anything about the day to day life in Jerusalem. No instead I am given a story on how a recent gathering became violent and the parallels between it and the most recent infantada. I even joked about how this would be the best place to die, because its the Holy Land and who knows maybe Christ would come back. Its scary how our misunderstanding of a situation affects the way in which we approach said situation. The other 40% of stories coming out of the Middle East nearly always mention conflict. We can't talk truly about the Middle East without mentioning conflict, but that does not mean peace does not exist here.

Historically this region has been the birth place of empires. Going as far back as the Akkadian Emperor Sargon from 2300 BC to the British Mandate that lasted until 1947 AD. There have been empires here from the beginning of written history. Now that's not to say that these empires were uninterrupted in the timeline. Like most things in history power takes time to transfer from one empire to another and in those in between times the little guys have a chance to catch their breath. Unfortunately for the Middle East it has almost always been the little guy in the the cross-hairs of the big empires. Some of you might be saying no look at the Ottoman Empire, and the earlier Islamic Empires from the Medieval Age. First off the Ottoman Empire originated out of Anatolia (Modern day Turkey) which could be placed in Europe. The earlier Islamic empires are significant, but in a broad look at history are more of an anomaly. It is rare for an empire to originate out of the Middle East. What makes this region such a target then you may be asking? It is the international crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe by land, and with the Suez Canal it has also become a critical lane for shipping all around the world. It would not be too far off to say that this region could be renamed the just "The Middle". We won't do that though. Also the three largest religions of the world originated out of this area. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all claim historical roots of faith here in this region and that alone would bring it to the for front of most people's minds.

Religion brings personal conviction and emotion into the mix of confusion too. I am not bashing religion here, just simply pointing out that it adds another dynamic to the region that most other regions treat as secondary if at all. In the States there is the understanding of the separation of Church and State. This does not exist in the Middle East. So legislation, judiciary processes, nationalism, and all other things State is directly affected by the faith of the country. So how could we ever ask for true peace between Zionists (Jewish nationalists) and people of the West Bank? Both are so invested politically, socially, and religiously in this land that they defend their claims zealously. How could we ever overcome that passion with simple negotiations and peace treaties? Peace is not a business deal to be made, but rather a life to be changed and built up.

I can say that peace exists here in Israel. People can thrive here and grow, but its in the midst of fighter jets flying over their heads, M16s and AK-47s being a mainstay at every other street corner, and helicopters patrolling in anticipation of unrest. It is an incomplete peace, but not anymore incomplete than the peace you or I experience. Peace is the thriving of ALL God's good creation. So long as justice is cast aside, sexual impurity continues to grow in the form of the porn industry, greed flows through our markets, and above all pride gets in the way of humility and love there will be no peace. Its that simple. So there is peace here in the Middle East in the same way there is peace in United States, but both are an incomplete peace.

I doesn't hurt to pray for peace, and for the return of Christ soon to heal the wounds of his creation. We do a good job of beating each other up. My hope rests in one who can heal all wounds, because he's experienced all wounds.

Blessings and Peace

Training Ground

Just for your own knowledge I would not call the body of water known as the Sea of Galilee a sea. It's more like a very small lake. And the river Jordan is more like a creek. Now that I have that out of my system I can tell you why I want to go back.

