Peace, Salaam, Shalom

Peace, Salaam, Shalom

Krista Johnson – Israel/Palestine
I have a favorite t-shirt. It is a fairly typical cliché favorite t-shirt for a peace studies major…but my favorite nevertheless. It’s long sleeved, and grey, and says Peace, Salaam, Shalom in turquoise. I brought it with me when I came here, thinking that maybe it would be especially appropriate when I was working at a Center committed to Peace and Justice in a place where those are the three main spoken languages.

I have a favorite t-shirt. It is a fairly typical cliché favorite t-shirt for a peace studies major…but my favorite nevertheless. It’s long sleeved, and grey, and says Peace, Salaam, Shalom in turquoise. I brought it with me when I came here, thinking that maybe it would be especially appropriate when I was working at a Center committed to Peace and Justice in a place where those are the three main spoken languages.

However, It took me three months of being here to actually wear that favorite shirt… In a place where the peace process seems so distant (if not “dead” as many would describe it) I have this gut instinct that it might be insulting to plaster Peace, Salaam, Shalom on a t-shirt. It seems to imply that it is easy…simplistic… As if all you need to do is sing about it, chant about it, wear that t-shirt and wonder why peace/salaam/shalom isn’t breaking out and everyone can’t just get along. When you’re talking about a people living under occupation, who are becoming more and more marginalized and isolated…how can you talk about peace so flippantly? You just spent three hours waiting at a checkpoint?  Peace/Salaam/Shalom! When you’re preoccupied with the security of your children…how can you honestly talk about peace? As a wise friend once argued- how can you talk about peace before there is justice, or even a hope of justice? Even meeting with representatives of Israeli and Palestinian Civil Society this past week, it felt like the conversation was just going in circles… Even in the self-identified “peace camp” it is difficult to find common ground.

HOWEVER, Thursday was the United Nations “International Day of Peace.” So, I decided to wear my favorite Peace/Salaam/Shalom shirt in the name of…well…HOPE. I got a lot of comments about it, people reading all three as I walked down the street or pointing. Finally as I was on my way to a panel discussion in the old city a shopkeeper said to me: “Peace, Salaam, Shalom…I hope that you don’t just mean Peace for the Israelis.” I answered as well as I could in Arabic, that no, for the Palestinians, too, of course! He stood and looked and me and said “I hope that you mean that in your heart.” Then I went to a panel discussion on fasting, from a Jewish, Muslim, and Christian perspective. It was really interesting, especially considering the timing…

As the sun set on Friday night, I could hear firecrackers going off as Rosh Hashana (the Jewish new year) began. Even before the sun rose in the morning, I could hear the call to prayer from the surrounding mosques, signaling the beginning of Ramadan (the Muslim holy month of fasting and celebration). By chance, the holiest times of the year for Jews and Muslims have coincided this year. These are periods of cleansing, repentance and forgiveness. It is interesting to be a Christian in the middle of these holy days…in a Jewish state…in a holy city…in a Muslim neighborhood… There is an indescribable tension in the air…thick almost tangible…like a calm before a storm. I would like to say that I’m full of hope that these holy days will bring about reconciliation; but I find myself worried about the threats of violence in the wake of the pope’s thoughtless remarks. Friday was deemed a “day of wrath” but fortunately the churches that had been threatened were not harmed. I think it is very important to recognize that when churches were defaced here last week; Muslim leaders approached Christian leaders in those communities and offered to pay for any damages. It is incredibly important to recognize the gap between those who are protesting in the streets and religious leaders who have been working on building up healthy interfaith relationships for years.

On a practical level, living here during Ramadan is really interesting… I’m trying to learn how to lead my daily life and respect the Muslims around me. It is a month when, out of respect, the non-Muslim community will not eat in public. Many stores are closed and around sundown masses of people are out in the streets hurrying to the mosque and to friend’s houses to break the fast together.

Work has been really busy, we have our international conference in about five weeks, which is hard to believe, there is still so much work to do. I’ve been working on updating our website and helping to get ready for the conference. Last weekend some friends and I went to Taybeh, the only completely Christian village in Palestine for their annual Oktoberfest. We had a chance to visit the churches, buy local products like herbs and traditional needlepoint, watch youth doing dabka dancing, and to take a tour of the infamous Taybeh brewery. It is fun to have a chance to travel on the weekends. I’m getting ready to take my first visa-renewal trip to Jordan soon. Other than that I’ve been studying Arabic and in general…just soaking up the experience of being here and trying to process what it all means!

I hope you are all doing well. As always, thanks for all your support, and e-mails.

Peace,
Krista

Krista Johnson is a Global Mission Intern with the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem She serves as a Program Assistant Her ministry is possible because of funds provided by the Week of Compassion of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).