Peacemaking: a Work of Community

Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday
Week of March 29, 2009
Philippians 2.5-11

These words of Paul are addressed to the people of Philippi, part of his instruction on becoming an authentic Christian community. He encourages them by telling them that they have been given all that they need to follow the example of Christ in their care for one another. It is this supportive community that Christ’s followers also needed as they witnessed Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. It is also the community we need as we follow this path.

As we hear the story of the events of the coming week, we see that Jesus refused to use his power over others, his strength and his might, to avoid being crucified. He maintains, at great personal cost, his humility and his servanthood, the source of his true power. The exaltation of God comes because of Jesus’ obedience, not from his mighty arm or his miracles. As Paul tells the Philippians, we cannot follow in this path of obedience on our own; we need the community of faith.

Peacemaking is not easy work. Contrary to what they say, few people really love a peacemaker. Peacemaking calls us to a different way of life; it asks us to change our priorities, to give up our domination of others and our control over our lives. Peacemaking asks us to open our minds and hearts, to change our opinions, to risk getting to know the other and to listen. Peacemaking makes us and the people around us uncomfortable.

The people working for peace in Israel ask us to give up our ideas of who is right and who is wrong—to listen to the stories of people on the other side and to change our hearts and minds. This is what happened for Dalia the day she opened her door to Bashir. Her family had lived in the house in Ramle since 1948, after they arrived as refugees from Bulgaria. They were told the house had been abandoned, and they were thrilled to live in such a beautiful place with the lemon tree in the backyard. As she got to know Bashir, she learned that his family had been forced to leave this house with the lemon tree by the soldiers expelled all the Arabs as they cleared the way for the state of Israel, earlier in 1948.

Dalia was curious about this Palestinian family and met with them on several occasions. As she listened to their story, she realized that her happy childhood came at great cost for Bashir’s family. She tells her story in the book, The Lemon Tree, by Sandy Tolin. Since hearing their story, she converted the house, which she inherited from her parents, into a community center in Ramla—a place for building peace between Palestinians and Jews, and a place where international visitors can come and hear the stories.

Changing our viewpoints is not easy—it takes community. This book challenges the stories we have all heard about the creation of the state of Israel; the joyful creation of a Jewish homeland also has a dark side. Read the book and discuss it with a group on Tuesday, May 5, pm at our house, 1965 Hudson St., Denver. (RSVP: janlmiller@qwest.net)

Denver Rabbi Adam Morris traveled to Israel with a group of youth from Denver. Although he had many connections to Israel and had been there many times, he had never heard the stories of the Palestinians until last summer. In the community of students he accompanied, his eyes and ears were opened and he was changed. Last fall he preached a sermon on Yom Kippur, telling of his transformation. You can read the sermon that tells his story.

O God, you came among us to show us your way of peace and reconciliation, the life you intend for us. As we journey through the holy week ahead, open our minds and our ears. Make us mindful of your ways of peace so that we can find communities of peacemakers to support us in our work. Amen.