Holy Land, Day 3- Life as They Know It

Today's visits included Bethlehem Bible College, Diyar Consortium, and Dar Al-Kalima University College of Arts and Culture.

• BBC has campuses here in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Gaza. (Palestinians' freedom of movement is extremely restricted, so having these three campuses allows for people from various parts of Palestine to study.) 
• Diyar Consortium is a Lutheran-based, ecumenically-oriented organization that fosters cultural and artistic expression, civic engagement, a printing house, and sports programs. - This afternoon we got to watch a girl's handball game. So cool! 
• Al-Kalima is a Palestinian university associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church and has various arts degree programs. 

On our way back to the Holy Land Hotel this afternoon, we drove right by a demonstration- tires burning, kids throwing rocks, soldiers firing tear gas and spraying their skunk water, etc. Our bus stopped for a minute or so while trying to get through a nearby intersection, and opposite the demonstration was a wedding caravan. Usama simply said "Welcome to Palestine." 

That is just it. Despite the occupation and the unrest that it fuels, life goes on. Like people everywhere, these people want to live their lives- to be free, to be happy, to provide for their children, to play outside, and to celebrate when life calls for it. The situation here in the West Bank is tense: just yesterday, a 13 year old was killed by Israeli forces, bringing the Palestinian death toll here to 42 this year. And today, settlers stormed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, detaining the mosque guards. There are demonstrations all over the West Bank every day, in response to IDF actions in Gaza and Jerusalem. It is a dangerous situation.

I fully support the Palestinians' right to resistance and am impressed by their passion. Their anger is understandable, and they have the right to resist and struggle. In this place, anyone younger than 45 years old does not know life without this military occupation. But it is the people we have met over the past few days who are fighting the most difficult battle- choosing to stay, confronting injustice in creative, nonviolent ways, and bringing hope to this place. I'd like to think that if I was in their situation, that I would reject violence and follow in the way of Jesus. But I cannot know what I would do. 

I do know that these saints and their courage are what we should all strive for.