Sunday Lunch in Palestine

It's easy to travel through a city or place and get a tourist view - but to truly have been somewhere one has to meet, converse and interact with at least one local. For me personally, that is the first time one really can tick a destination off the list.

Today was Sunday. We had the privilege of spending our Sunday lunch with a Palestinian family living in Bethlehem (part of the West bank) We entered through the heavily armed border crossing from Isreal into Palestine by bus without much of a real idea of their nation's political state. I didn't have a clue really about the complex political relationship between the nations of Israel and Palestine as I find it confusing and incredibly layered. (Well, I thought I did, until today) Spending time with locals and hearing their stories is the best way to clarify and give one clear, and eye opening idea of one of the side's realities. There are always two sides to a story. So far, over the past three days in Israel we had only heard the one, today we had the privileged and rare opportunity to hear the other... 

The Nasser Family, Papa and I outside their home in Bethlemhem.

Mai, Nidal, Hiba, Ghassob and Hind Nasser. 

My Paps and Ghassob spending some time sharing their stories with one another. Ghassob did most of the talking and my dad the listening -with very good reason though. When one is in conversation with a person whose reality is so different from yours it's the most wise and appropriate thing to do - listen. Listen means really listen. There's a lot we don't hear and understand especially when our own realities are so different! 

This is Mai's mom. She cooked a traditional Arabic dish for us.

The stew is a eastern version, in my humble South African opinion, of a  'boontjie lamb bredie'. It's a lamb stew with aubergine, zucchini and grape leaves, all three of them stuffed  generously with rice. The photo of the meal is really misleading. It looks very green and slightly slimey in this photo...here's where I wish I could attach a smell button to the photo - so you could tap it and release the delicious aroma - that would make for a more fair advert for the meal :) We gobbled it up and loved every minute of it! Zuki means delicious in arabic - "Zuki zuki zukeeee!"

My head is still spinning with the stories and insight we received from our day with the Nasser family today. We left them late this afternoon and had to cross the border from the West Bank back into Isreal through a check point they call the R300. One can clearly see the huge concrete seperation wall here. The prison wall that forbids the Palestianians from entering the Israel. Well not freely and easily at least.
There's really a lot to be said and I don't have half the knowledge or insight to try and pen down the reality of the political tension between Israel and Palestine right now. I definatly won't try. All I can do is share this...

That we should never forget that behind every person there is a story. And individual's make up a web of stories behind a community, culture, nation, war and unrest. Never be to sure and quick to assume, and always be open and humble enough to listen. In someone else's story/reality there is a thread that pulls through into yours. And if you allow it to be tugged you will find that a 'distant story' can reveal a whole lot more within your own heart than what you assumed.

I am challenged by their bravery and tenacity. Their faith in Christ and their dignified way of living whilst in the middle of a very difficult and tense political state, is humbling.

Shakram Nasser family!