Steadfast Hope
November 29, 2020
Pauline Coffman
Isaiah 2: 4 "God will judge between the nations and settle disputes of mighty nations. Then they will beat their swords into iron plows and their spears into pruning tools. Nation will not take up sword against nation; they will no longer learn how to make war."
Oh, is this even remotely possible? Today is the first day of Advent: the period when the Christian church looks with longing for the coming of the Christ child. We sing hymns that express that longing…"O Come, O Come Emmanuel…"
It is no secret that I spend a lot of time with the Middle East. I am fortunate to be able to do this. I don't have many of the stresses that you might have--work responsibilities, children who would normally be in school or college, and Covid-19. On top of all that, the movement declaring Black Lives Matter has deepened awareness of suffering and division for us. It is hard to find the mental energy to embrace the worries of the wider world right now.
I can't let it go because I have friends from my days as a college student in Beirut. Evenings, the women students would gather in our dormitory room and tell stories of their homes. I was there in 1959--only eleven years after the creation of the state of Israel. Many of my classmates lived through "the Nakba" (the catastrophe) of having their homes, cities, olive trees…everything!--taken away. At Christmas, I went home with my roommate who lived in Ramallah (literally "the mountain of God"). We spent our days walking the streets of Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. The Wall hadn't yet been built, but spools of barbed wire with stern looking soldiers (teenagers with enormous guns) guarded the area.
Now, there is a 30-meter cement wall (taller than the one on the Mexico border) separating the West Bank from Israel. A huge sign in English, Hebrew, and Arabic announces that it is illegal and dangerous for Israelis to travel beyond the Wall into the West Bank.
On the day I'm writing this, my Inbox received two statements calling for a One State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The first was issued by a large group of Israeli Jews, Palestinian Christians, and Muslims; the second was from Jonathan Kuttab, a Palestinian-American and co-founder of Nonviolence International and a co-founder of the human rights group called Al Haq. His book is entitled, Beyond the Two-State Solution.
Apparently, some who live with this conflict every day are able to see beyond the losses they have suffered and are imagining a new world where peace is possible. Just as we hear of vaccines that might be ready early next year, there is hope! Let us lift our eyes to the wider world as we wait for the Christ child.
Today, November 29, has been designated by the United Nations as a "National Day of Solidarity with Palestinians." There is a service at 5 p.m. today with many interfaith speakers that will honor that designation. Register online by clicking here.
