It's Complicated
Some people are so complex and so
conflicted that it is almost too painful to love them. It’s the same way with some cities. Jerusalem is like that. You begin to get to know her, and then you grow
to love her, but it’s complicated.
The city was divided from 1948 until
1967. Even though it is ostensibly “one
city” now, there are many formidable divisions which exist just beneath the
surface and surround you just like the air that you breathe. Nearly everyone you talk to wants peace in
the land with all their heart, but what they have to settle for is an uneasy,
guarded coexistence. Everyone has a deep,
secret hope that this mutual toleration will evolve into real peace, but they
fear that the leaders of the country and the leaders of the various
constituencies will never allow that to happen.
Christians, Muslims, Jews, and “secular” people all try to live
together. But there is too much
history. It’s complicated.
Every one of the ancient churches, with
the exception of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, has been built,
almost demolished, and rebuilt again and again.
It’s complicated.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the
Church of the Nativity, and the Church of the Assumption are all ruled by
something called the “Status Quo Agreement,” which parcels out authority over
the holy sites and acts as a referee to keep the competing Christian traditions
from destroying each other and bringing disgrace to the very Gospel in the
process. It’s complicated.
As we rode the bus across the city one
last time the other day, I looked at the Jerusalem I have come to love. The Hasidim with their black hats, beards,
and temple curls; young mothers with their flowing dresses and scarves; people
reading their prayer books on the bus; Arab shops on the sidewalks; outdoor
cafes and tall apartment buildings with laundry hanging out to dry; big
beautiful places of study and higher learning; some structures older than
recorded history; some people living almost as in a third world country, right
next to some of the most advanced technology in the world. Yes, it’s complicated.
The Bible tells us Jesus stood on the Mount of
Olives where I was yesterday, looked across the Kidron Valley at the beloved
city, and cried out, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!” and he wept.
And Rachel still weeps for her
children (Jeremiah 31:15-17).
I get that now. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. It’s complicated. And we love you.
No comments:
Post a Comment