In Isaiah 9:1 there is a phrase "Galilee of the Gentiles". Hey Isaiah, I thought this was Jewish land settled on by a handful of the tribes of Israel! After seeing the Galilee I see now that the history of this place is definitely a mix of Jew and Gentile cultures. Even in the Old Testament the Jews were not alone in claiming this area. Again for your own knowledge the region known as the Galilee is west of the "Sea" but does not historically stretch out to the coast. If you really must know where these borders are come see me when I get back in December and I'll show you this awesome map I've spent all semester with. Back to my main thought now. In the time of the Old Testament Egypt was still quite powerful, and before Joshua began his campaign throughout the land there was a Pharaoh known as Thutmose III. Like any good Pharaoh Thutmose had a superiority complex (some Pharaohs lacked this and were portrayed as feminine again another random detail I might elaborate on later). Thutmose was on a war path in Canaan and after capturing the coast he came to a crossroads. At the end of this crossroads sat Meggido, which was a key city to controlling the region now called the Galilee. There were three options to proceed from this crossroads for Thutmose and he chose the most direct, but also the narrowest. Tradition holds that Thutmose in all his glory was at the head of his army which was going single file through the Meggido pass. The Canaanites were guarding the other two valleys (which were more conducive to an advancing army) and were caught off guard when the Egyptians show up between them. The Canaanite lose Meggido after a 7 month siege (Thutmose's troops failed to take the city immediatly because there was plunder to be had right outside the walls). Meggido was like taking a thousand cities which is an exaggeration, but not by much. After this siege Thutmose moved a garrison in to Meggido and a few other key cities in the area. Already you can see the Galilee of the Gentiles being formed.

Its in the time of the New Testament thought that this idea of the Galilee of the Gentiles really takes off though. Here is a crash course on how it all played out from the time of Thutmose till the New Testament. Thutmose III places troops in key cities like Meggido and Beth-Shean. This is replaced with Hittite influence for a small period, and then the Assyrians show up (we talking about the time of Hezekiah now). Israel and then Judea go in to exile. The Jews return from Persia and soon the Greeks march under Alexander the Great's banner and come through the Galilee. After Alexander's death one of his prominent generals, Ptolemy takes control of the Galilee. Eventually Ptolemy's dynasty loses the Galilee and the rest of Israel to the Seleucid dynasty (another branch from Alexander's empire). Eventually the Jews unite and throw th Seleucids out and there the Hasmonean kingdom stands. Through a series of political intrigues involving Rome and Anipater (Herod the Great's father) the Hasmoneans lose their standing and Herod the Great takes the kingdom as his own with Roman backing. Herod founds new cities throughout the land of Israel and these have names like Caeserea in honor of his patrons. The cities also have a distinctly Grecco-Roman feel to them. Things like theaters, amphitheaters, Roman style villas, and temple to foreign gods begin to show up. Let's just say these were not kosher cities and they made a point not to be.

In the time of Jesus these Roman style cities had become mainstays in the current history and politic of the region of Galilee. Jesus himself grew up outside of one of these cities, but Nazereth was close enough for him to know what they were all about. Around the Sea of Galilee there were three prominent Roman style cities; Tiberius on the western shore, Bet-Seida to the north, and Hippus on the eastern shore. This is important to know if you are studying the Gospels, because the Sea of Galilee was one of the training grounds for the Disciples. These cities would have given the Disciples valuable experience in dealing with Gentiles especially Gentiles that are proud to be Gentiles. Somehow the Jews and Gentiles around this region lived together and the day to day interactions must have been really interesting. It is in this mixing of culture that Jesus begins his ministry and uses Cappernaum (another city of the Sea of Galilee) as a base of sorts. There is now mention of Jesus entering any Roman style city, but there is no need for it because we know that his name and actions would have been known in these places as well. The important thing to remember is that the Disciples were getting a taste of what evangelism would have to be in order to interact with people beyond this small body of water. Eventually most would find themselves around the Mediterranean interacting with other Gentiles and other Jews who lived beyond Israel. Their time around the Galilee of the Gentiles would prove invaluable in their living in faith wherever they were. Conservative fishermen became international evangelists. Just another miracle Jesus performed that is so quickly forgotten.

300, 4000, and More

Μὲν ὁ Λεονίδας μετὰ τῆς στρατια αὐτοῦ ἀπέθανον ὑπο Ξέρξου δὲ εὗρον ἔτι νίκην.

"On the one hand Leonidas and his army were put to death by Xerxes but on the other hand they still found victory."

