by Susan Mozena

Jesus raising Lazarus, in the Church of St Lazarus, Bethany, West Bank

Our days have been very full, trying to use our time wisely so that we might come back home with new information, and a new or renewed commitment to add the Palestinian narrative to our local conversations, and beyond. I write this from Bethlehem, the birth place of the Prince of Peace, and I am grateful every time a conversation with yet another wonderful, peace-loving person gives me hope that the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit is at work in this troubled place.

These wonderful people, our conversation partners, have had a number of things in common, including the fact that it appears that their faith is very important in their lives, a source of their strength, a source of their hope. I reflected on that today when we visited Bethany, famous in scripture in more than one way, but touchingly so as the town so well known to Jesus as the home of his dear friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. The lovely church there is an oasis of calm in the West Bank, its garden filled with beauty and peace. A plaque outside the door caught my eye. The text from Luke came first: “One thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part.” (Luke 10:42) Mary put aside the mundane concerns of preparing and serving the meal, and took the time to listen to Jesus. The plaque adds, “Today as in the past, the love of Jesus seeks a refuge, where he is lovingly expected and where he can rest. He finds our hearts are filled with distractions—people, work, our own interests—He longs for us to empty our hearts to lovingly receive him.”

Inside the church, which was uncrowded and quiet, the beautiful mosaics above the altar and each transept drew me in. I focused on the one in the middle, with Jesus’ words from John’s gospel: “I am the resurrection and the life…” (John 11:25) Like Mary, may we take the time to pause from the very real concerns of the every day, even to retreat for a moment from the chaos that needs our serious attention, to sit with Jesus and listen again to his message of peace, hope, love and joy. We did that today for a few minutes, and it was a gift.