Also titled: An impossible journey to visit a nonviolent activist, who answers these (and other) questions: How should we vote this November? And why do you look for the living among the dead?
It takes a heck of a lot of hutzpah to get over our fears.
So thank you for honestly sharing how you and your fellow traveller's chose to get over your own fears in order to bear witness to the plight of Issa and his neighbours in Hebron — along with everyone else across that troubled land.
At first I wanted to cry aloud “Blessed are they who come in the name of the Lord” in response to those who choose to make a stand for justice. But I didn’t want to cry it in a triumphal way.
Immediately I felt drawn to read Ecclesiastes 7:2-3
“It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart”
Hidden within these agonising words lay another word — ‘Splagchnizomai’
A Greek term, which literally means “A Bowel Wrenching Act!’
From here we get our not so descriptive English word — ‘compassion.
However painful this ongoing journey might be… Please, please be encouraged to keep on carrying whatever it is ‘He’ would give you to carry. Because you folks represent trustworthy waymarkers for those stumbling around behind you..in the foothills of which way to go …🕊️
Nick, your comment digs under to the surface, to the heart of this story and what I hoped would be communicated between the lines. Thank you for articulating it so beautifully.
I didn’t included the Hebrew term for compassion in my reply to your post, so I googled it and this what I found in of all places *The Jewish women’s archive*
“ El Rachum v’hanun — relating to God as the source of rachamim—compassion—the eternal rechem or womb from which the world came—and continually comes—forth.”
Is this the curious heartbeat that relentlessly plays behind that untapped saying —“Deep calls to deep?”
I think so and suggest that these kind of compassionate churnings neither emanate from our minds or our hearts, but rather from deep down in our innards… in the boiler house of our being…. the same place where hope-filled new life is secretly knit together.
Could this be why you ladies are more tuned in with the Creators mothering side of His continuing recreation … than us fellas?
We all need to weep, we need to keen and we need those who do it well, to show us who don’t how to release it.
Now I’m feeling all of the confliction you and your party went through, hearing Issa’s convictions on a vote for Harris. He’s making me take pause; I’ve been planning a third party (write in) vote this whole time.
I didn’t love it, when Vladimir Putin endorsed Kamala Harris a few weeks ago…
Mercy, Your article about your group’s experience in Hebron trying to get to Issa’s house is excellent. I am very proud of you and the work you’ve been doing for the past decade. However, I agree 110% with Issa that people must vote for Harris. After Netanyahu received 55 standing ovations from our astonishingly inhumane and obsequious lawmakers he and Miriam Adelson visited the demon at Mar a Lago. Adelson now has a super pac that is committed to Trump. In 2016 she and her husband gave $27 million to Trump’s campaign and much more to the Republican Party. The donations were conditioned on Trump moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognizing Israel’s annexation of the Golan Hts and E. Jerusalem. Her current requirement is annexation of the West Bank. During Trump’s presidency settlers had near carte blanche to terrorize Palestinians, and the government and settlers were more brutal and acquisitive than previously. This time it will be far more genocidal because genocide has always been their goal. They would accept “population transfer” but genocide is far more preferable to them. With Trump that would be a strong possibility. I am talking about a man with no conscience, shame, embarrassment, humility or redeeming qualities, a man who wants to make the world pay for his suffering. If ever the phrase “misery likes company” was apropos, this is it. The fact the Republican Party and millions of so-called Christians, who I call anti-Christian Christians, are in his thrall tells me the anti-Christ consciousness is in full throttle. Aside from I-P virtually every other issue is a contest between consciousness, humanity and evolution vs unconsciousness, inhumanity and regression.
