We are all one

Yesterday was a day of making a movement to come and see all that God was offering. It was a day that challenged me to step into a spirit of setting aside my own desires and my will to listen to the paths that was unfolding.

Today began with listening... Listening to the call to prayer that called through the city at 3:30....it moved into listening to the sounds of the early morning trash and delivery trucks that navigate the narrow, dark roads of the Old City......then I listened as the birds made their entrance into the beauty of the day and harkened us to rise from our beds and enter the day with fullness.

 As I sat with my bible this morning and listened to the birds greet one another the passage for the day from the book that I am currently reading laid forth passages in John, Galatians and Colossians. Each of the passages were a reminder that our God is a creative and mighty God.  Our God is a God that calls us his children and covers us with the promise that in him there is no a distinction between Greeks, Jews or slaves.  

The things that make us different from one another are usually the first thing we notice about one another.  I think if we were truthful with ourselves and our journey we would find that seeing differences between one another is a way of protecting ourselves.  It is a barrier that we can hide behind  because we are fearful of the unknown.  We notice and point out differences because our own self worth is at stake,someone else might just  jump over us in this sociology-economic world that unfortunately often pronounces our place within the world.  Differences create barriers and bread isolation.

Today I experienced the willingness to take those differences and see them as unique distinctions that are all working toward the same purpose: love your neighbor and know that we are all one.

I spent the day with a Palestinian   Christian who has forged relationships with  an Israeli who has made their home by living in a settlement (which means that by 'law' they should not be on the land but have taken it away from some a Palestinian) and profiting off of the land by producing some of the finest wine in the land. I watched as wine was freely poured as an offer of  genuine hospitality. I listened as he shared that this is the year of jubilee which means that during this entire year while they are harvesting the grapes and making the wine they will not be making a profit from any of the bottles sold throughout the year.  He spoke passionately about the importance of giving to God.  Palestinian Christian and an Isreali Jew sharing in the cup of forgiveness and rest.

I listened to the history of the Samaritans (a goroup of persons whose lineage is from 10 of the 12 Tribes and who have lived on the land lonager than any other) from a Muslim woman who loves her brothers and sisters and works to protect the 770 that are leftin this world.  With her hijab she sat with pride talking about a people who are near and dear to her heart  in order that her friends would not forgotten in this world. She sat with assurance that while their tenants of faith might seem far apart that they/all of us want to be known, loved and respected. A Muslim sharing the story of her Samartian brothers and sisters.

Then I sat with two Muslim women who live within the West Bank and are making an impact on their community doing some of the very things that we seek to do at Morton Memorial UMC. Women who cannot travel outside their own area are willing to invite others into their kitchen to break bread and share the struggles of life. Two women speaking in a language that I did not know but with a depth  in which I would sense.  We sat on the couch shaing coffee ( mine with plenty of sugar if you have ever had Turkish coffee you know why) and this was all I could think about:

Three women speaking different languages.

Three women with three different skin tones.

Three women from three very different backgrounds and life experiences.

We were not that different, distict yes but not different