Interfaith Journey to Israel #2

In the Path of Abraham: A Jewish, Christian, Muslim Experience of the Holy Land
September 5-11, 2011
Day 1

We flew overnight for 11 hours to arrive a bit tired and time-challenged in Tel Aviv, and began our all- day tour in 2 buses, starting in Tel Aviv at a century- old building, still under renovation that housed a synagogue/interfaith centre.  We were struck by the bright early morning sun and the heat because it was still the middle of the night in Canada.  Rabbi David Rosen gave us an excellent overview of the complexity of the interfaith relationships in Israel over the past 50 years.  There is freedom of religious practice in Israel. However, within each religion, there are also disputes and strongly held views, some for peace-building and others strongly suspicious of those working toward peace and compromise, which has an impact on the conversations among faith group members.

We had a driving tour by bus of Tel Aviv and Jaffa, (the older city) and drove north to Nazareth the largest Arab city in Israel.  We visited the Church of St. Joseph, the traditional site of the home of Joseph and Mary.  It was a large building, shared by 2 orthodox faiths, with beautiful orthodox icons, both paintings and sculpture.  The priest there indicated that the Christian population in Nazareth is shrinking.  Our next visit was to Terra Santa College which was attached to the Roman Catholic Basilica.  Father Amjad, the local parish priest had attended this College as a student.  Mr. Bahig Mansour, a Druze man who is director of Israel’s Department for Religious Affairs came to welcome us.  We laughed with him as he explained that he was late because his wife, a native of Nazareth, gave him bungled directions.  He also emphasized the significance of freedom of religious practice in Israel that is protected by the government.  He shared a bit about the Druze religion which is quite secretive.  It does not accept converts. 

We climbed onto the buses in the hot afternoon sun and were driven to Kibbutz Lavi where we had dinner and fell into bed exhausted, knowing that the tour would begin again very early the next day.

Interfaith Trip to Israel #1

A group of Canadians, Roman Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and Jews, mostly from the Toronto area, came to Israel with clergy from each of our faiths for a one-week tour of the holy places of each faith with the hope of developing understanding of the other.  When I return to Canada from Israel next week, I plan to write several blogs about the experience.  I did try to write a blog last week from an internet cafe but lost it when I ran out of internet minutes.  My husband and I are now in Tiberius, visiting our son who works in this city.  We are staying for about a week in a guest house on Kubbutz Ein Gedi.  It is hot every day and we arise before the sun emerges from behind the mountains to the east but the sky is full of that soft pastel light from the dawn.  The water of the lake is still and you can see and hear the birds start their morning journeys for food.  Our trip together with people of faith was very moving at times and very confusing at other times.  I will share some of these experiences soon.

Taking time for someone else

My Blackberry phone did not work.  I could be heard by callers but I could not hear them.   That's another column.  On my landline, I called their help centre and worked with the patient woman to take apart the Blackberry and put it back together. In the end, she suspected that the problem was with the hardware.  Off I went to the Bell store where I waited for a while for a technician to help me.  (Some people don't read their manuals ever!)  The cell phone was sent away for service for 4-6 weeks or earlier if I was lucky.  I was told to wait for a phone call telling me it was back.  I actived my old Blackberry and after a week, I went to the Bell store to find out whether it would be returned to me sooner.  Fortunately, my repaired cell phone was on its way to the Bell store.  After the long weekend, I returned to the Bell store early one morning.  Alas the repair staff were not arriving until after 3:00 pm, but one staff person offered to look at the big plastic bag of packaged repaired  phones that were on the floor.  The bag was full.   It was quiet in the store and another staff person helped him.  They had to open every package in the bag.  My Blackberry was the last package in the bag.  I was lucky that these Bell staff took their time to do another absent person's job.  They put it together for me and off I went into the bright sunny day.

