jerusalem

A Neighbor with an Odd Letter

Those attuned to world news are aware of the escalating violence that has has rocked corners of Israel-Palestine in the last few weeks.

In the aftermath of a particularly brutal killing of an Arab boy (he was burned alive), residents of Beit Hanina and Shuafat took to the streets in protest. Confrontations between police and protesters resulted in additional human hurt and property damage. Many of us watching these events closely are wondering if the human conscience itself is a casualty? Are there any voices being heard out there, beside those of the extremists? Where does revenge stop? How can the cycle be arrested?

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Rat-a-tat-tat

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It didn’t take long. I reclined, alone, in the ever popular Coptic Guest House in Jerusalem’s Christian Quarter. David Abulafia’s heavy tome on the Mediterranean Sea began bobbing above my head. It sank to my chest, then to the floor. Overwhelmed by the obscurities of Luwian hieroglyphs and two weeks of pilgrim responsibilities, I slipped beneath the waves, a human Akrotiri. I was exhausted. Darkness fell.

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Visiting the Sisters

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On several occasions I have tried in vain to visit the Russian Orthodox Church on the Mount of Olives. It is not visitor-friendly, to say the least. There is a four-meter stone wall surrounding the property topped by a wrought iron fence. Three steel doors appear to be the only way in.  Views to the central building within are easily obtained from a distance; those seven golden “onion domes” make it one of the most recognized buildings in all Jerusalem. Still, I wanted a closer look at this sample of “Moscow in the Middle East.”

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Sundays, Lord Allenby, and the Lord Who Keeps You

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I’ve fallen back into old habits. Years ago when our family lived near here, we regularly attended services at St. Andrews (Church of Scotland). Now I find myself strolling that way again. Apart from the rich history of the building, there are good reasons to align with the work: the church plays in active role in ministering to the financially disadvantaged, they operate an English speaking school for the children of Jews/Christians/Muslims, and they market craft goods made by local women who have creative, but limited skills.