Bethlehem Revisited

On the morning of May the 10th, 2005 I was standing on the shore at a conference centre just out of Athens watching a boat arrive. I had no idea that this was the beginning of a much larger story for me, where my journey would intersect with the journeys of so many others. As the boat drew closer we could see a large wooden cross on board. To the sound of African talking drums, nearly 600 participants in the Conference on World Mission and Evangelism, received it and prayed together. The 5-metre-high cross, handcrafted in Jerusalem, contained wood salvaged from olive trees in Bethlehem cut down in the building of the wall separating Israel from Palestine. It was a symbol of reconciliation and healing, and of churches standing in solidarity with Christians in the Middle East.

I must admit, at the time, I didn’t have a clue what was happening in Israel. Keeping up with current affairs had never been a strong point of mine. I knew there were problems, but couldn’t have told you anything about the separation wall and what that meant for the people. Despite my ignorance, however, I came away from that conference knowing I had experienced something meaningful and an event that would hold great weight in my life. Momentarily, my journey had touched the journey of Christians in Palestine.

Nine years on, in August this year, I found myself in Jerusalem. Our day trip to Bethlehem was with a Palestinian taxi driver. On the way there, he explained what life was like for his people many of whom struggled daily with Israeli checkpoints and living behind a separation wall. There was no bitterness as he told his story. He simply told us about his life and trusted that God was with him. As we drew closer to Bethlehem a mountainous wall appeared. In fact I struggled to call it just a wall – it was a barrier created out of fear. This was where the cross in Athens came from. It was real. The stories came flooding back and all of a sudden made sense.

I must say the Christmas story has had a different feel to it this year after visiting modern day Bethlehem. The stylized images of the nativity and shepherds in their fields have become a little less glossy after seeing the Jewish settlements built over Shepherd’s fields. Instead the hardship and the desperation of the Christmas story seems more stark as the story somehow repeats itself again and again in the stories of people today.

It is not only a journey that touched the stories of others in the first century. It continues to meet us in our journeys today.  And this is what makes the story so important for us. It is not a story that is out of touch. It is not a journey that is completely foreign to us. It was a journey of struggle, a journey of survival, a journey of hope. Jesus knew what it was to be a refugee, knew what it was like to fear for your life, knew what it was like to be away from home and still he reached out to all people with love and compassion. Despite his own experience and his own journey, he was able to meet others on their journeys and walk with them for a while in love.

More than Enough

After the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem, Galilee was a breath of fresh air. After the frenzy of tourists trying to touch and kiss the sacred spots of Jesus’ life, walking by the calm waters of Galilee I could actually imagine Jesus loving this place. After constantly dodging crowds of people down narrow lane ways, I needed a “lonely place” to sit and be still for a while.

Tabgha was just the place. A ten minute drive from the holiday town of Tiberias, the roads thinned, the crowds dispersed and I felt my body starting to relax before we even arrived. We turned into the parking area only to discover two large tour buses. My heart sank. So much for Jesus’ lonely place. Were the crowds following us too?

We went inside the old church and saw the famous Byzantine loaves and fishes mosaic just before the altar. And there it was, just like the other churches we had visited in Jerusalem, the stone where it happened right under the altar. This was supposedly the place where Jesus blessed the loaves and fishes. But, no hoards of people madly jostling to touch it or kiss it – it was just there. We spent a little time in the church allowing the last, straggling tourists from the buses to move on ahead of us and then found a path leading down to the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

It was so peaceful and serene, I could understand why Jesus would retreat to here. Down at the shore was a simple, but stunning outdoor chapel. We had caught up with the stragglers, but as is often the case they didn’t have long before the bus would be leaving and then we were alone. I sat listening to the water lapping on the beach and imagined Jesus sitting here taking a few deep breaths while he was able.

Neville, our “tour guide”, suggested that this would be a great spot for our daily meditation. This had become our practice each day, to spend about 45 minutes reflecting and meditating. In Jerusalem, we had found a semi-quiet corner in the courtyard of our guest house. In Galilee, there would be plenty of places along the way. Today it was Tabgha.