Spare Change

Walking down

Queen Street

on a cold day, I hear an inquiry every so often: “Spare Change?”  I look over and see a person huddled on the sidewalk with an empty coffee cup.  Sometimes I reach into my pocket and give the person a loonie, or a quarter or even a toonie.  Sometimes, I just say “hello” and move on. 

I am not sure why I give money to some and not to others.  I try to say hello to everyone who asks for “spare change”.   Last week, I was walking in close proximity behind a trio of students.  I overheard one person say: “Spare change, what makes him think that anything I have is extra?”  The others laughed in agreement and I was left wondering what the question “spare change” really means. 

On reflection, I think that the phrase “spare change” is an abbreviation of some much more complex questions: 

1. Can you spare me from hunger, thirst and homelessness for today with the change you received when you made your last purchase?
2. Can you spare me from the humiliation of begging more today so that I can change my posture and I can stand up and walk on the street too?
3. Can you spare me from my unfilled yearning for a drug or a drink because I can not change myself just now?
4. Can you spare me from my extreme isolation and change me into a part of your world too?
5. Can you spare yourself the fear of me when I am desperate and try to rob you in the changing streets?

I have heard people accuse the beggars of misrepresenting themselves.  They suggest that the street beggars are all looked after by the government and they have a home and food somewhere and they just want extra money.   Otherwise the beggars should look for work like everyone else.  They are just lazy.

I don’t think so.

Some people are down on their luck through no fault of their own.  Others do not have natural talents or accommodating personalities.  For these people, finding and keeping work is very difficult.  Others are clearly mentally ill.   Life can be very tough. 

I have also heard that the poor will always be with us.  I do not think that it is my job to ignore these individuals or to leave it only to the government or the police or social service agencies to deal with them.

When I am lost and looking for an address, I am so grateful that a stranger on the street takes the time to show me where to go, sometimes even walking me in that direction.

When the bus driver notices that I am running down the sidewalk, trying to catch the bus and stops to wait, I am grateful.

It’s up to each of us as individuals to be responsive to others on the street and hear what they are asking for.  We can change and spare the person who is asking for help from some of his frustrations.  It would be a better city for our efforts.

On the receiving end of kindness

I had some unexpected surgery three weeks ago.  My daughter Elana on the west coast let family and friends know by creating an email group and encouraging them to get in touch with me.  I received many emails and some get well cards of encouragement.  Each contact meant so much to me.  Some people offered prayer, others offered funny stories and still others told me how much they cared about me.  I know these people.  Many have heavy burdens of their own at this time in their own lives and yet they each reached out to me.  People came with prepared food too so I could take a break from the ordinary jobs of life while I recovered.  My daughter Rachel took the bus in from London to look after me for the first few days out of hospital.    I saw the surgeon yesterday.  I am relieved that the biopsies indicated that the tissue was benign.  I found that being on the receiving end of kindness to be a necessary lesson in humility.

Going the distance

My friend told me that she heard from a a former partner who is very ill now.  He lives in rural northern Ontario and must get treatment in a big city hospital.  Without hesitation, she volunteered to drive many hours to his home and spend a week to help put his things in order and close up his home and get him to treatment far away from there. That takes alot of energy and a heart filled with kindness for others.  I have watched her do wonderful acts of kindness for many others over the years.  She inspires me.  Who insprires you?

Offering quiet encouragement

My exercise regime includes an aquafit class early on Sunday mornings.  It is always crowded and regulars try, sometimes with great vigour,  to get to their favourite spots at the front of the pool as soon as they can.  This morning we were joined by a woman in her last trimester of pregnancy.  I think this was her first time in this class.  She was relegated to a spot in the back corner of the pool near where I was working out.  The aquafit instructor noticed this newcoming after leading the class for about 10 minutes.  She walked over to her and quietly added some special instructions so that no harm would come from exercise that may be too strenuous, and then the instructor casually walked back to the front of the pool shouting instructions to the rest of us all the way. 

It's challenging to notice someone special in a crowd who may need some individual attention.  I was impressed.