I am back to Israel! It is a strange thing to "visit" the U.S and to come "home" to Israel. The contrast could not be greater at the moment. My family celebrated Christmas in the mountains of Virginia and we had over a foot of snow! Now, back in Israel we are experiencing one of the warmest winters in a very long time.

The other day I had a short-sleeve shirt on and I was still hot. It was around 28 degrees Celsius! I really can't tell you what that means in Fahrenheit because I am still stuck in the US colonial system of measurement where we speak in terms of hands, feet, pinches, cups, quarts, gallons, etc. Everything needs its own explanation. I can say that in terms of measurement systems, I think the other system based on units of ten makes infinitely more sense. In this area, the US could use an upgrade =)

I still can't believe it is 2010! Twenty-ten! It feels like such a futuristic date and a time period where I don't belong. I feel that even more keenly working in the ancient city of Jerusalem. Starting from the beginning of January, I am working on Mondays and Tuesdays in Jerusalem in the Grafted department of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ). I really love this city and have missed it since we moved to Ra'anana.

Where else in the world is there a city where every building is from the same stone (beautiful Jerusalem stone). The whole city glows at sunrise and sunset and really gives it the appearance of being a city of gold. There are ancient historical and biblical sights just steps away from where I work and there is always the bustle of people from all over the world going here and there.

But I confess, it is the less glorious side of Jerusalem that finds a peculiar warm spot in my heart. The streets are so crowded and drivers so impatient that it is not unusual to hear horns blaring at a red light. Jerusalem pedestrians also feel they have the right to walk in the middle of the road anytime they please, and the strangest people seem almost normal here. Take for instance the taxi driver I saw yesterday who was standing beside his car, talking on the cell phone and emptying his bladder all at the same moment and with no cover and no shame. Ok, so that is not so endearing. But I guess I just find this city incredibly fascinating.

I had a little break from blogging in December, but working in Jerusalem is giving me plenty of fodder for the fires of creativity. I want to thank all of you who make comments on my blog. I really enjoy the interaction and look forward to sharing my Israel moments with you in 2010!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Today at sunset it will be the eve of Tisha B'Av. It is a day which marks great tragedy in the Jewish Calendar. Both the first and second temples were destroyed on Tisha B'Av. The first was in 586 BC when the Babylonians conquered and the second was when the Romans demolished the temple in 70 A.D. Since the second temple fell the Jewish people have mourned for its rebuilding.

Though it may seem strange at first, this day reminds me of my wedding. I married a Jewish man and we had a Jewish wedding complete with the breaking of the glass when the groom recites the words of Psalm 137 verse 5:

 
If I forget you Jerusalem
May I forget my right hand
May my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth
If I ever don't think of you
If I don't raise up Jerusalem above my highest joy

Though there are many interpretations of what the broken glass symbolizes, many see it as a memorial to the destruction of the temple. My husband explained that the broken glass is to remind us that even in moments of our greatest joy we must not forget the loss of the temple and the importance of Jerusalem.

Our ceremony was one of the most treasured memories of my life and when my husband broke the glass I thought about the temple and Jerusalem. I felt grateful that even during one of the happiest events of my life, I was reminded that God's glory is above mine. I really treasure the Jewish symbolism that speaks to us of a narrative that is far greater than our own.

This year I won't make it to Jerusalem, but I remember spending Tisha B'Av in Israel's capitol city in the past. Thousands of Jews from around the world come to Jerusalem to walk around the Old City Walls. I went with one of my Jewish friends, Sara Rebi, and and other Christian friends who also wanted to participate. Sara took us to a large center square on Jaffa Street. We joined the enormous crowd in sitting on the floor as a Rabbi read from the Book of Lamentations:

The elders of the daughter of Zion
Sit on the ground and keep silence;
They throw dust on their heads
And gird themselves with sackcloth.
The virgins of Jerusalem Bow their heads to the ground.
Lamentations 2:10

After the entire book was read the crowd filed out to walk around the walls. During this time I could hear both joyful signing from those who were focused on the hope of a brighter future as well as mournful tunes accompanied by tears from those who were weeping for what had happened in the past. I saw a few men wearing sackcloth and ashes. It was really amazing to me because it was something I had only read about in my Bible and there it was right in front of me.

Finally everyone ended up at the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall. It is the only remnant of what is left of the Holy Temple. Thousands and thousands of Jewish mourners have visited this place. They come weeping over the loss of the temple and yearning for the day it will be made new. The wall is a symbol of sorrow but also of great promise and redemption.

