November 26, 2002

Thanksgiving in Bethlehem

[Bethlehem, West Bank] You do know what curfew means, right? 24-hours a day stuck inside your home. We've been under this particular curfew in Bethlehem now for a week. No breaks. Not even allowed a one-hour break to go out and get food. But this is nothing new. Most of the West Bank has been under curfew for months and months this year. No going to work. No going to school. Nothing but staying inside. Everyone gets punished for the actions of a bomber who lived in our community. (I think you remember that this form of collective punishment is illegal under international law.)

But it's Thanksgiving, and even under curfew, I have a lot to be thankful for. God has truly blessed me in so many ways. As bad as it gets sometimes, I'm thankful for the experience of living here. It's been a real eye-opener for me. I didn't know the conditions here got to be so bad -- for both Israelis and Palestinians. There have been a lot of peace-loving adults and innocent children killed on both sides.

I didn't know that in our modern and sophisticated world today, people lived under curfew for months at a time. In other parts of the world, I had lived under military curfew. We had to be in by 10pm each night. And we were not allowed to leave our homes until 5am in the morning. But I never lived under 24-hour a day curfew lasting for months. This is definitely new for me.

I'm thankful for my freedom. We really take it for granted in the US. Imagine not being allowed to leave your city or town and travel to the next one. Even when curfew is lifted in the West Bank, we have to get permission from Israeli soldiers to allow us to travel to the next community. They tell everyone living here when and where they can come and go. Freedom is so great, but you don't realize it until it's gone.

And I'm thankful to God for my family and friends -- here and around the world. Folks have treated me with a kindness and friendliness that is way beyond anything I could have ever expected. God has blessed me with very good friends. Friends who take the edge off of these conditions. Friends who offer smiles and humor and words of encouragement. Friends who can find a little bit of good in a truly miserable situation. And I guess that's what life is all about -- good family and friends. Regardless of your living circumstances, if you've got them, then you are really blessed.

An early Thanksgiving meal. I was invited by my Palestinian landlord Z. We were joined by friends, neighbors, family and even a few members from the Christian Peacemaker Team. It was great.

L. cooked a delicious meal of chicken, rabbit, two types of special rice, gravy, salad, and fruit. We were stuffed.