Q: What was the most important aspect of your visit?
A: The learning for me was to see how the church witnesses to the Gospel in a situation that’s highly politicized, in a situation that always has the potential to be volatile and in a situation where Christians are clearly in the minority. The number of Christians in the Holy Land is diminishing year by year. As Bishop Suheil said, “We, Episcopalians and Anglicans are a minority within a minority.”
You learn pretty quickly there that a first principle in the diocese is faith in action. (It is) a diocese that has a huge commitment to education, healthcare, hospitality, housing and peace and reconciliation. Because of a diminishing number of Christians in the Holy Land, the bishop and the diocese have a huge focus on education and so they have several schools that they oversee and operate. The idea is to enable Palestinians, especially, to get an education”¦and to encourage them to stay in the Holy Land. The diocese is very committed to healthcare ”“ ”˜irrespective of one’s religion, one’s ability to pay whatever, we’re here to provide healthcare for you.’ Most of the people who visit the hospital doors are not Christians”¦.People who aren’t Christians recognize in the church a real commitment to their well-being, their health. Likewise with housing, Bishop Suheil and the diocese have been involved in housing projects, not just for elderly people but for young couples ”“ helping them to get established so that they can remain there.
Shameless traffic fishing alert: I take this buffoonery on [url=http://reformedpastor.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/its-all-israels-fault-again]here[/url].
I should have said: specifically, the buffoonery that relates to Hiltz’ view of why Christians are leaving the Holy Land.
Excellent, David Fischler. And of course soldiers are up on the Temple Mount to prevent riots there and to prevent the throwing of rocks down on the heads of visitors to the Wailing Wall below. Both of these are serious problems.
And if the Archbishop were to extend his tour of the Middle East to Egypt, he would find armed soldiers in large numbers at every tourist site, at tourist hotels, at the bazaar, and at every Christian church on major holidays and even routinely. There is always an armed guard in front of the Anglican Cathedral in downtown Cairo, day or night. The reason for all these soldiers is to prevent Islamists from blowing people up or rioting and killing Christians or foreigners.
I first saw all these armed guards in Istanbul, and now in Egypt. It originally creeped me out, until I realized that I could safely visit these places, which I couldn’t do without the guards. Now I appreciate them.
In Egypt, there are also frequently truckloads of soldiers with rifles stationed in the major squares and outside prominent mosques on Fridays to prevent riots after the midday prayers, and elsewhere if the government has an idea that riots may break out. I have seen this personally on many occasions. Of course, there is also suppression of dissent from the liberalizing side of the spectrum.
I remember seeing squads of soldiers in Jerusalem the first time I went. Like you, at first I was alarmed, then realized that they were there for my protection and that of everyone around me. Needless to say, when I go again this fall, I will not be bothered by their presence.
PBS just showed Rick Steves’ “Israel” the other day. I thought it a very balanced view of the area, as well as a great perspective from an ‘average’ tourist.
JE