Theological Reflection

During our days of Ecumenical Accompaniment orientation in Jerusalem, each of our six teams were asked to make brief reflections on our experiences at the beginning of each day. Pasted below is my contribution.

The previous day, we had had a challenging presentation from a member of "Breaking the Silence," a project of a group of ex-soldiers with the Israeli Defense Force who discovered, in conversation with each other, that they shared troubling memories of their experiences in enforcing the occupation of the Palestinian Territories. They began by setting up a photo exhibition, and now have published printed recollections and concerns from former soldiers throughout Israel. And on that same day, we also had met with the Rt. Rev. Munib Younan, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, at his offices in Jerusalem. These two presentations sparked the following reflections on my part:



I Kings 19:3-15a
3 Elijah was afraid [a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." 5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.
The LORD Appears to Elijah
And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper [and the newest English translation says, “a sound like pure silence.] 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
15 The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came,….

Matthew 19:35-40
35Then [the disciples] led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back and helped Jesus get on. 36And as he rode along, the people spread clothes on the road in front of him. 37When Jesus was starting down the Mount of Olives, his large crowd of disciples were happy and praised God because of all the miracles they had seen. 38They shouted,
"Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven
and glory to God."
39Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, make your disciples stop shouting!"
40But Jesus answered, "If they keep quiet, these stones will start shouting."


In our first introductions last week, when we each told a little about ourselves and our goals for our experience as an EA, I said that I think my most personal goal is to “find my voice.” … to be able to speak to others with very different experiences and opinions, particularly, American Jews, without being defensive, and in ways that build relationships, rather than undermining them.

To move from silence, to speech….

Breaking the silence….

For Elijah, life was terrifying; he was so sure that he was the last and only faithful member of God’s community, the rest had been killed, and he would be killed too. He had given up and run away. And God pushed him, and pushed him. God gave him food, and a place to sleep, and kept saying, “Elijah, what are you doing here?” Elijah was a slow learner. God had to keep after him for a long time, and finally, when nothing else would work, God manifested God’s holy being directly to him. In a newer translation than the one I read, the “gentle whisper” is more accurately translated as: “something like the sound of pure silence.” And after that silence, God spoke again, very softly, and said, “Elijah, what are you doing here?” And when Elijah protested again that he was running for his life, God said, “Go back….” Go back to your own people and do the work. Go back to your own people, and tell the truth.

Yesterday Bishop Younan reminded us what this struggle we’re engaged in, in our way, as EA’s, is about. It is about justice, and that’s all it’s about. It’s not about religion. It’s not about ancient histories of oppression. It’s not about the Holocaust. It’s not about guilt. It’s about justice and injustice, and nothing more.

He said to us that when he comes to meetings and conferences in Europe and the US, and they sit down together to try to talk about resolving “the problem in the Holy Land,” he says, “Are we speaking the same language?” Are we telling the same story? Are we talking about the injustice? Because that’s all he is interested in talking about. That’s all there is.

In our Christian story, when Jesus was paraded into Jerusalem on a donkey, his disciples and supporters shouted that a new life is possible. Here it is! Don’t get distracted, just take hold of it. And when the powers that be asked Jesus if the shouters could be shut up, he said, “If they keep silent, the very stones of the street will shout.” The truth cannot be suppressed. Sooner or later, it will be unavoidable.

Part of my own American Christian experience is this spiritual from the African-American tradition that we sing:

I’m so busy praising my Jesus,
I’m so busy praising my Jesus,
I’m so busy praising my Jesus --
If I don’t praise him
Rocks are gonna cry out,
Rocks are gonna cry out --
Ain’t got time to die.

Not only will the truth not be suppressed. It will strengthen us. It will keep us going. 'Ain’t got time to die….'


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I was sent by the Common Board of Global Ministries of the United Church of Christ (UCC) and the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, and Church World Service, to participate in the World Council of Churches’ (WCC’s) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). The views contained herein are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of the Common Board of Global Ministries, the UCC or the WCC. If you would like to publish the information contained here or disseminate it further, please first contact the EAPPI Coordination (eappi-co@jrol.com) for permission. Thank you.
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