I am sure most of us have heard of the story of the 300 Spartans (plus a few other city-states) and the battle of Thermopylae. I can thank Hollywood for making the exaggerated motion picture that probably enlightened most of you to this story. I'm not going to go into the details of the three day battle that took place. You can read Herodotus's Histories for that if you really want the details. I want to talk about selfless victories.

It should be said that Leonidas and his army were not entirely selfless in their battle against the Persians, but their victory was felt most directly by city- states others than their own. Athens was the biggest benefactor in the battle of Thermopyale and if I remember correctly Athens sent no men there. In the end the Greeks at Thermopylae either retreated or were killed, but their victory was not one of conquest. Instead their victory was that of a speed-bump that slowed the Persian advance (for another analogy think of using a pawn in chess to prevent a checkmate). History remembers this battle, because of what followed it and that was Greek victories for centuries to come. So where am I going with this you may ask.

Being a Christian I am called to selflessness. Now I am not going to go looking for a Persian army to defeat at a narrow pass. No, my selflessness looks different. This past week at church the message focused on Matthew 15:29-39. The pastor specifically looked at the disciples in this passage (in my experience doing this reminds me of the disciples and my own humanity). Jesus does not want to send the crowd away hungry so after all the miracles he has performed he asks the disciples what they have. Their lunch is sadly inadequate for even themselves (7 loaves of bread and 2 small fish would not go far among twelve of my friends). They give it to Jesus anyway maybe hoping that he'll go and ask for more from the crowd and distribute it equally. Instead Jesus blesses just their portion and tells the disciples to distribute it. At this point I'd be convinced that this was a lesson in asceticism and there would be no lunch for me. Oh but how quickly I'd doubt, because not only is everyone sent away satisfied, but there are leftovers! This is probably the only meal in history where the leftovers supersede the initial meal size.

You see Jesus calls for selflessness not because he wants us to learn to go without, but because through our selflessness He can fully utilize us, inadequacies and all. Sure I won't stand I probably won't stand in front of a Persian army prepared to die for people I have never met, but I don't have to have that kind of story. I don't have to be the best to be used by God sufficiently. I just have to learn to let go of the little that I claim to have and give it to Him.

Blessings!

Eye Opening

I am finally doing this right by listening to Jon Foreman while I am typing. Just so you all know he may be the best musician to just chill to. Now on to the main act!

I spent my weekend in the South of Israel not France, but here's an aside when Herod the Great's sons failed to serve Rome as well as their father they were sent to Gaul which included most of present day France. The first day we ended at Ashkelon which is on the coast of the Mediterranean and from there we watched the sunset. It was so cool to see the sun disappear on the horizon among the crusader ruins and recent excavations. In Ashkelon there is an ancient arched gate that has been partially reconstructed, and before the discovery of another arched gate in Dan (Northern Israeli town) this gate was the oldest known arched structure.

On our second day we went to both Beer-Sheba and Arad. Beer Sheba is found in Abraham and Isaac's journeys. It is here at Beer-Sheba that both patriarchs made a treaty with the king of Gerar (west of Beer-Sheba). Beer-Sheba can be translated in to "well of the oath" which is fitting when you consider what happened here so long ago. Beer-Sheba and Arad are significant in that at both there was a horned altar found on site. Now this would not have been a big deal if these altars were not contemporaries to the construction of the temple in Jerusalem. It is possible that these altars indicate some sort of unorthodox Jewish cult. The altar in Beer-Sheba was found in pieces that were later used to build other structures, we know that these pieces were used for altar because of the preciseness of their cut. At Arad we not only have a torn up altar but the foundations of a temple structure. Within this temple there were two standing stones inside its holy of holies. These two standing stones most likely represented two deities. Both Arad and Beer-Sheba would have faced the reforms of Hezekiah if these theories of unorthodox cults is true. I tell you this story not to tarnish the Jewish tradition, but to illustrate that even then people would interpret and stray just as easily as we do today. For a biblical reference go to Amos 5 which was written a decade or so before Hezekiah's reforms. We ended our second day at the "Superbowl" which is the biggest erosion crater on the planet. It was quite the view and we even saw a herd of Ibex (not sure if herd is the correct word for this species).

