Good Morning!

I have to admit that I am very annoyed at this moment. I was sound asleep when I heard a faint knocking. It was persistant, finally I opened my eyes and saw that my roomate was not in the room and all the lights were on-on his side of the room. I don't get awoken feeling polite.

But I guess I was already annoyed because when we walked into the room there was only one bed. Back in Jerusalem, we saw that the 2 narrow beds were together and I saw what his eyes to be grow big. When he left the room, I decided to explore and sure enough the nightstands and the bed were movable, so I separated them. Certain straight men flatter themselves. All I could think was please. But, if it eased tension then fine.

But there were not two separate beds this times. I immediately said,"Let's go back down and get another room." But, we discovered around the corner was a couch and it pulled out. "I'll take the couch." It came out of my mouth and immediately I wondered why I would capitulate. He is the one who might have issues. (Not that I am a fan of sleeping next to a relative stranger, especially one who gave the impression he voted for Bush) He said, we could switch rooms (he didnt offer to take the couch) and I wanted to say let's flip for it, but was too tired to keep talking.

So when I woke up and heard knocking, I walked to the door and it is him and he asks, "where is the key?" "I dunno, I have been sleeping. What time is it?" "6:30" I thought, "Oh the phone should be ringing with a wake up call. or did I miss it?" I found the key within seconds and my roomate disappeared. He seemed odd, but I was barely awake. I jumped into the shower. Hmm, still no wake up call. Well, when I got dressed, I called down stairs and it was 4:40. Let's just be thankful I am a person of prayer.

So, in my haze I thought more about Ramallah. In fact, I thought about wiritng a sermon about how challenging it is to be open to the other's narrative. I thought I would be. I asked the Jews who were concerned about going to Ramallah, why did they feel this way. I said, "Can't we just go over and hear their situation. One doesn't have to take on responsibility, listening to another's story is what important. Can't we agree that their situation is sad at the very least."

True it is sad, but when the presenters rhetoric around Israel was charged and in my opinion misleading my internal protectiveness surged. Eyes locked around the room. But we sat their politely. I wanted to challenge some of the assumptions, but didn't feel safe. I forced myself to be open to what I could. Reluctantly. Then when we had an Israeli speaker from the American Jewish Committee, Eron Lehrman, and a Muslim reporter from the Jerusalem Post of whom we were told would present an objective (dangerous word) history.

Not only did they not present a history, they gave a fairly right wing pro Israel version of their narrative. The Muslim reporter was pretty powerful, I have to admit. Their treatment from a few Muslims of the group though was shocking in the force of their response and the desire to shut up the reporter. At first, I was uncomfortable, not with their message but with the misleading we had been given. Just as someone us felt "set up" in Ramallah, I could see how this must have felt like a set up. But then I was conflicted, we had listened to a painful and from my opinion and many other Jews, an inaccurate narrative but we were polite. I wondered if those who were challenging recognized the safety that being in Israel afforded them.

I haven't sorted all of this out, but here is the jumble: loyalty, loving the "enemy", honoring competing and conflicting narratives, the humanity of all, hospitality, representing all of one's people, the responsibility or lack thereof of our leadership, how to treat guests.


Well, it's time to get on a 9 and a half hour flight.


My prayers for New Orleans have been heavy on my heart.

Warmly,

Joshua