Tisha B'Av is a somber day and yet there is undeniable beauty in it. As I recall seeing so many people in Jerusalem gathered together, longing for God's presence in their lives and in their land I am humbled. It is a sight I recall with deep emotion. As I remember my wedding day and the broken glass reminding us of the loss of the temple, I am humbled. This day has taught me something of great worth. Despite how busy life becomes and no matter if I am thrilled by happy occasions or discouraged by hard times one thing transcends it all - one thing. King David expressed such a sentiment in the 27th Psalm:

One thing I ask of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in His temple.'
Psalm 27:4

The "one" thing is not simply a building of great worth, power and beauty, but the one thing is to be near the great worth, power and beauty of the "One" who inhabits the temple. Tisha B'Av is about the great and awesome glory of God. His presence once dwelt physically in the temple and on Tisha B'Av we as Jews and Christians mourn that loss, yet we look forward to and long for the day when we will behold Him in His temple. The day when His Kingdom will be on earth as it is in heaven.

 ~

 King Solomon dedicated the Holy Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem with a prayer and a precedent that has been followed by Israeli leadership since they reunited Jerusalem in 1967 and took responsibility for the Holy places - the foreigner is welcomed.

"When a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name's sake...when he comes and prays toward this house, hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name." (I Kings 8:41-4)

It doesn't matter if it is the media, history teachers, tour guides, religious leaders or the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, they all like to refer to the fact that Jerusalem contains holy sites for the three great monotheistic religions of the world. Just not all of those mentioned above are so quick to add that there has only been freedom of worship for every religious group when Jerusalem has been in the hands of the Jews. It isn't an opinion it is an historical fact and it means a great deal for this foreigner.

Jerusalem Day is important and meaningful for me as a Christian. Despite the atrocious history of Crusader brutality in this city, when Israel unified it in 1967 they didn't decide to even the scorecard. No, they unfastened the old latches and broke open the ancient doors to welcome everyone. It was like the Old City finally took in a gasp of fresh air after being locked up for thousands of years.

In Jerusalem, under the rule of the Israeli government, I have complete freedom to go to church, to visit the Garden Tomb, to follow the Via Dolorosa or even walk up to the Western Wall and place my own prayer note in the cracks with the peculiar and comforting knowledge that thousands of years ago King Solomon actually prayed that God would answer my prayer, the prayer of the foreigner.

I don't think most people realize the extravagant cultural and religious freedom that exists in Jerusalem. Watching the news you might think that there is a west side of Jerusalem filled with Jews and and east side filled with Arabs and a clean line of separation down the center. There doesn't seem to be a concept of the stunning, vibrant, interwovern diversity that greets me every time I amble through the well-worn cobblestone streets of this city.

I attended Hebrew classes at one ulpan where Muslim Arabs made up the majority of my class. I sat by Abba Moshe, a Greek orthodox priest, behind me were Catholic priests-in-training from Italy and Brazil, and to my left sat two very quiet sisters from a local order of nuns. Thrown in between were a few of us clad in normal street clothes. I often joke that Jerusalem is the ancient version of Manhattan.

That is just a snap shot of Jerusalem today, and this foreigner hopes it doesn't change. It is one city in the Middle East where Muslim, Christian, Jew - also many other diverse faiths - can mingle in the streets freely and openly as they trot off to their individual places of worship. And this openness remained even in the face of the horrific terrorist acts during the Intifada years. Israelis have paid a great price for the freedom of the foreigner.

For reasons I do not understand, the human rights of cultural and religious freedom that took root and began flourishing in 1967 are the subject of little conversation when the eyes of the world focus on Jerusalem. In fact, it seems the reverse is happening.

Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat recently met with U.S. House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Rep. Peter Roskan (R-Ill). He responded to the Obama administrations request to freeze construction in East Jerusalem. He came to America, the bastion of freedom, to express his "shock" and "surprise" at what he referenced as Obama's request for discriminatory practices in Jerusalem's city zoning.

"I think in Washington or anywhere in the states its illegal, it's anti constitutional, to ask who's the owner, if he's Jewish or Muslim," Barkat stated. "You're not allowed to discriminate, by race, by color, or by religion. And I'm surprised at the demand and the request to hint to us that we must discriminate...It's against the law."

Does the the US Administration really want to impose segregation? If Jerusalem is divided and east Jerusalem zoned to exlude Jews, would it not be important to have such a zoning law in west Jerusalem to exclude Arabs from building, buying and renting? Why unequal measures for the east and west parts of the city? Is this really 2010? A zone of Arabs and a zone of Jews? It seems common sense has been restricted to the Twilight Zone.

It is especially flabbergasting in the light of what I see today in Jerusalem. The city is such an expression of diversity that is should be a model city for the region. Sure there is room for improvement but maybe we should look to Mecca where the Ministry of Islamic Affairs has barred all non-Muslims from even entering the city if we want to start improving the Middle East.

In any case, celebrating the reunification of the ancient city of Jerusalem has gotten a bit more audacious. Should we really commemorate an event that most world-powers, including some Jewish, would like to reverse?

