Steps of the Magi, part 3
by Skip Schiel
They are a nation without sense, there is no discernment in them. If only they were wise and would understand this and discern what their end will be!
--Deuteronomy 32: 39
The Magi pilgrimage took our small group of about 12 from the US thru the Judean wilderness from Jericho to Bethlehem, two days “to the stars over rocky roads oh valiant friends.” We stayed one night in a desert mosque-shrine, allegedly over the burial site of “Nabi Musa,” aka, Moses. Tough going, even with a donkey and camel. All up and down and long and dry and lonely, but brilliant light, and good company. So whether or not the original wise men magi came that way, I felt elated, especially when at the base of the Mount of Temptation, where Jesus might have changed course dramatically.
Departing significantly from the wildest guess about the magi’s route to Bethlehem—and riding in a tour bus and residing in hotels rather than walking across desert hills—we visited the coastal city of Haifa, a stirring example of Israeli Jews and Palestinians sharing the same general zone. Nadim Nasif of the Association for Arab Youth, or Baladna, informed us about the truth of Palestinians living in Israel: second class citizens denied their essential human rights.
Spotted throughout Israel are Arab villages destroyed by Israel beginning in 1947 and continuing. Either destroyed or surviving without official recognition. We visited a recently recognized village, Ain Hod, in the Carmel Hills near Haifa. They had moved from a hilltop and slope to a nearby site. Long unrecognized—meaning no services from Israel—they campaigned vigorously and nonviolently for their rights as Israeli Palestinian, finally succeeding last year. Muhammed Abu El Haija , one of the stalwart leaders, treated us not only to an account of the campaign with a video and talk but later to lunch at his restaurant.
Departing even further from any plausible magi route (our journey was not only an invocation of the magi but a reality tour, examining various interpretations of the Occupation), we quickly toured some highlights of the Galilee—the Sea of Galilee, the place where Jesus gave St Peter authority to found a new church ( Church of the Primacy of St . Peter ) , Nazareth (which I hope to revisit for a longer period), and Mary’s home now enclosed by the Church of the Annunciation. We resided in St Gabriel’s, a hotel, formerly a monastery.
Personally, I was elated to be on this shift of trail. One of my objectives for my journey is to be present at many of the key holy sites, in particular, to examine the confluence of different traditions, Judaic, Christian and Islamic. One of the hallmarks of the Promised Land is that the promise is not exclusive to one group. It is universal. It transcends Christian-Jew-Muslim. It is a land promised to all, a site of great light, wisdom, teaching, and potential.
Finally, on this leg of the journey, we stopped by Ramallah, my home away from home, to hear from the prisoners’ rights group, Addameer (Arabic for conscience) . While in Ramallah I revisited the grave of President Arafat, now enclosed with glass, and discovered an exquisite moment of light.
As you'd expect, being here brings vitality to the news, makes it real, points in directions never thought of by main stream newsmakers. The struggle is heart breaking and inspiring at the same moment.
Baladna, Association of Arab Youth, Haifa
Ain Hod, newly recognized Arab village
Addameer, Prisoners' Support and Human Rights Association