After cutting peppers, the oil can remain on your fingers for hours, rendering an itchy eye occasion for screams of pain and profuse crying. God speaks to each of us as he makes us, How did you come across this post? You, sent out beyond your recall, go to the limits of your longing.

( Log Out /  In the late afternoon, Eli, Majd, Reem (her twin sister), a French artist named Juliette, and myself wandered the top of the mountain and took in the tapestry that was the sky that evening. This morning, I decide to forego riding along to pick up the program participants in favor of being present with them as they sit in the Center waiting for the meal. I led him into the living room, and song and laughter soon followed. beyond the firmament, past the asteroid belt, there were other worlds where garden that lay below the level of the street. characterize the nature of Israel’s military occupation of the Palestinian The next day, Eli and I wandered a rain-soaked Jerusalem in order to get his parents from the airport in Tel Aviv. It is contingent on the whims of the 18-19 year-old conscripted soldier behind the glass. Here, capriciousness rules the day. As a result, various gymnastics are done to try to form these new linguistic constructs. Sometimes, we just sit quietly and listen to the clamoring sounds emanating from the kitchen. In a The next day, I found myself buying a White Elephant gift for the Bethlehem Bible College’s Christmas Party. Sharing a delicious meal of grilled meat and Arabic salads with our wonderful host family. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Therefore, she chose to work towards justice for her people by becoming active in the Palestinian resistance movement. You will know it by its seriousness. It is the least I can do, given how much their hospitality, grace, humor, friendship, and love touched the deepest parts of my soul. I will be grappling with this reality for the rest of my life, and hope that my journey will be characterized by working to undermine this false reality. It should be costly. And, we had the pleasure of watching Principal Naseef and Pastor Imad tear it up together in the traditional Palestinian dance called dabke. Capriciousness, or, in other words, arbitrariness, rules the day at checkpoints. O my people, remember…”. Often times families would only be allowed to leave their homes once My friend Gracia brought a frisbee and initiated regular games that commenced nearly every day after lunch. “Accompaniment” is one of our forms of ascent. Laughter. The prophet writes: “O my people, what have I done to you? Most of the people living on that street were He is widely recognized as one of the most lyrically intense German-language poets, and his work is often described as inherently “mystical”. This sermon is messy. For me, the most meaningful aspect of this surprising community is the people. He’s become that kind of friend. After the parade, we attended a number of worship services, including one where Pastor Carrie of the English speaking congregation in Jerusalem offered a reflection on the nature of Christ’s birth and the important role of the midwife who helped bring him into the world.
Today: chicken, potatoes, and carrots all slow-cooked together. As a Palestinian, to enter Jerusalem he needs special permission from the Israeli government (called tasreiH in Arabic). The next day we woke up slowly. What do we do? Humility from the start, and humility till the end. Israel-Palestine is a place that made a powerful impression on me the very first time I visited on an archaeological dig in the summer of 2015. The list goes on. Today, it still houses the current President, various governmental are. Life goes on, comfortable and safe, behind the picket fence, and the lives of people who do not fit this definition can be taken at any moment in the name of preservation of the Dream. East, I have often been asked the question, “If you are interested in engaging

In stressful times of life’s journey such soothing words speak to us as they are born of a genuine suffering. I have grown to love her, and feel the weight of that privilege and gift. Let […] “Go to the Limits of Your Longing” from Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God.Translation by Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows, reprinted with permission. entered Ramallah city several days in a row. Our guide spoke nonchalantly about being imprisoned twice during the second intifada for no explainable reason. Answer me! I have heard Palestinians use it when referring to people and things that exude beauty, even in their imperfections. This brings to mind the topography in the Holy Land, in particular around Jerusalem and Ramallah. Palestinian Christians remember their roots as the “originals” (el-asslieen): the ones who heard the angel’s song, who responded to the call by the Sea of Galilee, who ran when Christ was arrested, were present at Pentecost, and carried the message of the Gospel of Peace to our ancestors. I do know this: I am certain that the people I will encounter here in Jerusalem and the West Bank will tangibly embody the God who “speaks to each of us as he makes us, then walks with us silently out of the night.” I hope that, through their witness, I might better discern how to live faithfully in this fractured world. one’s life in jeopardy. Why We’re Called to Protect the Gift of Creation: The Catholic Church and Climate Change. Reem. My international friend, a woman from Holland, decides to check out a shop to look for a gift for her boyfriend’s family. Recently, Eli Yackel-Juleen and myself moved into our home for the next year. God speaks to each of us as he makes us, of “preference” to an issue based geography, I understand the sentiment behind What are the limits of your longing? It’s architecture reminds me of some sort of trapezoidal structure meant to mimic the topography of the mountains around it. However, one day a week – every Tuesday – I throw on some music, walk past the Ramallah hospital, and end up at the Ramallah Women’s Center where Meals on Wheels (MoW) is held. The Ramalli folks dominated the dance floor and afterwards we stayed up together until about 4 AM discussing school, life, meaning, and everything in between. names.

The road is somewhat long and we’re somewhat ragged, but we get there.
Then, a full hour after the service was supposed to start, Pastor Fursan strode in at the perfect time to proclaim today’s Gospel, Matthew 18:21-35. she happened to be going up a hill as well. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. I first learned of it about a year and a half ago in a season of deep stress while studying for the MCAT, taking classes, working as an ER scribe, and prepping for the bear that is the medical school application process.

Brand-new mural in Bethlehem’s Dar al-Kalima school, Overlooking the Old City from Mt.

The word “home,” in fact, has become much more complicated for me. I refuse to Dream when the lives of so many I love do not make the cut. About a half kilometer further they saw many stones covering the middle of the