In September of 2009 I spent two weeks in the Middle East. I lived and worked in Bethlehem at a home for disabled and blind children called The House of Hope. It was an eye-opening experience. I can still recall the sadness I felt when I walked through a refugee camp that had been in existence in the West Bank for over 40 years. Young adults who were born in the Camp had never known anything different than a life behind walls with poor access to food and water. Things are complex in the Middle East. I wonder if I will ever see peace there in my life time. It is not lost on me that in the birthplace of Jesus the majority of people are now Muslims and there is incredible strife between people groups. Jesus knew all of this when he hiked up to the top of Mount Tabor, a beautiful mountain that overlooks the Jezreel Valley. I've been to the top of Mount Tabor and looked out at the Valley and the village where Mary Magdelene grew up. When I read the Bible now it comes alive with references to places I've stood.
When my heart aches for broken, poor and hungry people without freedom in Christ, I can't imagine how heavy Jesus' heart must have been some days....one of those days may have been at the top of Mount Tabor. With all the unrest in the Middle East right now and in Northern Africa I meditate on what it means for our times. I try to be quiet and listen to what God is saying. Real peace doesn't come on the land. Real peace comes in our hearts when we are able to come into the presence of God and hear his voice of comfort.
