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Friends United
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November/December 2006
The Coming of the King
By John Hishmeh
I have three sets of keys…one for work, one for home and the other for the car, and spare sets for each. Fumbling through them I am careful not to grab the wrong bunch. One door, two doors, fi nally the third, and I am on my way to Pronto’s, the local cafe on the corner. Since I now have the keys memorized, it doesn’t take long to unlock the way. As I pass by the playground the one for the gate is ready at hand. Trotting down the hill I prepare myself for the usual bombardment of children typically playing on the corner. I have to admit that I’m curious about the family that lives there. Surely they know my face by now, and I often wonder if they ever have conversations about the “white guy” who regularly walks by. Given the number of times we’ve waved at one another, I’ve been tempted to step in for coffee, but hesitancy overcomes interest and I stay the path.
Only another 30 yards to Pronto’s. On my left, a friend’s house. To my right, the local municipality and the park. A quick duck under the tree, two steps up, greetings to familiar faces and I fi nd myself sitting on the veranda of my favorite cafe in Ramallah. A mere fi ve minute walk; I am willing to bet I could make the trip blindfolded now. It is comfortable, quick and familiar. At this table, coffees were drunk, friends were made, books were fi nished, ideas formed, work completed and newsletters written. Ramallah is no longer a strange place.
Two and a half years have passed and I am overwhelmed by all of the changes, mostly within myself. There aren’t enough books or counselors that could have prepared me for this experience. The transition was larger than expected, in good and bad ways. I guess that is normal, though. I see the same expression in the faces of my 7th graders who are transitioning to high school. I see it in the faces of the seniors about to transition to college. New teachers, new classes, new schedules and a new environment; it is overwhelming. Knowing how they feel fuels the effort to give them adequate care and guidance. It isn’t easy moving to a new place.
Ramallah has become familiar…the streets, the school, the faces. If only the more important things would be so familiar.
A street in Jerusalem I know well descends from the top of the Mount of Olives down past the churches and the Jewish graves to the valley facing the eastern wall of the old city. On this street, a King once entered Jerusalem riding a donkey.
The next day the great crowd who had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it. (John 12:12-14)
I am sure Jesus was well acquainted with the path He was on, and maybe the donkey was as well. However, on the Mount of Olives that day, He was paving another way, something other than the street He was riding on. The image of Christ on a donkey personifi es the Cross and all that is meant in the Incarnation. It is that image that reveals to us the incredible nature of Christ by placing Himself among the poor and unwelcome. The donkey image is one of many lessons from Scripture that defi ne for us the Kingdom of God, where humility is strength, and power is mercy. Thus, the challenge of becoming a disciple is committing to these values. No longer do I seek “power over” methods of advancing my career or aspirations, but rather it is a “power under” method that values grace more than revenge, and solidarity rather than status. It is this challenge that will always war against the grain of who I am. The donkey image, and others, paints the picture of God’s Kingdom, His vision for the church and our ultimate endeavor—to follow Him. Learning to live according to these values will be a lifelong challenge, no matter how well I know the streets, in Kentucky or in Ramallah. If only I can learn His Kingdom values as easily as I have the streets of Ramallah.
FUM Field Staff member, John Hishmeh, is serving as a School Counselor at Friends School, Ramallah/el-Bireh.