Day 1 - Already confused about who I am...

The conference began with a colorful worship service in the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church. With lively music, offerings of prayer in multiple languages, and the proclamation of the Word of G-d, this was an exciting opening to a challenging week. The Lutheran Bishop, Munib Younan, is a Palestinian from Jerusalem. He introduced our conference with some thought provoking questions and reflections:

• Can one be a nationalist and a Christian at the same time? This, he reveals, is something every Palestinian Christian deals with.
• How does Christian theology shape how we think of other nations? Does G-d really support one nation over another?
• As we consider the Incarnation, we are reminded that the coming of Christ is about relationships. The relationship between the human and the divine, and the relationship between humans themselves. Christ welcomed all to His table – are we able to do the same?
• The Bible is a complex narrative, not just a one-act play… is it really appropriate to say it is just for one people? Doesn’t that entail treating it as a one-act play?
• The Exodus is G-d’s clear ‘no’ to oppression at the hands of the powerful and wealthy… in times when Israel became powerful, G-d sent prophets to remind the people of the call to be a nation of justice.
• Currently, many people in this land are dying from the injustice – we must learn how to beat our swords into ploughshares.
• Living under the Occupation has become part of the identity of the Palestinian people.
• We must love others with the radical grace with which Christ loves us.
• We are all created in the image of G-d.

These thoughts and questions helped me to prepare for a time of listening. I often struggle myself with the question of what it means to be a nationalist and a Christian at the same time. I realize that coming from the United States means coming from a place of great freedom and privilege. I have always been very proud to be an American. I believe democracy is a good thing, and I am very glad that America is a melting pot of cultures and religions.
My image of “American” is very colorful. I see people of different ethnicities, cultures, religions, and traditions as being the quintessential American. Since I have also had opportunities to travel to other parts of the world though, I have come to realize that though the faces may seem similar to the ones back in the U.S., the context is very different. Particularly when I think of Christians in Latin American countries or over here in Israel/Palestine, I become a bit confused as to what has shaped me more: being a Christian or being an American? Certainly both have influenced me, but I must be careful not to confuse the two. As Bishop Younan says, the image of G-d is on all people… American, Mexican, Israeli, Palestinian. Whether I like it or not, the face of my sworn enemy is also a reflection of G-d. What does it mean to somehow value them in the same way that I might value my best friend? That I might value myself?
I do not know the answers to these questions, and I am not saying that we should ignore the differences between those of us in the United States and those who are members of other nations. If anything, I think we should find creative ways to celebrate our differences. The issue I am raising though is that in the past I used to view being ‘American’ as being better than the rest of the world, because we have democracy and because we have more wealth and because we have the freedom live the American dream. These are gifts. But for me, it is wrong to see them as anything but gifts.
Through my identity in Christ, I am reminded that I am not to judge other peoples, other nations… I cannot be the one to cast the first stone, because I am not perfect and neither is my nation. Our culture is certainly different from the cultures of others, but that does not always mean it is better.
How then can I come to understand a culture or a person that is completely different from me? The reason I am pressing this question, is because people from the United States often ask me, “do you think there is any hope for peace over there? People are always blowing themselves and others up over there – how on earth are they ever going to get along?” Well, obviously as soon as I figure that out I will let the entire world know, but in the mean time, maybe we should start small. An Israeli cannot get along with a Palestinian if she see the Palestinian as somehow less than her. The reverse is true as well – a Palestinian cannot get along with an Israeli if she see the Israeli as evil – as something less than human.
Who is your sworn enemy? Who do you know the least about, but judge the most? What does it mean for you to love that enemy? How do you pay attention to Christ’s call for justice AND love? These are the things I consider today as I express my gratefulness to G-d for the gift of coming from a place of privilege. I also ask for the gift of understanding myself in the context of the Christian story. Though I will not ignore the American story (because it also helps me understand myself), I will continue to pray that I will see myself and others as made in the image of G-d. And Lord have mercy on me if and when I treat others as less than what You have made them to be: Your children.

Amen.