As we were arranging ourselves closer together, a small critter jumped up on the altar table. Someone else wanted to join us for the morning. Our meditation was delayed by the photo opportunity that now presented itself, but once we began the critter became my focal point. It stayed perfectly still for the whole 30 minutes we meditated. More still than I was capable of being on a hard log. Neville often ended our meditation with a simple “amen”, but today he said, “All God’s creatures long for fulfillment.” Then the next tour bus of people arrived.

The little critter, we discovered later, was a hyrax (a wild rock rabbit). The hyrax is mentioned four times in the Bible. Two of these are found in, in Deuteronomy 14: 7 and Leviticus 11:5. These are both eating laws instructing the Jewish people not to eat the hyrax even though it chews cud, because it has a divided hoof. The other two instances are in Proverbs 30: 26 and Psalm 104:18. These instances describe the hyrax as a wise, trusting creature that lives amongst the crags of the rocks.

This little creature, perhaps insignificant and out of sight to many, knew its maker and, according to the Hebrew Scriptures, trusted God . That day, the hyrax reminded me that I had more than enough. I had more than enough to sustain me physically. I do not want for food, or drink or a roof over my head. I had more than enough to sustain me spiritually. Although travelling in the high season, we had plenty of moments of complete solitude for our meditation time before being inundated with people once again. And I have more than enough in my ministry. Five loaves and two fishes, a picnic lunch, caused a ripple of generosity that even left crumbs behind for the local hyrax. More than enough!

All I have to offer is the little I have.  It may not be much, but once it is offered it can become more than enough. On leaving Tabgha I found a lovely postcard of the loaves and fishes mosaic. I didn’t buy it for the picture of the mosaic, however, it was the saying that inspired me. “Love is like Five loaves of Bread and Two Fish. Always too little until you start giving it away."

(Tabgha is the place on the shore of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus was thought to feed 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish. See Matthew 14: 13-21, Mark 6: 31-44, Luke 9: 10-17 and John 6: 5-15)

Uncovering treasure in Jerusalem

I am about to begin Day 6 in Israel. We have been going none stop seeing all the sights and soaking in the atmosphere of this place. I have struggled to keep up with writing in my journal and really have not had a lot of time to process what is happening in me while so much is happening around me. Today we are leaving Jerusalem to venture further afield. As we move into the desert and then to the shores of Galilee I am hoping to have a little less of an assault on the senses to start to try and reflect on what this place, the experiences and the people have given me.

I feel a little like I have been given a precious gift, but have not unwrapped it yet. This is the sort of gift that you cannot rip the paper off, it needs to be uncovered in time with care. I have written down some headings of some stories that I know have special significance. I don't know how long it will take to discover the story beneath the story. I guess it is a bit like many of the archaeological sites I have seen. Little by little and with patience treasures are found.

So as I leave the magnificence of Jerusalem behind, my bags are a little heavier and my heart is certainly richer.Farewell Jerusalem!

Return of the Reluctant Blogger

It has been quite a while since my last post. I could rattle off  list of excuses, but I won't bore you. I guess sometimes life just takes you by the hand and says "run". You don't want to miss out on the ride and you certainly don't want to let go of the hand in case you get lost. And so you take on the pace set before you and before you know it five months have passed. Its not that I haven't been reflecting, it has just happened more while I am driving or in the shower or in the garden. 

I guess there is part of my personality that wonders why anybody what want to read my ramblings. I have been encouraged by a few people that have asked recently why I haven't been posting. I guess if one or two people get something out of my sharing then it is worth it. I know deep down, even though I tend to be a private person, that sharing is also good for my own soul.

In church today we read the parable about the farmer who built bigger and better barns and was tied up with his own success he forgot about others. Well, I can't say I have the wealth of this farmer, but I can certainly be stingy and greedy like him in other ways. For me, I am stingy with my sharing of myself and knowledge. I have a tendency to keep things to myself and feel I can do it alone. Sharing on a blog is not a natural thing for me to.

And what has spurred me on to begin sharing again. I am about to embark on a journey of a lifetime. Tomorrow I leave for a study trip/ pilgrimage to Israel. I am excited, curious and expectant. I am expecting to meet God in different and real ways while I am away. I am not sure if I will be able to post while I am away, but will certainly be able to share some of the stories on my return.