Our third and final day began at Masada. It is really out in the middle of the wilderness and only offers near absolute security. There is only about an inch of rain that falls in the area and most of the garrison's responsibility would have been collecting water for the million gallon cistern (no exageration that cistern was huge!). In my mind Masada was built for the idea of having a vault for a fortress and it really did not serve any practical purpose. I was probably one of the most expensive constructions Herod approved of, because of its scale and remoteness. Most know Masada, because of the Josephus account of all the Jews being besieged there by the Romans. Josephus tells the story of all the Jewish martyrs who killed their families and themselves before the Romans could capture them. All I will say is Josephus was not there and the evidence points to a different scenario. It was an experience just hiking up to the fortress and looking down (there are still remains of the Roman camps, earthen ramp, and siege enclosure wall which made me geek out a bit). Masada was an awesome sight, but the stories surrounding it are tragic.

Having read about most of this history before I came to the land, I am finding that I enjoy the sites and what they have to offer, but they are not my top experiences.

Yesterday I went to the Coptic school for another round of PE classes with the 8th and 5th graders. I brought an American Football with me this time, and while some looked at it with disdain they all enjoyed it in their own rite I think. Some wanted to make it a dodge ball, others a kickball, and a few actually wanted to learn to throw it correctly. It was such a blast to actually contribute to their knowledge (even though American Football is not exactly a priority for anyone). There is so much I can say about the school, but to do it justice I am going to wait to reflect fully on it and then you will get pictures. For now enjoy the pictures of the sites I upload, random stories I tell, and never forget your own stories. You don't have to be in a foreign country to contribute to your own and others' stories.

Blessings!

Reoccurring Thoughts

I used to find myself writing about lots of topics and formulating opinions and arguments. If you read my journal from then you'd come across everything from politics to philosophy stopping at thoughts on boredom and grace in between. I have gradually focused myself though, and for the sake of not repeating myself over and over again I have kept most of this writing to myself till now.

You see I am sharing finally, because I have learned that I am not given these thoughts simply for myself. Sometimes I have experienced God's guidance through the thoughts and words of other people who may or may not have known that He was using them. I am not saying all of this will click with everyone and it doesn't have to. I just want to share ok?

Lately (read "the past five months") I have found myself writing more prayers in my journal than my typical topic driven articles. Some asking for my pride to be shattered over and over. Others I am simply thanking God for His faithfulness. In most I am asking for guidance hoping for affirmation in my current path. In my latest written prayer I came to realize how much shaping God has done in and around my life.

He has brought amazing friends into my life whom I consider family these past few years. Through them I have learned so much about forgiveness, honesty, accountability, loyalty, and true fellowship. I have overcome difficulties with these people and they probably know me better than I know myself in some ways. I pray that God brings you all in to a community like the one I have been blessed to be a part of.

He has shaped me more into the man that I desire to be. I am gradually becoming more confident in my abilities. I speak up now rather than letting a moment slip by. Years ago I'd be silent in situations that I now find passion in. I am breaking down compartments in my life. Living as a whole is much simpler than trying to be three things in one day. I have been taught to listen and understand first (I still need work on this one) before I react. I have learned to take up challenges and go with them (Professor Noe those Greek sentences are coming). Most especially God has taught me to make my faith, my faith. I am not the most read individual and actually have not read all of the Bible yet either, but I dig into the Gospels. I especially like setting up the historical context of the Bible up for someone. One thing I am still trying to grapple with though is what really motivates me to do certain things.

