Tag: jewish

Holy Trinity or Idolatry? – A tale of two cities

Holy Trinity or Idolatry? – A tale of two cities

theunlikelypilgrim

Let me start by saying that being in Jerusalem was a dream come true for me. From walking the path that Jesus followed down from the Mount of Olives on Palm Sunday, to being in the upper room where it is said that the last supper was held. I certainly had my moment in there, an overwhelming connection to Christ and a sorrow for what he must have been feeling on that fateful night. To walk the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday and be at the foot of Calvary where my Lord was crucified was an experience I will be forever grateful for and hold very dear in my heart.

 
I was impressed by the diversity of faces among the faithful believers: Africans, Australians, Europeans, South East Asians, Indians, Sri Lankans and Americans too. Christianity is a faith that has spread through the ages to all corners of the earth. This is a place where pilgrims come together on this holy land to pay homage to Christ their Lord and commemorate the holiness of Easter. It was certainly worth the trip.


On the other hand, I was surprised by the sheer number of churches that were in this seemingly small town. For example, wherever there is even a hint of Jesus-related history a church has been erected. Nearly every Station of the Cross is marked by a chapel or church. The tomb of Jesus is surrounded by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in which five denominations hold services in their sections. Fun fact: these five denominations, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Armenian Orthodox (both Syrian and Ethiopians), and the Egyptian Coptic Christians cannot agree on anything to the point where for centuries two Muslim families have held the responsibility of the keys that are for opening and locking up. It is a tradition that is viewed as an incredible honour for the people of these two families. I bet the Anti-Islamist Christians don’t know that one.


Even in Bethlehem, the place where Jesus was born is marked and so is the manger which was five feet to the left. What I found at these sites were faithfuls throwing themselves at the ground, kissing the stone of Calvary, kissing the stone where the manger lay, kissing the stone where Jesus was prepared for burial etc. etc. Now I’m all for paying respect and I was moved and in rapture by my faith whilst in Jerusalem. However, I couldn’t shake the thought of idolatry.


Idolatry, and the fact that the places and symbols of Jesus and his life seem to be worshipped with such vigour, I found unnecessary. I love Jesus but I did not feel compelled to kiss the ground where it is said he was born, or where he was condemned by Pontius Pilot. I ponder; it is a fine line between worship in memorial and idolatry of the symbolism of Christ. The crucifix hangs around my neck, yet if it were not there I would still have the love of Christ in my heart. St Christopher is in my passport wallet but I do not worship him. The foundation stone lay beneath the walls of a mosque but it does not remove its importance to me and my faith.


So perhaps in this Holiest of Holy land we need to separate ourselves from the history and idolatry of the locations and remember that the love of Christ or the teachings of Mohammed or the Torah is what is important. Perhaps we need to remind ourselves that the stone where Jesus lay or where Mohammed ascended or the Wall of Temple of Solomon is part of this land’s history. 

The legacy is not the bricks and mortar; it is in the hearts and minds of the billions of followers who continue the great work of Abraham as his great nation.


That is the promise of God. Not let’s all fight over a geographical location despite the united origin of our people. Or not let’s all fight over who has responsibility for the bloody keys.
Yours in Faith,

The Unlikely Pilgrim

Home – in a Palestinian Refugee Camp

Home – in a Palestinian Refugee Camp

theunlikelypilgrim

Wow! I was so nervous about heading to the other side of the green line, thanks to all the fear mongering from the media and people I had met. Boy, were they wrong. The people of Palestine were amongst the warmest I have ever met. I stayed with Ibrahim and his wife Aya in the Dheisheh Refugee Camp. Gotta love Airbnb, they really do give you the local experience. This couple bent over backwards for me and ensured my every need was met.


Ibrahim was also a driver and he took me exploring to Jericho, the Dead Sea and St George Monastery. He also wandered the streets of Bethlehem with me for hours to show me the other camps, the wall and some other key places that highlight the history and struggle of this region. Upon arriving, Ibrahim met me at the checkpoint where the other taxi drivers had rustled me up a seat in the shade while I waited – far from the harassment promised by the naysayers.


