Lately, I have felt truly discouraged by the spate of bad news grabbing headlines and dominating the visual media: the continuing disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, signs that the war in Afghanistan is going badly, the stubbornly high unemployment rate in the U.S., ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan, and renewed tensions in the Middle East prompted by the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
In times such as these, frustration gives way to despair. The world seems hopeless. But then, I read or hear about some unmitigated good that is just as inspiring as all the bad news is discouraging, and I am reminded that hope abides. Today, I heard on the radio the story of Budrus, a village in the West Bank where Israelis and Palestinians – Fatah, Hamas, and non-partisans – banned together in 2004 for non-violent protest against the construction of the Wall (Israel’s “separation barrier”) through the middle of their land. Children, parents, and grandparents sang songs of peace and stood steadfastly and completely unarmed in the path of bulldozers. They suffered mass arrests and injuries from live ammunition, but refused to give up.
Ultimately, they did not prevent construction of the Wall. They did, however, succeed in shifting the Wall’s path, thereby saving much of their own land and that of several other villages. Their example has inspired a non-violent movement for peace across Israel and Palestine that is gaining strength in numbers and resolve as people become increasingly impatient with the miserable failure of their political leaders to bring an end to decades of conflict.
Non-violent peace activism in the Holy Land is not really news to me. I was there in the fall of 2008 and personally met Palestinian Christians who have aligned themselves with this movement. I was deeply moved by their commitment, perseverance, and faith. But it is easy to forget the power of such a witness and let oneself be overwhelmed, even desensitized, by the evidence of the power of evil. Bad news always gets more press than the Good News.
So it is no wonder that cynics dismiss any activism for peace in the perpetually troubled Middle East. What are these small villages in the face of government tanks and the terrorism of Islamic extremists? What good is this tiny movement for peace in a vast world riddled with hatred and violence? And I answer with the words of Jesus: “The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed…”
Copyright 2010 by J. Mark Lawson