November 25, 2003

Sitting on a Hill with A Friend

[Bethlehem, West Bank] One thing about Palestinian culture that I appreciate is their friendship and hospitality. I really believe that if you make a friend here, then you have a friend for life. From what you see on TV, you might have trouble believing this, but in all honesty, Palestinians are incredibly warm.

Today my friend Abu Shaddy invited me to his house for an end of Ramadan barbecue. We sat around outside on his property, eating grilled chicken, salad and kebobs. After the meal we went to a hilltop that overlooked the countryside. We could see a long valley that reached from Herodium to Bethlehem. What a beautiful scene -- rays of sunlight shining down on the villages -- families together, children playing on the hillside, mosques with brightly colored domes. We paused for about an hour or perhaps two on the top of the hill, mostly talking about religion, sometimes just admiring the view. In my opinion, a simple day like today is what life is all about.

Abu Shaddy said it's comforting for him to note that Judaism is 5,000 years old, Christianity 2,000 and Islam 1,400. For religions to last this long, there must be some truth to them. He pointed out that there are some beliefs that last 50, 60, 70 years and then die unnoticed.

I think Abu Shaddy is trying to convert me to Islam -- not really, he just tries to explain some of the misperceptions about it. He's always happy to share. Today he told me the Koran story of the birth of Christ and the birth of John the Baptist. The Koran version is just about the same as the Christian version. Not too much difference -- except maybe the amount of time that Jesus was in the womb. He tells me that Islam honors Christ, John the Baptist, and Mary. Abu Shaddy also emphasized to me that Mohammed is not God, and Muslims do not pray to Mohammed. Mohammed was the guy who wrote down the message from God. From his story of the birth of Jesus, Mohammed's account and the Bible's account is nearly the same. I think you could find quite a few passages where the Torah, the Bible, and the Koran all agree. Does anyone find any reassurance in that?

Almost every time we talk religion, Abu Shaddy brings up the holy trinity. How could such a thing exist? And if I claim to believe in only one God, how does that allow me to believe in the trinity? His claim would be that Islam is monotheistic and Christianity is polytheistic -- like Hinduism. Dadburn hard questions. I never have an answer that satisfies him. And I have to admit that some things like that are hard to believe and impossible for me and my limited brainpower to understand. I take it on faith that it's true, but I certainly can't prove it.

Our talk meandered from religion to politics back to religion. It usually covers a lot of territory, and as usual, we have all the answers. Abu Shaddy, Muslim, married with seven beautiful children, never out of Israel / Palestine. Me, Christian, never married, lived in or visited about 30 countries. Our backgrounds are so different, yet our general thoughts on the important things in life are the same. Sitting with a full stomach with a friend on the top of a hill, admiring God's creation.

Shaddy stands in the sun.

Ali walks from village

Mohammed grabs a bite of salad while he grills our chicken and sheep

Abu Shaddy with Ahmad. Zaki kateer!