U.S. President Obama has not helped the cause by entering into the Middle East peace process intent on making the status of Jerusalem a starter at the Mid-East Convivium. So far Israelis seated at the negotiating table have recoiled at the rare-cooked, heavy laden hors d'oeuvres set by the US Administration that must leave them wondering what kind of entrée is to follow. The Palestinians, well they haven't yet made it to the table. But that hasn't stopped Obama from dishing out heaping portions to the Israelis. What was once non-negotiable, Jerusalem, lies poised on the chopping block and it has instigated a bit of a family rumpus in the world-wide Jewish community, especially in the US.

One Jewish leftist organization issued an ad pleading with Obama to "save us from ourselves". And the iconic Eli Wiesel, who stands as the keeper of Holocaust memory, challenged Obama's approach to Jerusalem in an ad so strong it earned him a lunch invitation at the White House. I love the healthy arena of social engagement that democratic republics facilitate and even require. But I think it will take a little more then Obama's beer diplomacy to reduce the growing tension over Jerusalem.

I hope Jerusalem remains united, but Israel is a democracy, and her people will have to decide the future of their capital. They are the ones paying the price and living the reality. However, I think all of us, especially those in places of influence, should ask ourselves a simple question. If Jerusalem, as it exists today, is a barrier to peace in the Middle East then what kind of peace are we asking Israel to seek?

Kasey Barr is a frequent blogger for http://www.Travelujah.com, the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant online community offering high quality Christian content, user and expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested in connecting with or traveling to the Holy Land.

There is much being said about Jerusalem in the news these days. It is Israel's capitol city, though most of the world does not recognize it as so. I lived in the city for a few years and though I now live in Ra'anana (a city north of Tel Aviv), I still make it to Jerusalem about once a week. It is a weighty city with a beautiful yet violent history. I like to walk the ancient streets and try to imagine the many events that occurred there. It takes a bit of imagination because the reality today is quite different.

In Jerusalem there is tension between the vast varieties of people, yet it is a product of the openness of the city. Only under Jewish control of Jerusalem has there been religious freedom for all people. And it comes at great risk and a high price as Jerusalem has been one of the hot spots for terrorism. There is no other place in the world where I can walk the streets and find myself brushing shoulders with not only multiple sects of Judaism, but also the Eastern Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Muslims, Armenians, even the Mormons have their spot here. The list could go on and on. Sometimes I feel like I am walking around the ancient version of Manhattan! Walking through the old stone streets of Jerusalem are monks, Imams, and my personal favorite, the evangelical tour groups who are occasionally found singing hymns.

Within the ancient walls of Jerusalem's Old City lie four ancient and distinctive cultures. The Old City is divided into four quarters--The Jewish Quarter, Muslim, Quarter, Armenian Quarter and Christian Quarter. 

Constant streams of pilgrims visit the most holy site to the Jewish nation, the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall. Five times daily, one can hear the Muslim call to prayer being sounded from the El Aksa mosque located right above the Western Wall. Armenians fulfill their daily ritual prayers in the Church of the Holy Archangels--a structure dating back to the medieval period. And throughout the year, Christians retrace the steps of Jesus, visiting the temple ruins, Gethsemane, The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the Garden Tomb.

The diversity of the ancient city of Jerusalem rarely, if ever, makes headline news, but it should. While Israel's so called "intolerance" toward its Arab citizens dominates the mainstream media focus, individuals of every race and creed are granted cultural and religious freedom throughout Israel and most visibly in Jerusalem -- the most holy city of the Jewish faith. This can hardly be said of any other country in the region and certainly not Saudi Arabia which will not even permit a Jewish person entrance into their country or any non-Muslim/ infidel in Mecca.

Jerusalem is a shining example of religious and cultural freedom in an area of the world where religious persecution is practiced regularly and quite brutally. Jerusalem has seen much bloodshed in the past from religious conquests to dominate the region and the minds of her citizens. Thankfully today, there is freedom of conscience for all peoples. I am thankful to Israel and the Jewish people that I, as a Christian, can come here and celebrate the life of Jesus and worship freely without fear of intimidation or persecution.

I was in the Old City of Jerusalem on Tuesday when the latest riots broke out. Days like these always serve as a reality check. I was interviewing Christian Arabs for an upcoming article. I was quite safe. Except for the added police force at Jaffa gate, and the abnormally quiet markets, I felt no difference in the Christian Quarter of the Old City. The focus of the riots has been around the Temple Mount and in the Muslim quarter. After Friday prayers, many young Palestinian men began throwing rocks down from the Temple Mount and Israeli security forces intervened. The situation got progressively tense as Israel closed the Temple Mount to all tourists and the mosque to worshipers under 50. On Tuesday clashes broke out. Things are now quiet again and the mosque and Temple Mount reopened to all.

