Q&A Corner

Every issue of my bimonthly newsletter contains the "Q&A Corner," where I answer the questions you've asked. The following two questions appeared in the November Newsletter, and were submitted by two inquiring minds from the States (thank you!). Leave the questions you want to be answered in the comment section below or send me an email. As always, comments and reflections are always encouraged in the comments section of this post.

---------------------------------------

Q: Is it making a difference?

A: I appreciate the open-endedness of this question and will answer it two ways. First, is it making a difference to those I am serving? I like to think so. At school I help out teachers with grading, tutor children in class, and do administrative work. Am I absolutely necessary for this work? Probably not; everyone at the school is far more qualified than I am. However, my helping out with little tasks frees teachers up to cover more material or spend more time working on other classroom activities. One day, after simply helping the First Grade English teacher check the student’s worksheets, I was thanked because, if I hadn’t looked at the student’s papers they would have only gotten through one worksheet, whereas we were able to get through two that day. Overtime, that adds up.

Is it making a difference to me? More than I can put into words. Along with the impact the daily life has had on me (there will be more on this in the next newsletter), I am overwhelmingly privileged to gain perspective on the reality in Palestine. Being able to put another piece into the narrative helps me understand the Truth of the situation over here and its vast complexity. It makes a huge difference because, when I return, I will be able to bring these stories and share them with everyone back home. It’s much more impactful to the stories of Palestinians direct from the source than conjecture simply based on what I see from the outside. I know that my future ministry will benefit greatly from my time spent among my gracious hosts.

Q: Is it "scary" to be where you are?

A: This is a question I have been asked a lot, both before I left for Palestine and now that I’m living here, but I love to answer it because the answer sheds light on the reality of Palestine! Back in the States most of what I heard on the news regarding Palestine was that of violence, something that frustrates me even more now when I try to tell people that I’m living an average life over here. Are there acts of violence? Of course, just like there are in the United States. Yet, I hear much less of murders and violent robberies than I do back home in rural NY and PA. There are certain areas I would not go to at night, or during particular political events; the same as there are areas of Albany or Harrisburg or D.C. I would not go to at night, or during particular political happenings. We hear “Gaza” and think that the situation is black and white. They are either all good or all bad. It’s not that simple. Yet, even when there is violence, one has to look at the whole picture: why was this person led to act in this way? How have we contributed to this despair? 

There is a certain element over here that does scare me, but it is not particular to Palestine or Israel, or even the Middle East. It is the global epidemic that has allowed us to go on not seeing the face of God in our brothers and sisters, the fear of those who seem different than us. The lack of unity and unrecognized humanity is truly frightening, because it is once we fail to see how we are all equal and deserving of peace and happiness that a more tangible “scariness” is birthed.