Newsletter: Vol. 11. Iss. 1
April 2012
The Holy Land, The Holy People
Mr. Allan Nixon
My wife and I are experienced tour participants. Our decision to join this SBS led journey to the Holy Land was easy. The itinerary included stops at just about every significant site that we had read about connected with the beginnings of Judeo-Christian religious practice as well as many sites, less known to us, with significance to Islam; we would be able to spend time in majority Palestinian cities; opportunities would be provided to meet with Jewish and Palestinian citizens and activists; our guides would be scholars knowledgeable in history, religions, geography and archaeology; our fellow travelers were to be pastors early in their careers who, naturally, would be able to ask and answer lots of faith related questions and inject youthful enthusiasm all along the way. Despite signing on with such high expectations, we were never disappointed.
Hannah and I were continually impressed with the scholarly expertise that guided us. Thorough preparations had been made for every stop. Peter Miano led the group and clearly showed on-the-ground preparation as well as the ability to convey the Biblical and historical significance of each place we visited. He took time to read and cross reference Bible passages with the land, buildings and artifacts as they came into view. On a Sunday, after an overnight on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, Peter led us to a path through a nearby valley. With no other people in the area, we stopped and talked about the probability that this was indeed a path that Jesus had walked. Some of the pastors/travelers in the group had brought along the elements for communion and shared the elements under overarching trees in a most moving service.
Particular care was taken to show and explain evidence of Roman civilization in the region before and during the period of Jesus’ life. The experience of standing among the ruins of Herod’s summer palace added immeasurably to the understanding of the political and military power under his rule, adding yet another dimension to familiar Bible references. Similarly, we later visited the desert site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and learned about the time, place and significance of this site in Jewish history. Every stop along the way was used to add meaning and perspective to our understanding of Holy Land, Holy People.
Generous time was given to appreciate the heritage, traditions, and situation of Palestinians who live, work, raise families and worship in these same Holy Lands. We often stayed in and walked among residential areas, e.g., Bethlehem, that are walled or fenced to separate Palestinian inhabitants from Israeli areas. The tour included a visit to a desert village, home to nomadic people who had title to the land prior to the time that Israel became a nation. There we saw the remnants of a small block home belonging to a widow. The house had been bulldozed by the Israeli army because it did not have the proper permit. The village has no public services provided by the state and is not shown on maps of Israel, yet the people remain on their deeded property and strive to build essential services, including water, electricity, and communication links, for their community.
During another visit the group went to a refugee area that had been established as housing for Palestinians whose homes were taken when Israel was established. Arrangements had been made to meet with a community leader for conversation about the situation of families in his community today. His is a perspective not often covered in American news media today but is crucial to understanding the political stalemate that continues to plague today’s Holy Land.
Our group was also privileged to visit a Kibbutz with a long time resident, an Israeli woman, as our guide. This philosophically close-knit community now includes second and perhaps a few third generation families. It is highly organized. Everyone contributes to the work of the community and the benefits of their productivity are shared equally. We were impressed by the evident focus of individuals on the welfare of the community.
A young former Israeli soldier met with us to discuss his view of the current Israeli-Palestinian relationship. He explained that quite a number of former military men and women have shared their observations of the situation and are speaking out to try and make a difference in the situation. During their service, they were part of efforts to further restrict the movement of Palestinians and to facilitate the expansion of Israeli settlements in areas previously designated as Palestinian. It was chilling to hear his first-hand accounts of how these operations were carried out.
The Holy Land, Holy People trip gave me a far deeper personal understanding of life in Bible times, with particular attention to the footsteps of Jesus. Perhaps as important, it brought the current state of conflict, with basis in competing religious traditions, into sharper and more balanced focus. I am grateful to the General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church, for sponsoring this trip and to Peter Miano of the Society for Biblical Studies for making our arrangements and personally sharing his wealth of knowledge of the region and the subject so freely with us.
Mr. Alan Nixon: Is a lay person in Grace United Methodist Church, Manassas, VA who is very active with Volunteers in Mission, leading mission trips to Russia and the Ukraine. He travelled to the Holy Land with the General Board of Church and Society in 2011.