On Tuesday I was close to the area, but far enough that I felt no fear. I did, however, leave the area and my interviews with a renewed realization that I am living and working in an intense conflict region. While I do have strong and well defined political views, I would like to share something much more critical to the situation in my estimation. That is, how do we Christians relate on a personal level to the people behind the conflict? Though I am no scholar or teacher of the Bible, I have a few insights as a Christian living in Israel that I would like to share with you. There are some Biblical principles that help guide me as I navigate the intense situation here that directly affects every relationship.

One of the greatest failings I see among some Christians in how they relate to the Middle East conflict is that as they begin to identify with one group, they often begin to despise the other. There are those who sympathize with the Arab Palestinians and refer to Israelis as barbarians. One friend told me that she "doesn't have a sympathetic bone in her body for any Israeli." She is a Christian friend I met in a Christian university program. She had several biblical references on "justice" that she used to fuel her palpable anger and fury at all Israeli citizen.

On the other hand there are Christians who identify with the Jewish nation but have angry undertones as they refer to Arabs in generalities and link them automatically to terrorism and thus feel justified to direct their anger toward them as a whole. I heard one person claim Arabs to be cursed of God.

I am not saying that it is wrong to have a political view on the subject and even to work hard to advance the cause you feel is just and right. I personally believe Israel has every right to the land from a secular, political perspective as well as from a Biblical point of view. I think that Arab nations are abusing their Palestinian brothers and using them as human weapons of suffering in a war of attrition against Israel. That is my view of the political situation. But every political situation is made up of individuals, many of whom have very little say or impact in what their government decides to do.

As Christians, our greatest responsibility is to love. Jesus said that you will know my disciples by their love. I Corinthians 13 lists that many gifts of the Spirit but concludes with "the greatest of these is love." Earlier in the passage is says "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." Love should not be confused with condoning unjust behavior. However, is it not possible to confront behavior without despising and hating the person?  

I am married to an Israeli and will some day become a citizen of the country as well. I love the nation of Israel for so many reasons. It is a land of religious and cultural freedom. In fact in my interview with one of the Christian Arabs in the Old City, I cannot mention his name, he told me that many Christian Palestinians are fleeing the West Bank areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority because of religious persecution. Where are they going? Would you believe Jerusalem? He told me that they are safe under Israeli rule, but their lives are endangered in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority. Last year a Christian Arab in Gaza was beheaded for having a Bible Study in his home. Many more are persecuted and threatened.

I also meet with other Christian Arabs who are opposed to Israel on several levels and issues. They are often even skeptical of the organization where I work, which publicly expresses support for the nation of Israel. But when they see that I can support Israel and still offer to bring a group to clean their community center or pick up trash in their neighborhood, they look at me with an incredulous smile and are willing to accept our gestures of love. One of my favorite things I help to plan - among many other projects directed to the Jews, Arabs, Sudanese refugees, etc - are day camps for Arab children in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is an amazing time to reach out and love both Christian and Muslim Arab children. (Photos below are from Grafted ICEJ outreaches in the Old City)

People do not have to give up their views in order to love. I think this is, at times, our sticking point as humans. We have a tendency to think people must agree with us in order to receive our love. Or we think we must condone all things in order to love all people. It is possible to walk as Jesus walked. He held to every standard of the law and yet there was not one person he did not love.

John 3:16 says for God so loved the world that he gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not parish but have eternal life."

God's gift through Jesus Christ is for All the world. It transcends race, culture and creed. He is the maker and sustainer of the world, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and His gift of love is for all people and not one person is beyond His touch.

I do believe God has ordained governments and leaders to establish standards of justice and even engage in wars to confront injustice when necessary. But we as individuals, we must never hate or despise, any person or group of people. I think we all know this, but we must test even our most subtle inclinations. Personally, I know I need to grow in many areas in my own life and to love beyond all boundaries. It is not easy. We must not love from our own strength, but rather let the perfect love of God flow through us. We must be God's ministers of love until the day He comes to establish His rule of peace and justice in the world as the prophet Isaiah spoke of, when "swords will be beaten into plowshares."

There are mighty forces and ideologies at work in the world, but none greater than love. I leave you with a portion of a song that has been my guide since I decided to come and live and work in Israel. It is entitled "Instruments of Peace". I often refer back to it on difficult days when the situation here seems so complicated and wearisome and I realize that what lies within me will never be enough. I am but an instrument in the hands of God. We are totally reliant on His love, His peace and His light.

Where there is hatred, we will show His love
Where there is injury, we will never judge
Where there is striving, we will speak His peace
To the millions crying for release,
We will be His instruments of peace...

Where there is blindness, we will pray for sight
where there is darkness, we will shine His light
Where there is sadness, we will bear their grief
To the millions crying for relief,
We will be Your instruments of peace.