Aya had gone out so I was dropped to her at her mum Afaf’s house, where the whole family greeted me. Shisha, tea and cake, it was Abdallah’s (Aya’s brother) birthday and I slotted in like I always belonged there. No sign of feeling like an outsider, no awkward stares or questions on why I wasn’t wearing a head scarf. Just warm Palestinian hospitality from a wonderful woman and her tribe.


I asked probing questions on the occupation and their thoughts behind that. Speaking freely Ibrahim and his family (he is one of 14!) told me of the struggle of their family after his mother died when he and his siblings were still little and how the Christian brothers and sisters had taken a few of them in to school them and shelter them too. They told me about their land and villages that have since been occupied by illegal Jewish settlements and how they wish to return Insha’Allah (God Willing) and that that day will come.


The Dheisheh Refugee Camp came into existence 70 years ago when the UN leased the land for the displaced Palestinians and hosts 13,000 people today. Ibrahim advised that the UN holds a 99-year lease to this place so they feel secure for now. “But what happens after that?” I ask. “No one knows,” is his reply, with a distant hint of defeat. Aws and Ayham, his beautiful boys, greeted me daily with kisses and cuddles and loved to sit with me as I wrote in my room in the mornings.


There was a family get together nearly every night, one evening Ibrahim parked the car and ushered me in. I waltzed in to the house of his brother whom I had not yet met, I did meet about 30 members the day before at dinner but not this one. As I entered, a band of men looked up at me (the blonde stranger). I uttered a confident Salam Alaikom and one of the women from the day before came out to greet me with a joyous and enthusiastic smile. I felt like I could read the minds of the men (who is this chick, oh well she’s here now… tea?).
We sat in the back room (the second lounge, and as in all Arab households) and the food just kept coming and the giggling and chatter of the women competed with the stories and laughter of the men in the other room. Not segregated on purpose or for tradition, more like when you’re at a barbeque and the men stand by the fire with their beers and the women chatter by the salads. Same thing here, men and women float between the two rooms casually. I’m happy to be in my section, because we’ve got the kids and they are so adorable.


I was so impressed with the openness of this family and the no-nonsense approach to their lives. They are not in the best situation; they are treated as second class citizens in their own land. Aya is not permitted to enter Israel. No explanation, just not permitted, and Afaf explained to me the heartache of losing her husband due to the restriction on his identity card which resulted in him succumbing to his heart attack at the checkpoint whilst the soldiers held back his ambulance. It’s a total breach of human rights here yet no one can enforce the law which has many infringements here. Despite all that, they laugh, play and crack on the best they can and I admire that greatly.


A Muslim family who hold their belief in Allah and the teachings of Mohammed proudly whilst not being dogmatic followers, they discussed religion openly with me and took me to meet a Christian Brother, Joe a founding member of the Bethlehem University among others for my Faith Chat collection for YouTube. Nothing was a bother and I still chat to them every week.


If you want to go to Palestine, my advice is: don’t hesitate. Go. It’s safe, it’s beautiful, the people are amazing and the food is to die for.

Yours in Faith,

The Unlikely Pilgrim

Holy Land #1 – Jewish Extremism

Holy Land #1 – Jewish Extremism

theunlikelypilgrim

Let’s get this straight. Zionism is a movement for extremist Jews from all over the world to occupy a land that isn’t necessarily rightfully theirs. Yes? I’m gonna find out.
This article is NOT an attack on Judaism or Jewish people; it is part of a series of ALL religious extremist groups. This is my perspective after spending time in the country known as Israel or Occupied Palestine, depending on who you ask.
I spent seven days on the Israel side of the green line and seven days in Palestine. I stayed with Jews, Christians and Muslims who were mostly born in the area. 

Fact Check! 