Barring assassination or sudden death, the next US president will be Trump or Harris. Both are terrible on Israel-Palestine though there is a small possibility Harris will stop arming Israel. Trump is, as most people know, transactional, and his latest transaction was to meet with Netanyahu and Miriam Adelson in Mar A Lago immediately after Netanyahu's disgusting speech that received 55 standing ovations. Apparently, they struck a deal that had been in the works for some time: Adelson started a super pac that will spend tens of millions to promote Trump's candidacy, Netanyahu will try to stay in office and make sure he doesn't do anything, such as agree to a ceasefire, that could give Harris a lift, and, if elected, Trump will bless Israel's annexation of the West Bank which would probably be a much bloodier affair than what is currently happening in the West Bank. Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir (and Netanyahu, though not as loudly) have all called for a Gazan-style genocide in the West Bank. In 2016, the Adelsons gave Trump's campaign $27 million and a larger amount to the Republican National Committe. In return, Trump moved the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognized Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights and E. Jerusalem. Additionally, Trump gave Netanyahu much greater latitiude to steal land, build illegal settlements and harass and kill Palestinians. Aside from Israel, Trump's policies regarding just about everything are as inhumane as he is whereas Harris wants to protect women's rights, will appoint sane people to the Supreme court, and maintain health insurance for the 50 million who Trump will kick off. Most importantly, she still has some humanity and sanity left, "woke" qualities that Trump obviously lacks and is contemptuous of.
If Trump is elected because people with logic similar to yours chose not to vote for Harris, and Trump gives Netanyahu even greater latitude to slaughter Lebanese and Palestinians than the horrendous Biden, what will you tell your Palestinian friends, the ones who are still alive? Also, my comment above is not speculative. Aside from the unambiguous inhumanity, soullessness and love of violence that are obvious core elements of his worldview, Trump has made many statements that support full-fledged genocide against Israel's enemies.
Your logic assumes the Biden administration has reached the limit of maximum support for Israel. How do you arrive at such an assumption? You also misunderstood my comments. I never implied that your Palestinian friends do not "overwhelmingly reject Trump and Harris and feel betrayed." You keep changing the subject which suggests indulging your horror at what Biden has been doing is more precious to you than the probable effects of a Trump presidency. You ask if not now when? Possibly after Trump and Netanyahu murder hundreds of thousands more than Netanyahu and Biden or Netanyahu and Harris, and ethnically cleanse millions.
It takes a heck of a lot of hutzpah to get over our fears.
So thank you for honestly sharing how you and your fellow traveller's chose to get over your own fears in order to bear witness to the plight of Issa and his neighbours in Hebron — along with everyone else across that troubled land.
At first I wanted to cry aloud “Blessed are they who come in the name of the Lord” in response to those who choose to make a stand for justice. But I didn’t want to cry it in a triumphal way.
Immediately I felt drawn to read Ecclesiastes 7:2-3
“It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart”
Hidden within these agonising words lay another word — ‘Splagchnizomai’
A Greek term, which literally means “A Bowel Wrenching Act!’
From here we get our not so descriptive English word — ‘compassion.
However painful this ongoing journey might be… Please, please be encouraged to keep on carrying whatever it is ‘He’ would give you to carry. Because you folks represent trustworthy waymarkers for those stumbling around behind you..in the foothills of which way to go …🕊️
Nick, your comment digs under to the surface, to the heart of this story and what I hoped would be communicated between the lines. Thank you for articulating it so beautifully.
Last night I awoke with this thought…
I didn’t included the Hebrew term for compassion in my reply to your post, so I googled it and this what I found in of all places *The Jewish women’s archive*
“ El Rachum v’hanun — relating to God as the source of rachamim—compassion—the eternal rechem or womb from which the world came—and continually comes—forth.”
Is this the curious heartbeat that relentlessly plays behind that untapped saying —“Deep calls to deep?”
I think so and suggest that these kind of compassionate churnings neither emanate from our minds or our hearts, but rather from deep down in our innards… in the boiler house of our being…. the same place where hope-filled new life is secretly knit together.
Could this be why you ladies are more tuned in with the Creators mothering side of His continuing recreation … than us fellas?
We all need to weep, we need to keen and we need those who do it well, to show us who don’t how to release it.
*https://jwa.org/blog/womb-from-which-world-came
Now I’m feeling all of the confliction you and your party went through, hearing Issa’s convictions on a vote for Harris. He’s making me take pause; I’ve been planning a third party (write in) vote this whole time.
