The road to Bethlehem began in the northern town of Nazareth, a tiny backwater town in the Galilee region known for heavy accents and backward thinking. José hoisted the last of the luggage before helping his betrothed María, now with child, onto the animal. Together they set out on the long journey to fulfill the […]
Remember Your Exodus
by on November 12, 2018 10 Comments
“…you shall love the alien as yourself; remember that you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” Lev. 19:34 Remember when we were slaves in Egypt, our men working in the brickyards under relentless quotas and merciless taskmasters? Remember the death edict that stole our sons and the risks we took to save as many as […]
Peace Is Not Dead Yet
by on October 8, 2018 4 Comments
Bethlehem isn’t far from Jerusalem. It’s maybe just a 10-minute drive. Our taxi was waved through the checkpoint. As we took the worn asphalt road toward Star Street, Claude asked our driver what he thought of Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority that controls parts of the West Bank. He turned toward the […]
When Walls Crumble: A Tale of Tea, Lazy Saturdays and Separation
by on September 10, 2018 5 Comments
This summer I traveled back to Israel-Palestine. As my friend Elie and I drove to Sepphoris, through Nazareth and back, she told me what it was like growing up in Jerusalem. “On the weekend we would drive to Bethlehem to eat and shop. Everything was closed on Saturdays for Shabbat, but Bethlehem was just a […]
Alternative Devotions
by on May 14, 2018 5 Comments
I started doing my daily devotions differently since November 2016. After the U.S. election I could not listen to the voices, often white ones, that contributed to the 81% evangelical vote. Already committed to diverse voices, I became more strident. I ran in the opposite direction to try and create a counter-balance to what just […]