  • Pre-1948 the entire area was called Palestine. A name that dates back to the biblical term of the people who lived there: Philistines.
  • This region has been occupied for centuries by the Romans, Ottomans, Umayyad, British and others; now by the Zionists (Israel)
  • In 1948 the British Empire ‘gave’ this land to the Zionist movement, it was:
  1. Not theirs to give – kind of like Pakistan. (I’ll let you know how that trip goes). Or Australia for that matter. That’s politics for ya.
  2. Propagated with the lie that this was “A land without people for a people without land” – there were people, they’re called Palestinians. They’ve lived here for centuries and many of them still have the key to their old homes

  • Israeli (Zionist) leaders then opened the door for any person of Jewish descent to come here and have citizenship – Aliyah they call it (Google it if you want to learn more). So the majority of these people actually already have a home country. I’m confused, as a Catholic do I get automatic citizenship in the Vatican? 

Don’t be fooled with the ‘persecuted Jews needed a homeland’ bollocks either. Israel in 2017 is not populated with descendants of European holocaust survivors. It’s crammed full of Russian, American and Canadians among others from very safe and inclusive countries, all of which are happy to have them. Hence why no one gives up their original passport. 

Note: I met a Canadian woman who had been living in Jerusalem for 37 years and was just going to pick up her renewed Canadian passport. Interesting.

    • Palestinians are now trapped in their allocated section most of which is controlled by the Zionists anyway, sorry, Israeli forces. Treated as second class citizens in their homeland (because they are from here and so were their grandparents and their great great grandparents.) Subjected to difficult economic situations, limited services and many in makeshift neighbourhoods (camps) set up by the UN. 

    Note: I met a woman whose husband died because he did not have ‘permission’ to enter Jerusalem. Not cool!

      • Yes the Palestinians left their properties, in fear that they would be killed. Not just because they fancied a change. So that’s not a green light to bulldoze homes and build illegal Jewish settlements.

       Note: The Jewish settlements in the West Bank are illegal and against international law! Yet they’re still there. Why? Because Israel has all the guns, literally. They distribute the ammunition to the Palestinian Authority. What the?

        I could go on and on. Spend an hour and do some research. It’s not black and white.


              What’s happening in the Holy Land is not dissimilar to the Nazi regime in WW2 Europe in principal. Okay, there are no gas chambers. But Palestinians are fenced in to their territory like a prison; guarded day and night with less rights and freedom of movement than those with an Israeli passport. Sound familiar? This ethnicity gets this ‘badge’ while the others get another. Shall we get the tattoo gun out (too soon?). 

              Even I know what that discrimination feels like after being subject to an excessive search resulting in my human rights being violated at the hands of the arrogant and disgraceful airport security. As I watched those on an Israeli passport or notably dressed in Jewish manner waved through to a much more lenient check. What, so no Israeli is a risk to terrorism? Wow. Reverse racial profiling? Let’s talk about that later.

              The chosen ones. Really?

              Now let’s talk locals. I spoke to many Jewish people, loads in fact. I did find it difficult to talk to anyone who was actually born in Israel though. But alas they do exist.
              I had dinner at a Rabbi’s house, prayed at the Western Wall, celebrated Mimouna and participated in a Seder dinner. A Seder dinner is an annual celebration of the exodus of the Jews from being enslaved and treated like second class citizens by the Egyptians (oh the irony). I got into quite a hot debate with a Moroccan Jew (not born in Israel), an American Christian, and a Russian Jew residing in Jerusalem.(I know sounds like a joke, a Jew, Russian and a Christian walk into a bar). They continued to throw scripture at me and the old line – the Jews were promised this land from God. Ah, okay, so God said you could break the commandments and steal, murder and dishonour your neighbour. Why didn’t you say so? Jesus said that he died for my sins so can I just go on a rampage then…

              I did have a lengthy conversation with a few Israeli-born men. When I challenged them on their thoughts about the Palestinian people and whether they should be treated with such contempt, they all sung from the same hymn sheet like brainwashed robots. They said that it is written that this land would be returned to the Jewish people. Also that God was protecting the Jewish people to enable this prophecy to come true. Okay great. I thought he protected everyone and that wasn’t the question that I asked.


              Don’t get me wrong. I understand that thousands of years ago the land of Israel existed and was a Jewish centre.But that’s the history of the world. Do we want to erase centuries of conquests and reclaim ancient lands? If that’s the case the whole planet has a refugee problem, from Australia, to Europe, South America, the US and beyond.