Currently I am reading three books not immediately related to any class I am taking here in Jerusalem. Catch -22 is my fiction fix. I read this for an escape, because I know its better for me (especially my bad eyes) than a movie, and it's more fun to read in a garden than watch a movie inside. I am reading The Land Called Holy by Robert Louis Wilken because it was recommended to me by a professor and I like reading recommended books (I keep an unofficial list of all that are said my classes). It's thick and difficult to get into initially but the benefits to my understanding is worth the effort. Then there is the odd ball. I am reading a book titled Towers of Stone: The Battle of Wills in Chechnya by a polish journalist. When reading this work I feel like I am making an escape into another world than I am sorely reminded this is non-fiction. I've read enough Tom Clancy and Vince Flynn to know political intrigue can effect military action on the black op level. In Chechnya it effects every level. It resulted in the complete destruction of the largest city in Chechnya, Gronzy. I have asked myself why do I keep reading this? I can guess where this is going, because it's non-fiction and the ending does not have to be happy. I've given up hoping this book ends happily, because it was written a few years ago and as far as I know the area is still recovering from the two wars. Also in fiction there is usually a clear good and bad team to root for. In Chechnya not so much. I don't know why I am reading this. It can't simply be for entertainment that'd be sadistic. It can't be for personal gain, because if I wanted just personal gain I would stop reading and go for a run. Maybe there'll be a breakthrough in my understanding later if not that's ok.

I want to conclude with a prayer.

Lord,

Thank you for the silence. Thank you for the intention behind it and reminding me to be still and know that you are Lord. Train me to be quiet before you and listen. Give me confidence to speak boldly of you. Continue to protect and mold all of us Lord. Do not forget your quiet servants. Thank you for your sacrifice. May we all find you in the silence.

Amen

Blessings!

Tuesday Mornings

I have found at least one thing I can talk about weekly and that is my Tuesday mornings at the Coptic School on St. George street.

Today I only had one period to teach because there was a school wide exam time slated for the period I would have had next. Just like you find in any school there were kids cramming for their Arabic class during the supposed PE time. So my already small class of 8th grade boys (usually 11) was down to four who were tired of their handbooks and wanted a little football in their day. In hindsight it is probably a good thing I did not attempt to teach them Frisbee today, because they were just looking for some time to relax and have fun. I can say I had fun. One thing I am learning here is flexibility. Not only physically when playing soccer in a cramped courtyard, but also with plans and time. No one told me that there would be only one period for me and I spent about half an hour just hanging around before I figured that one out. Luckily I ran in to my friend from last week during the break between classes. You see I come in to help with two periods and in between these periods is a 15 to 20 minute break built in for everybody's sanity. During this time most of the kids buy snacks and hangout in the courtyard. Today I spent my time out there rather than in the principal's office (good move I think). After the break all the kids go running upstairs to get to class, leaving behind wrappers and Coke cans (I was like this for a while too and still have to catch myself at times). It should be known that this is a small, low budget school and most of the people working there have more responsibility than their American counterparts at least in regard to daily duties. Still in ignorance to the fact that I only would have one period, I decided to pitch in and clean the courtyard up a bit. It's surprising how picking up just some colorful wrappers can really change the appearance of a place. Garbage is a funny thing.

Think about this, my professor said that archaeologists are prone to label ornate things as part of a cult. So with this idea of garbage being a funny thing what do you think future archaeologists will say about all the uncovered Barbies, diapers, Coke cans, People Magazines, "Green" Starbucks cups, and the list could go on on? Now I know that in all likely hood cultural mainstays will probably still be around (some I wish won't) and if not these hypothetical archaeologists will at least be able to quickly figure out what this find is. Which leads me to my final point. What do we want to be remembered for? What do I want my life to be synonymous with?

When these hypothetical archaeologists dig up my place of former residence I hope they find my journals. Its likely those will not survive the elements though. So maybe they'll find this computer and the hard drive still in tact. From there I hope they can read English. They'd find my papers, pictures, music, and my low win percentage on solitaire (I get impatient sometimes ok). I don't know what else could survive the elements. My guitar may survive, but they'd only have the music from my computer to guess at what it was that I might have played. You see it is hard to leave behind just material goods and expect a message to get across. Our best bet of getting a message to go from our generation to the next is by living our message and hoping the idea sinks in. A real message requires people really living out that message.