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In this series on the conflict in the Middle East, specifically in the land known as Israel by some and Palestine by others, one point I have unequivocally stressed is this: The Jewish and Palestinian people are very good people. I don’t, however, feel that way about their respective governments as a whole or certain political officials within them. And honestly, who in the U.S. would not be critical of some of our government’s policies, its penchant for greed, looking out for #1, abuse of power, pork-spending, etc.?!
One of the challenges of writing about the conflict is how to defend the innocent (on both sides) without appearing to be defending everything Jewish or Palestinian. I think everybody gets that, but I notice how some responding to these posts still tend to say things like, “Yes, but there’s guilt on both sides,” etc. Of course there is. But statements like that only serve to cause static in attempts to honestly appraise the situation on behalf of so many good and well-intentioned folks trying to coexist.
And so with that in mind, I would like to share a bit about one of our host families while in the Land, a wonderful Christian Palestinian family who was kind enough to put us up for the night. I’ll simply refer to them as ‘the Smiths.’
What comes as a surprise to many U.S. Christians is the number of Palestinian Christians in the Land. And the Smiths are one such family. Like the Smiths it was not long ago that some 10% of the Palestinian population was Christian. In the past decade, however, many of them have fled in an attempt to find peace and a better life for their children with a net result that presently only about 2% of the people of Palestine consider themselves Christian. And that is unfortunate indeed.
As we waited for Mr. Smith to arrive and take us to his home for the evening, I have to admit that I felt quite uneasy about spending the night with them. Not because I feared anything, but because I knew that the Palestinian people are poor, yet renowned for their hospitality. How would I, someone comparatively wealthy, feel about receiving from such a family?
It didn’t take long for these feelings to be amplified. Upon arriving they insisted that we eat dinner with them. It was less than inconspicuous that while Mr. Smith joined us, Mrs. Smith just sat at the table without eating – “I need to lose weight,” she said, “I usually only eat some bread at breakfast and just a bit of something at lunch.” Our hearts sunk as one look at Mrs. Smith would seem to indicate that nobody would confuse her for someone needing to lose weight.
As well, they were very happy to announce that while they didn’t usually eat meat, they had purchased some for our arrival so that we would be welcomed and well-fed.
If that doesn’t make you cry, it should.
Imagine how we felt? There was a sense of compassion, of guilt, of angst and even anger that such a people had to live on the least of budgets while our government was sending billions to subsidize the very people they viewed as ‘the occupiers.’
Against their insistence we filled ourselves; we ate as little as we could without offending them, mostly trying to steer the conversation toward children and grandchildren – some of whom were sitting in the living room, also not eating.
After dinner we watched an American TV show together, spoke of their relations with the Muslim population – who they spoke very highly of – and eventually retired to our room for the night.
There are many details I could share about our visit, but these should suffice to make our point: All most people want is a good life. A good life for themselves and for their children. They want to live in peace, have the necessities of life covered and to have the freedom to seek the God they believe exists.
And as the global community of faith, we can (and should) help them do just that.
14 comments to “Israel Pt. 7: Palestinian Hospitality”
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Tim, thanks for sharing your experience. It really puts things in perspective for me.
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I find myself grateful to have you as an eye-witness, and first-hand experiencer, for what’s really happening in Palestine.
Thank you — keep sharing!
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Tim, your comment about the family buying meat so you could eat well, while some of them did not eat at all, brought a sinking feeling into my gut, and my spirit; even before you said that it should make us cry. While I’m not so blind as to think that the Israeli government, or our own, is handling this situation properly, your eyewitness account is truly opening my heart to the pain and devastation for those that live in this region.
Thank you for giving so much of yourself to see truth uncovered.
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I concur with all the other comments here and throughout this past week…Your eye-witness/heart witness reports awaken us to the need for active love, mercy and justice…I also know how heart-crushing/humbling it is to accept such sacrificial hospitality– It is the manifest Love of God…and how profoundly it changes us and prepares us for our appointed role in the mission of God….thanks for being a voice for the voiceless. New knowledge and understanding call us to a new response and responsibility!
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Thank you Tim, thank you.
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Tim, this is a great story. It is a common practice in Eastern Europe all the way to Middle East to go above an beyond for a guest. I remember as a kid salivating over the fried chicken served to American missionaries by my parents while I couldn’t really get any because there wasn’t enough to go around…man I was pissed when that happened!
I don’t know if guilt is the emotion that first comes to me, but anger does when realizing that this is mostly due to religious apartheid.
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Tim, how wonderful to know what you’ve written here. Thanks as always.
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Tim, I believe the proper response here- would be to reciprocate a bit in two ways:
First- does the family have anything? Even a dirt yard to start with? If so, a parting gift of local vegetable seeds would likely be reasonable. Second- before you leave you really need to invite the Smiths to some international restaurant local to them, on your dime, reciprocating their hospitality at least in part. Show their children what their religion already teaches- that such hospitality pays in the long run. -
May God deeply bless “the Smiths” and their neighbors, whether Muslim, Christian, or Jew. Thank you for this.
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This is a wonderful look at the real lives of some beautiful people. Thank you.
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Tim,
Did the family ever mention the Bethlehem Bible College? A bright and steady light in the dark, and we can donate to their Shepherd Society which provides food and other kinds of assistance to many in their land.
As usual Tim, your insights are enlightening and spot on.