              Anyhoo I’m off to read Ezekiel; apparently it’s all in there. Stay tuned, I intend on getting to the bottom of this.
              Yours ‘very confused’ in faith,

              The Unlikely Pilgrim

              Not Encouraged, Not Forbidden – Religion in China

              Not Encouraged, Not Forbidden – Religion in China

              theunlikelypilgrim

              I’m left feeling a little confused. I’ve travelled the north and south of China and chatted to anyone who would listen and I’ve found three conflicting arguments.

              1. Yes, of course you can practice religion in China. It’s just not encouraged. And if you are a communist party member you can’t.
              2. No. You are not allowed to practice religion in China unless you have a foreign passport.
              3. You can practice religion but a lot of Chinese people don’t really believe; they just go for luck. Like the temple at New Year. What?


              There is a rich history of diverse religion in China. I have explored mosques, churches, temples and synagogues. But if I’m honest most were somewhat lacking in that feeling of closeness to God that I usually find in places of worship. For the most part they were beautiful buildings filled with people. But they were tourists, not faithfuls. Historical buildings to be admired for their architecture, not houses of God. Restored and respected, but not revered. Some of which you can’t even enter. Empty, dormant, just a shell of a past time gone by.

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              In Harbin the soullessness of a gorgeous historical Russian church broke my heart. The only association with God in this incredible place was an extraordinary last supper painting at the front, where I imagine the altar lay many years ago. Not a pew in sight; a history of Harbin adorned the walls and that’s all. It was filled to the brim with Chinese tourists taking selfies and skimming past the information on the walls. It was a tick in the box sight to see whilst in town for the annual ice festival. At least that’s what it felt like. Also in Harbin I found a spectacular refurbished synagogue which is now a Jewish museum, here at least relics of the faith that should be running through the halls could be found.
              Although, the most perplexing church was the fabulous Gothic Cathedral in Shanghai. There was a Christian book store at the side but the building is a not allowed to be entered and the annex is a restaurant and function centre. The ladies in the book store selling bibles said there is no service here… ever. Odd, so no service, but come and buy a bible?
              With a population of over 1.4 billion people the 50-odd locals I spoke to in two weeks is hardly an accurate representation, but I get the feeling there is two camps. The faithful who find a way, and the others who see religion as a history lesson or something the west does, not a reality in China. Let’s ignore the fact that it’s a Buddhist nation for now and that temples filled with monks and worshippers are plentiful.


              China. It’s a strange place and the mystery of religion continues as I attended Chinese New Year celebrations in the Jina’ng Temple. To be by my side at midnight in the temple you would be rest assured faith is alive and well in this great land. A sea of thousands of heads bowed, hands in prayer, awaiting the New Year to commence. On the other hand if you walked the empty halls of churches in Beijing you’d perhaps find yourself saddened by the gaping hole of faith in such  iconic buildings.
              To me places of worship of any denomination command a certain respect. They provide a community vibe, one of inclusion, sanctuary and service.  It is with dedication and devotion that people invest time, money and effort into these places. They are holy buildings of faith where the people can gather, united and give thanks to the Lord or pray for others, the world, and for peace.


              I did find mosques, churches and temples with active services of not only expats but of real locals and was invited to tea by a Daoist leader in Harbin. In saying that, I pray more often than not in my house or my head, or when I’m walking I chat to God. So it begs the question. Is religion really reliant on a building? I know faith is not. Faith is in the heart of everyone. There is definitely faith in the hearts and minds of the Chinese. How many and how true, who knows?

