Children of Abraham

Jews, Muslims, Christians. ALL Abrahams children. You remember Abraham. Patriarch of all three of these great religions. One family… currently divided.

The picture above is of his tomb in Hebron on the West Bank of Palestine. I have personally stood before this great holy site (Abraham’s bones are below these cenotaphs in the Cave of the Patriarchs). They reside in the Mosque of the Patriarchs. Tragically, the mosque’s walls are covered with painful reminders of the violence that has recently characterized life in Palestine. Those reminders are bullet holes from an AK 47 used by a crazed American/Israeli physician while a large crowd of Muslims were at prayer. Defenseless in their prone position, 29 were killed, and 112 were wounded.

This happened in the tomb of Abraham. Mind blowing. If there is any holier site on the planet, I can’t think what it would be. Oh, I know there is the Prophet’s Mosque in Mecca, and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem but this is the father of all three religions.

I have heard so many people that I respect make a sweeping judgment about this kind of violence. And of course, there are tragically so many new examples every day as we face the war in Gaza. But what I hear constantly from very bright and caring people is that nothing can be done about it. “They have always hated one another, and violence is to be expected. “

Now I don’t consider myself an expert in Middle East affairs, but I have spent 20 years working in Bethlehem and Jerusalem teaching peacemaking with groups of Jews, Muslims and Christians in the same classroom. I know the history of these three groups over the past 2000 years. There are large swaths of time where the three groups have lived side-by-side… attended each other’s children’s weddings, and mourned at each other’s funerals. Of course there have been disagreements and times of insane violence, but I believe saying it is inevitable is bullshit.

Can you imagine saying this about any other group of people in the world? You have to have a very dark view of human nature to write off such a huge segment of the world’s population like that. There are so many examples of groups of very polarized people groups who have found a way to resolve such issues and religious hatred. But almost always it requires a few deeply committed individuals who will lead and believe that change can, and will be achieved.

But this has to start with you. You are a part of this mess. One thing that we must do is each choose not to participate in polarized extreme groups that create fear and misunderstanding. I am sick and tired of national leaders; worldwide who foment fear and the belief that “we are right, and they are wrong.” We have to believe that it’s time for us to stop being afraid or hopeless./disinterested and get off our butts and become part of the solution.

No, you don’t have to jump on a plane and lead a hunger strike outside of Benjamin Netanyahu’s office door. Just start by loving your neighbor. Put a face on the people that you refer to as… those people. Move away from any candidate for office who polarizes instead of creating consensus. We need leaders who draw us together with the belief that we can change this planet. People like Nelson Mandela, like Desmond Tutu, like MLK AND your Grandfather Abraham himself. Hatred and fear are not inevitable. You have to not only believe this, but live it. I’d love to hear your thoughts, even if you’re really pissed off by what I said.

JON