So once again time has flown and I haven’t posted as much as I would have liked. The past month was amazing for me. I enjoyed co-leading the group more than I ever thought. Being outside so much (more than I have been for the past while) was a very welcome thing and I can say that I feel much healthier now than I did a month ago. We got to do a bit of hiking which was one of my favourite parts. One of my main concerns before heading out was that the culture would not “click” with me. Although this may seem selfish, it is true that some personalities click more quickly with a culture than others. Yes there are so many things under the surface that remain to be discovered, and most likely some frustrations as well, but for now I am happy to say that I found the culture (I was mostly in Arab circles in Nazareth and East Jerusalem) to be quite comfortable. The food was great, hospitality was everywhere, and people were quick to open up and talk for the most part.
There are any number of political and historical realizations that I could post about (some new and some not so new) but suffice it to say for now that the situation is so complex and overwhelming that I wonder at my own audacity (and any other foreigner’s) going into the country and thinking I can make any positive contribution. I think the only way that one can approach such a situation is with great humility, learning from those who belong to land, inviting others to learn as well, and possibly being a bridge to bring people together in some small way. That would be the ultimate goal but even that seems presumptuous at this point.