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              Yet, I still find myself called to pray for China. Is that arrogant of me? Is it superior to feel sad for people who are restricted in faith? I claim to be all accepting but to be hidden or confused about whether or not you can choose and practice a faith whichever you like, to me is disappointing.
              So that was China. Back to the Middle East – Lebanon here I come!
              Yours in faith,

              The Unlikely Pilgrim

              House of God Hopping in Harbin

              House of God Hopping in Harbin

              theunlikelypilgrim

              Harbin is a town in the Heilongjiang province in China all the way north, bordering Mongolia and Russia. A place I had never heard of until I came to China and the uni girls in Shanghai suggested I check out the annual ice festival. Every year thousands of domestic and international tourists flock to see the spectacular Harbin International Ice & Snow Festival. Where entire roundabouts are converted to ice brick palaces complete with lights and the footpaths in the main square have ice sculptures and snow creations. Even hotel lobbies have incredible creations on display.

              There are several venues hosting the festival activities and I decided to head to the biggest and best on offer at Ice and Snow World. As the name suggests, it’s freezing! I had pocket warmers in my shoes, gloves and even on the back of my phone to stop it from shutting down. My fellow ‘single rider’  Da Win Sho wandered the park with me, sipping tea and admiring ballerinas carved from ice, castles, a giant snow rooster on the hill and even ice slides (which I skipped as I already couldn’t feel my legs). This is definitely worth a look if you are in this part of the world in January or February, but rug up as minus 20 is not for the feint hearted and this Aussie certainly was feeling it. In fact the flu set in pretty soon after I arrived and lingered until I hit the moderate temperatures of Hong Kong almost a week later.

              Of course, this trip was not about sightseeing and tourist spots so unless there was an interesting religious history it was a no go. Well I don’t think I could have found a more religiously diverse history in all of China. Being so close to Russia the people of Harbin have Jewish and Russian Orthodox history, combined with the Temples for Confucius, Daoism and Buddhism. They also have some of the most beautiful church buildings I’ve seen in China. The food is also worth a mention.  Russian sausage on a stick sold next to dumplings and non-alcoholic German beer anyone ?

              I set out to explore these places; to talk to the people  and discover the religious tapestry. What I found was perplexing and disheartening for a faithful like me. Churches, built with devotion and dedication to the Lord, were empty shells. A magnificent synagogue stood proudly in the city centre which was converted to a museum. There were café lined streets and restaurants with the Star of David in the windows; the only marking reminiscent of the rich Jewish community that used to call this place home.  The architecture and grand design of these buildings were there to be appreciated and admired, for a price, with your tourist tickets. Many buildings seemed to be  visited to snap a selfie in between trips to the ice displays.  I guess a tourist at the Vatican or York Minster is the same. It’s not necessarily a pilgrimage for everyone. Maybe it’s just pretty to see if you’re in town, yet it left me heavy hearted.

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              What happened here? Clearly the limitations put in place by the regime affected these organisations, but I was surprised to see the soullessness echoing still today. I did find an operational mosque which was grand and beautiful. I was not able to go in but I was told that the Islamic community is alive and well in Harbin. My hosts and I continued to visit empty temples, boarded up churches and just when I thought all was lost we stumbled across the Harbin Nanang Christian Church and a service was getting ready to begin. Thank the Lord! A church full of locals, who were devoted and practicing their faith. The ladies chatted to us and remined me that Jesus loves me, the only English sentence they knew. Cute!

              In this church the service was not due to start for another hour yet the congregation arrived early to interact with each other, read the bible quietly and then out loud in a chorus prior to the service. I noticed it was a very female led congregation with the odd scattering of a husband or son among the pews.

              We also dropped into a Daoist temple not on the list but a must see, said my host. This small unassuming local temple housed a small shrine, three prayer stools, a table with information and incense. The Daoshi was happy to chat to me and gave me a gift to remember my time there. He explained to me Ying and Yang, reminding me of the importance of balance in my life and therefore the world.

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              Three days in Harbin – seven churches, four temples two  mosques and a synagogue. Not to mention the Confucius temples that are supported by the government but not on the list of sanctioned religions. Harbin, rich in history but is it rich in faith? I’m not sure. China continues to confuse me as to whether religion is free or merely present? I’m not an investigative journalist, but what I do know is that people of all faiths have embraced me in China, so that has to stand for something.

              http://www.icefestivalharbin.com/

               

              Yours in Faith,

              The Unlikely Pilgrim

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