Two friends recently left for an extended visit to the environs of Jerusalem. They arrived on Saturday, February 16. Here is a brief snippet of an email received today, Monday the 18th.
"We arrived in Tel Aviv about 3:30AM and snoozed for a while in
the airport..van to Jerusalem, got our housing...napped a bit...visited with
a shop owner we know. ate a belated Valentine's day supper..Today, Sunday,
went to church at East Jerusalem Baptist..Tomorrow we start seriously
looking for long term housing and places to volunteer although there are
possibilities emerging...."
A rather normal trip to a world known scene of turmoil and danger - or so the reports would
lead us to believe. Balance is helpful in a world of instant reports on troubles that at one time would have been invisible to 99% of the rest of the world. One considers the need to have a
global perspective that goes beyond the assumption of dangers and paralyzing fears.
It is as if we return in imagination to the ancient times when life was a desperate daytime struggle to find food and night time fears of the creatures of the dark menacing life and limb. It is as if we long to return to the dynamics of that primitive life style in order to satisfy some ancient internal security system needed for survival. Although dragons and fateful curses are no longer present - other than on video games - the internal mechanisms built into the human operating system are on duty. If that be an accurate appraisal of our situation, we can benefit by taking charge of our situation and exerting personal control over irrational fears and depressing visions. Easy to say. Hard to do. Courage! Carry On!
A rather normal trip to a world known scene of turmoil and danger - or so the reports would
lead us to believe. Balance is helpful in a world of instant reports on troubles that at one time would have been invisible to 99% of the rest of the world. One considers the need to have a
global perspective that goes beyond the assumption of dangers and paralyzing fears.
It is as if we return in imagination to the ancient times when life was a desperate daytime struggle to find food and night time fears of the creatures of the dark menacing life and limb. It is as if we long to return to the dynamics of that primitive life style in order to satisfy some ancient internal security system needed for survival. Although dragons and fateful curses are no longer present - other than on video games - the internal mechanisms built into the human operating system are on duty. If that be an accurate appraisal of our situation, we can benefit by taking charge of our situation and exerting personal control over irrational fears and depressing visions. Easy to say. Hard to do. Courage! Carry On!
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