I have attended a course at Fuller Seminary this week on "The Arab-Israeli Conflict and a Theology of Reconciliation," taught by Salim Munayer. I am going to write multiple blog posts on this, in large part because it is just too much to digest otherwise.
First, I want to calm fears that I might renounce being Jewish or something, after spending a week in a course with a Palestinian Arab. More specifically, some people may be concerned that I have abandoned a "strong" view of Israel as the people of God and their claim on the land.
My questions about Israel's role in God's redemptive plan started long before this class. To be blunt, I have deep concerns about national/political Israel of today being the successor to the Israel of the Bible.
Let me quickly say that the people of God, Israel, has not been written off by God and I find "replacement theology" thoroughly wanting. And, I believe that the Christian Zionist movement is equally inadequate.
Salim's challenge to me around Palestine and Israel is not really about who is right and who is wrong, but rather how genuine followers of Jesus can own and acknowledge their historical narrative AND learn to appreciate the others' historical narrative.
Here is what I mean: Jewish people have a narrative of the holy land that says this: "Before the nation of Israel was birthed there was relatively few people living in Palestine and the Jews claim and caused the desert to bloom."
The Palestinian narrative says something like this: "We were fruitful and lived in the land for centuries before 1948 and we were hospitable toward the Jews and welcomed them into the land as a religious people."
If you are reading this and thinking to yourself that one of these people are wrong and one is right then you have just illustrated Salim's point. Until all sides in the conflict see that our own narrative is incomplete and even inaccurate at points we cannot begin to relate to one another.
Until all sides also seek to understand and even sympathize with the others' narrative there can be no conversation or beginnings of reconciliation. This is a HUGE challenge.
What is fascinating is that the more I seek to understand the Palestinian narrative of the Holy Land the more my identity as a Jew is "safe." My fear in entering into my "enemy's" narrative is that I will lose my own identity. The very opposite happens.
First, I want to calm fears that I might renounce being Jewish or something, after spending a week in a course with a Palestinian Arab. More specifically, some people may be concerned that I have abandoned a "strong" view of Israel as the people of God and their claim on the land.
Let me quickly say that the people of God, Israel, has not been written off by God and I find "replacement theology" thoroughly wanting. And, I believe that the Christian Zionist movement is equally inadequate.
Salim's challenge to me around Palestine and Israel is not really about who is right and who is wrong, but rather how genuine followers of Jesus can own and acknowledge their historical narrative AND learn to appreciate the others' historical narrative.
Here is what I mean: Jewish people have a narrative of the holy land that says this: "Before the nation of Israel was birthed there was relatively few people living in Palestine and the Jews claim and caused the desert to bloom."
The Palestinian narrative says something like this: "We were fruitful and lived in the land for centuries before 1948 and we were hospitable toward the Jews and welcomed them into the land as a religious people."
If you are reading this and thinking to yourself that one of these people are wrong and one is right then you have just illustrated Salim's point. Until all sides in the conflict see that our own narrative is incomplete and even inaccurate at points we cannot begin to relate to one another.
Until all sides also seek to understand and even sympathize with the others' narrative there can be no conversation or beginnings of reconciliation. This is a HUGE challenge.
What is fascinating is that the more I seek to understand the Palestinian narrative of the Holy Land the more my identity as a Jew is "safe." My fear in entering into my "enemy's" narrative is that I will lose my own identity. The very opposite happens.
thank you for stepping out bypassing fear open to fresh revelation and thanks for sharing,love you for it,Wil
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