Articles

BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS

by Bishop Paul Peter Jesep

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy;
without holiness no one will see the Lord.
See to it that no one misuses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Hebrews 12:14

 

Ariel Sharon's stroke, the death of a Palestinian boy, and the comments by Rev. Pat Robertson regarding the Israeli prime minister's health deepened my awareness of God's subtle presence at every moment. It disturbed me to read Robertson's remarks that God had punished Sharon for "dividing God's land" in order to lay the foundation for a Palestinian state. Fortunately, his harsh opinion eventually crystallized for me that no one can extinguish hope, peace, and the celebration of life.

     In November 2005, an Israeli solider accidentally shot Ahmed Ismail Khatib, aged 12, who had been playing with a toy gun, during a military raid in the West Bank. The child's parents turned grief into love. Rather than lashing out or encouraging riots they donated Ahmed's organs. Three girls (two Jewish and a member of the Bedouin Arab minority) benefited from their decision.

     Tragic and moving were some of the feelings that filled me. It also left me without closure at some fundamental spiritual level. This may have been why I found it necessary to print off several newspaper accounts and add them to my ever growing, unmanageable, teetering piles of paper. Luckily, I haven't adopted any cats. The articles were in one of the ever-rising towers for over two months.

     After Sharon's stroke Ahmed came to mind. It seemed probable that under Sharon's guidance a sovereign Palestinian nation would have been born where two peoples could peacefully coexist. The unfortunate turn of events will delay that realization and likely contribute to more innocent Jewish and Palestinian deaths.

     As I thought about Ahmed . . . Pat Robertson's infamous comment hit the news: "Here [Sharon is] at the point of death. He was dividing God's land. For any prime minister of Israel who decides he's going to carve it up and give it away, God says, 'No, this is mine.' [The prophet Joel] makes it very clear that God has an enmity against those who 'divide my land'." Re-reading the story about Ahmed helped to manage the frustration and helplessness I felt that Robertson has far too much political influence in the United States.

     Ahmed's father said, "The most important thing is to see the person who received the organs alive. Israeli children are our children. We are doing this because we believe in peace. I feel that my son has entered the heart of every Israeli."

     Independent of the inappropriate remarks by Robertson toward Sharon and his distraught family is a greater issue --the future of Israeli and Palestinian children. In the last five years, approximately 5,000 adults and children have been taken due to the violence that is part of everyday life.

     On further reflection, I remembered that this year the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Otisfield, Maine (www.seedsofpeace.org) will open for its 14th season. Youth, including Israeli and Palestinian, will camp together far removed from the fear, hatred and turmoil sometimes encountered at home. Founded by John Wallach in 1993, the program empowers young people with skills needed for healing, forgiveness and coexistence. Originally starting with 46 Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian teenagers, Seeds of Peace has expanded to include other nations, though the focus remains on the Middle East.

     In 2002, U.S. Senator Susan Collins told a group of young people that she was especially privileged to speak to them, because each participant represented a "new beginning. You are a generation willing to dream, daring to trust, and intending to treat others from different cultures as brothers and sisters."

     "You will be changed forever by those you meet here," the Senator added. "You will leave Maine with a greater empathy, a keener understanding, and I hope a burning passion to help achieve long-term, sustainable peace . . . when you have returned home, there are likely to be times when conflict, distrust, and misunderstanding make peace seem impossible . . . remember the lives you touched and the people who made a positive impression on you . . . remember the meals you shared, the respectful exchange of views, and how you grew and learned by listening to someone else. Never forget the Seeds of Peace that sprouted here."

     "One of America's great leaders," the Maine Senator noted, "Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., said, 'We must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal we seek, but it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means.' The journey before you is a difficult one . . . Peace is more than grand proposals by politicians that sometimes seem out of touch. Peace is the commitment each of you will bring to day-to-day living."

     The operative word and phrase the Senator used was "journey" and "day-to-day living." Ahmed's parents started a journey with their actions. In their day-to-day living they will be an example to other Arabs that Jewish children belong to them as well. For Christians the journey and day-to-day living is seeking out Jesus in everything, especially in words or deeds that seem the antithesis of love and acceptance.

     During the weekend this piece was finalized I again watched the critically acclaimed Jesus of Montreal. There is a powerful moment in the film when the lead character, Daniel Columbe, masterfully portrayed by Lothaire Bluteau, is conducting research for a new production of the Passion Play. A librarian walking by sees the project he's engrossed in and asks if Daniel is looking for Jesus. He says yes while seeming a bit overwhelmed. "Don't worry," she says. "He'll find you."

     Daniel casts individuals in the play not likely to be accepted in polite society. The production is unorthodox and gives much angst to the parish priest who had it commissioned. As the movie unfolds Daniel, who portrays Jesus in the production, becomes more Christ-like in his daily living with familiar Biblical parables coming to life. He later dies after an accident while portraying Jesus dying on the cross. The movie ends on a theme of hope --his organs are donated. Although Jesus did not find Ahmed's parents, clearly the Creator did.

     The movie touches on several social and theological themes in modern society including hypocrisy, consumerism, and the misuse of faith. The world will always have misguided, good-intentioned souls like Pat Robertson. Their views or missteps, however, need not initiate any negative emotions from me. If anything, it is a challenge to further define my humanity in choosing how I react. There are tangible, positive, and meaningful ways to respond. In this case, I'm making a donation in Ahmed's memory to the Seeds of Peace program and invite you to do the same. Ahmed's story, Robertson's remark about Sharon, and my re-visiting Jesus of Montreal is a subtle example how God finds us each day and gently guides us to be true to our Creation.

Bishop Paul Peter Jesep is Chancellor of the Archeparchy and Synellus of Public Affairs and Government Relations for the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in the Diaspora. His Excellency is also a trained lawyer, book author, and a former legislative analyst to U.S. Senator Susan Collins. He may be reached at VladykaPaulPeter@aol.com