reflections from the mountain tops

Mountain at Sadnaya

So many things on my mind today to sort through but most prominently the visit to Saydnaya, an ancient Greek Orthodox Church on a mountain top about an hour outside of Damascus. It was a windy drive up the rocky mountainside to the church above. As I ran my hand along the old stone walls I thought of the thousands of people who have worshipped my Lord in this place for so many years. The history is weighty, particularly as this church was known as the second most important Christian church other than Jerusalem during the Crusades. It is heartbreaking to think of the violence committed by the Christian Church in the "name of God" and yet the understanding that this place is also a place of healing for those who enter its walls and its sanctuary. I attended a mass in aramaic , the language of Christ, which is now (per my understanding) only spoken in Syria and in particular in that city. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I took communion, as I prayed, as listened to the women sing. I had no words to say or really even pray other than to thank God for bringing me to this place and praising his holiness. As I looked up to see the image of Jesus hanging on the cross I was overwhelmed with my very proximity to the holy land and the places where he walked and taught and loved and healed and sacrificed. It was an amazing experience to stand next to my professor, a peacemaker and a rabbi and worship. To think of the brother and sisterhood that we share as people, as members of the Abrahamic faiths it is painful to comprehend how much "we" have worked to destroy one another over the centuries instead of loving each other. I am thankful for this man's leadership and groundbreaking work that has cost him so much. I prayed for God to heal this land, to heal the pain of the peoples and for his name to be glorified. It was also encouraging to see Christians, Jews and Muslims together touring this ancient holy place, it indicates reason for hope that we can respect one another's differences and belief systems and appreciate the beauty of it. Just as we visited the mosque yesterday and saw a diverse crowd of visitors, the same could be said of today's trip to a Christian holy place and that encourages me.

Relfections

Bridges can be built between people when we are willing to step outside of our comfort zones and explore and experience what is valuable and important to the other, to hear their stories and learn their histories. But these bridges should be built on the foundation of love and respect, and from that relationships grow; eventually communities of people who are friends not in spite of their differences but because they are different are formed. I would rather always be in a place where I am a bit uncomfortable and learning than in a comfortable bubble around only what I have always known, hiding from exposure to the unknown and different. People focus first on what is differnet instead of finding something in common on which to found a relationship. I fear I know too many people who are comfortable in their like-minded "bubble" of a community without a compelling desire to reach beyond it to the unknown people and find out the value a relationship with them can add to their lives, families, communities and nations. The Arab world is a wellspring of value and worthy of our time and determination to discover rather than Americans' fear and avoidance. There has not been a moment on this trip I have feared for my safety, instead several opportunities to thank the Syrians for their warm hospitality and generous spirits. It is fantastic to study alongside Arab students who share a different religious and cultural background than us Americans but those differences are not an issue or source of division in our discussion instead the differences are celebrated between a community of students who together are committed to creating a more peaceful reality between our countries.

Mountain overlooking Damascus

Late tonight two students, a local relative of one of the students and I drove up to the mtop of the mountain overlooking the entire city of Damascus. The rugged beauty of that rocky mountain was overwhelming, the vastness of the city below and enormous poulation visible by lighted homes was amazing. I must say today I experienced two powerful "mountain top experiences" and I am emotionally drained. i prayed over the city tonight as I stood gazing on top of the rock as high as I could possibly be on that mountain face. You could distinctly see the various parts of the city: upper class district, the walls of the old city and then the numerous homes cluttering the mountain side indicating the location of the poorest citizens. On the way back we drove by the president's home and the palace where he greets visitors. Also we saw from the mountain and then drove by a large memorial, the tomb of the unknown soldier from the war with israel, a war that still continues today. It really made an impression on me as I thought of Americ's own tomb for the unknown from our wars. Each nation morns its losses and Syria is still enduring the pain of a current war, not one that was decades ago... the people of this country desire peace and want the fighting to end. They desire a relationship with the US....

So many other reflections to share form class but I am more than exhausted physically and emotionally. My calves are sore from miles of walking, stomache is hurting from the food sadly and eyes are just killing me from th tears today... i need rest. We meet the Grand Muftih of Syria tomorrow!! Love you all, good night.

Maa' Salama