Is Peace too Trendy?
Yesterday I participated in the “Big Hug” of the Old City of Jerusalem hosted by a Sufi Sheik, a religious Jew sporting peyos (side curls), and a few other Jerusalem “Peacemakers” who seek to unite the diverse factions of Jerusalem together. The idea was great. Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze; old, young, mid-life; Jerusalemites (Palestinians with permission to leave the Occupied Territories), Palestinians, Internationals and Israelis— all of us would gather together in at 3 different gates into the Old City as a sign of unity.
Amy, a friend from last week’s conference, and I met up under the boiling sun as the people began to gather. The majority of our fellow ‘huggers’ were of a bohemian/hippie leaning— blowing bubbles, dancing in circles, twirling dreadlocks, playing kazoos— it’s quite a culture! We sat down with a group of about 7 and began to talk:
Girl: Where are you living?
Me: Bethlehem
Girl: Where?
Me: Bethlehem
Girl: (confused look) I don’t know—I’ve never heard of it
Me: Bet-Lehem?
Amy: It’s about 20 minutes away, down Jaffa street
Girl: (shrugs) no, I’ve never heard of it
Amy and I pull out a map and point to it.
Girl: (shrugs again) no, I’ve never heard of it
The tone of the conversation was not political at all; rather, this girl and her friends —Israelis who live in Jerusalem— legitimately had no idea where Bethlehem was!
The underlying idea of the gathering was wonderful, and you can really see the passion of the organizers to find unity. I personally know E, the Jewish organizer, worked very hard to try to get Palestinians permission from Israel to come to Jerusalem to attend. That being said, I have to reflect on what I witnessed. For a large number of those gathered, it seemed as if peace was more of a “trendy” thing to do rather than a legitimate passion. There was a strong presence of Israelis who were ‘hippies’ and they described their vision for peace as centering the positive energy and brotherhood of all. I agree that we are all part of a global humanity and we shouldn’t allow artificial labels to divide us. Yet, watching the group we had talked with earlier and the mass accumulation of their friends who joined them later and knowing that a good part of them didn’t even know where Bethlehem or Palestine was, I couldn’t help but wonder if this day, this gathering, for them was more of a trendy “cool” thing to do —to spend your day beat-boxing and dancing for peace— than anything else. Do they understand the significance behind the desire for peace? That peace is more than feeling good or having fun but also involves struggle, fighting, pursuing justice? That desiring peace for Jerusalem means desiring equal dignity of everyone? For me, that will be what brings peace. I don’t know the intentions or motivation behind anyone’s involvement yesterday, but I do trust that for everyone it was a powerful experience of fellowship, hallmarked by the same broad goal of living in unity and respect of one another despite our diverse backgrounds, beliefs or religions. I do fear though, that there is a lack of awareness. Zionism through ignorance? To live so close to a wall of Apartheid, to grow up in a city and be unaware of her historical sister city only 6 miles away, and yet not even recognize its name?
I pray that the trendyness of wanting peace can be accompaneid by knowledge and awareness. Peace and harmony is easiest to obtain on an individual level or within a group of friends. The fight becomes more difficult when it must conquer walls of injustice, walls of ignorance, walls of misinformation, and walls built on stereotypes. Each voice, each person willing to take a stand has a power though. Each person willing to take a stand removes a stone from those walls, and any good mason knows that quickly, without stones to support it, a wall will crumble. I pray I can remove a stone. I hope I can witness walls crumble on all levels—in individuals, in groups, in communities, in political policies. Try to remove a stone with me today— perhaps stand up for a person being talked about behind their back— many hands make light work. Lets bring peace.