I didn’t love it, when Vladimir Putin endorsed Kamala Harris a few weeks ago…
Thank you, Mercy, for your commitment and presence there. We have been worried for Issa and other friends in Hebron. May God be near…
Mercy, Your article about your group’s experience in Hebron trying to get to Issa’s house is excellent. I am very proud of you and the work you’ve been doing for the past decade. However, I agree 110% with Issa that people must vote for Harris. After Netanyahu received 55 standing ovations from our astonishingly inhumane and obsequious lawmakers he and Miriam Adelson visited the demon at Mar a Lago. Adelson now has a super pac that is committed to Trump. In 2016 she and her husband gave $27 million to Trump’s campaign and much more to the Republican Party. The donations were conditioned on Trump moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognizing Israel’s annexation of the Golan Hts and E. Jerusalem. Her current requirement is annexation of the West Bank. During Trump’s presidency settlers had near carte blanche to terrorize Palestinians, and the government and settlers were more brutal and acquisitive than previously. This time it will be far more genocidal because genocide has always been their goal. They would accept “population transfer” but genocide is far more preferable to them. With Trump that would be a strong possibility. I am talking about a man with no conscience, shame, embarrassment, humility or redeeming qualities, a man who wants to make the world pay for his suffering. If ever the phrase “misery likes company” was apropos, this is it. The fact the Republican Party and millions of so-called Christians, who I call anti-Christian Christians, are in his thrall tells me the anti-Christ consciousness is in full throttle. Aside from I-P virtually every other issue is a contest between consciousness, humanity and evolution vs unconsciousness, inhumanity and regression.
Barring assassination or sudden death, the next US president will be Trump or Harris. Both are terrible on Israel-Palestine though there is a small possibility Harris will stop arming Israel. Trump is, as most people know, transactional, and his latest transaction was to meet with Netanyahu and Miriam Adelson in Mar A Lago immediately after Netanyahu's disgusting speech that received 55 standing ovations. Apparently, they struck a deal that had been in the works for some time: Adelson started a super pac that will spend tens of millions to promote Trump's candidacy, Netanyahu will try to stay in office and make sure he doesn't do anything, such as agree to a ceasefire, that could give Harris a lift, and, if elected, Trump will bless Israel's annexation of the West Bank which would probably be a much bloodier affair than what is currently happening in the West Bank. Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir (and Netanyahu, though not as loudly) have all called for a Gazan-style genocide in the West Bank. In 2016, the Adelsons gave Trump's campaign $27 million and a larger amount to the Republican National Committe. In return, Trump moved the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognized Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights and E. Jerusalem. Additionally, Trump gave Netanyahu much greater latitiude to steal land, build illegal settlements and harass and kill Palestinians. Aside from Israel, Trump's policies regarding just about everything are as inhumane as he is whereas Harris wants to protect women's rights, will appoint sane people to the Supreme court, and maintain health insurance for the 50 million who Trump will kick off. Most importantly, she still has some humanity and sanity left, "woke" qualities that Trump obviously lacks and is contemptuous of.
If Trump is elected because people with logic similar to yours chose not to vote for Harris, and Trump gives Netanyahu even greater latitude to slaughter Lebanese and Palestinians than the horrendous Biden, what will you tell your Palestinian friends, the ones who are still alive? Also, my comment above is not speculative. Aside from the unambiguous inhumanity, soullessness and love of violence that are obvious core elements of his worldview, Trump has made many statements that support full-fledged genocide against Israel's enemies.
Your logic assumes the Biden administration has reached the limit of maximum support for Israel. How do you arrive at such an assumption? You also misunderstood my comments. I never implied that your Palestinian friends do not "overwhelmingly reject Trump and Harris and feel betrayed." You keep changing the subject which suggests indulging your horror at what Biden has been doing is more precious to you than the probable effects of a Trump presidency. You ask if not now when? Possibly after Trump and Netanyahu murder hundreds of thousands more than Netanyahu and Biden or Netanyahu and Harris, and ethnically cleanse millions.