What's going on this Fall

It's pretty incredible to think that I'm beyond the half way point of my master's already. My schedule will be quite a bit different this year, though, unfortunately, probably no less challenging. I'll be taking two languages, German and Syriac. Each of these classes is a year long. I've never attempted two languages at once before, so I'm pretty nervous about it. I've never considered myself to be a person that's good at languages, but I realized recently that I've learned a few languages since I've been saying this. German and Syriac couldn't be further apart either, so hopefully that will make it easier to do both at once.

You may be asking, "why take German, and what the heck is Syriac?" German is one of the three standard languages of scholarship, alongside English and French. In order to be competitive for PhD programs I will need to have two done by matriculation (normally in addition to most or all of the required ancient languages). I'm still trying to decide between "German for reading in religious studies," which should be easier, and a regular German class which will actually be useful for studying in German (one option I'm considering).

Syriac is a Semitic language of the Christian East until Arabic became the [i]lingua franca[/i], though it is still in use today by several Christian communities. It's related most closely to Aramaic thought it has some similarity to Hebrew and the script is reminiscent of Arabic in its cursive style.

The Lord's Prayer in Syriac
Syriac is important because most studies on early Christianity in general, and Jewish-Christian interaction in particular, focus on the Christian West, written in Latin and Greek. There has been a push in recent scholarship to recover these voices from the East. Learning Syriac is ideal for my goal of studying material that is useful for contemporary Christian-Jewish-Muslim dialogue. As it turns out, the people behind this Syriac literature often maintained a much greater affinity with what we call Judaism today. The affinity was so great in fact that discerning a distinction between Judaism and Christianity is often difficult and in many ways artificial. The writing of groups deemed heretics by the Church for being "Judaizers" (that is, too "Jewish") is also largely preserved in Syriac (and a couple even more obscure languages). That's the Jewish-Christian part, so how does it pertain to Christian-Muslim interaction? As I said, Syriac was widespread in the East until Arabic gradually, but not entirely, took over because of the Muslim conquest in the 600's or so. Syriac preserves the very earliest literary encounters between Christians and Muslim, especially what they argued about and how they argued. Cool right?!

Apart from the two languages I'll be taking two regular classes each semester. The one I'm looking forward to most is History of Ancient Christianity with the indefatigable juggernaut of a scholar, Helmut Koester. The other Fall course I'm not 100% sold on yet, since the course offerings in the Jewish studies concentration are somewhat sparse this Fall. In all likelihood it will be "Rewriting Scripture in Jewish Antiquity" which will examine how Second Temple communities, and I presume communities shortly afterward, used and interpreted the Bible in various ways. It could be a valuable course for me because, obviously, the religions of Christianity and Judaism emerged from this process.

Finally, in addition to my normal work at the library, I've landed a research assistant position. I'll be sorting through scores of Greek papyri in the bellows of Widener library to help Dr. Giovanni Bazzana prepare a commentary on the New Testament and a monograph on Q.

The Journey to Akram's Surgery

We brought Akram to Wolfson Medical Center in Tel Aviv today to be admitted for his first surgery which is scheduled for Tuesday morning. Before we left Jerusalem Akram had a host of visitors and staff pray over him which was fitting after the spiritual journey Akram has undertaken the past few days along with the arduous physical journey that is well underway.

Akram will be kept in the hospital for at least 2 weeks and up to 1 month after this surgery, so yesterday, rather than spending his last day of freedom cooped up inside I took him and his mother out for a little day trip. We stopped at a vista that looked out over the village of En Kerem, a small town bordering Jerusalem. Akram’s mother enjoyed the view and the flowers, Akram preferred a more fitting teenager activity: appropriating an unattended garden hose and spraying the countryside (and his mom and I just a little).
We then entered En Kerem, where we visited a church on the site of St. John the Baptist’s birth. Akram and his mother enjoyed the church very much, taking time to reflect and pray, as well as appreciating the architecture, stained glass, renaissance paintings, marble work, and iconography found about the sanctuary. After hearing of Akram’s journey thus far the Franciscan monk caretaker offered to have Akram blessed by the deacon. Akram was excited to receive a blessing, but I was disappointed that Akram wouldn’t be able to understand a blessing done in English. To my surprise, after sharing my concern with the deacon, he switched to speaking Arabic without missing a beat and blessed Akram and prayed over him for his surgeries.

Akram had requested visiting The Garden Tomb, an alternative resurrection site for Jesus which is in a beautiful garden; so this morning after saying goodbye to everyone at the Shevet house we stopped by The Garden Tomb on the way to the hospital. Akram and his mother enjoyed wandering the garden, the calmness of which markedly contrasted the impending surgery. After asking Donna about a stone pulpit at the site, and grasping what it was, Akram requested I deliver an impromptu sermon, to which I insisted we read the Scriptures provided in the pamphlet together; he happily obliged. All around there was life springing up, flowers even sprouting out of split rocks. I found this to be not only a beautiful metaphor for the resurrection of Jesus, but for Akram as well, his incredible journey so far and the tremendous pain and difficulty he must undergo for what we believe will be new life when all is said and done.
They even bear similar wounds, Akram having a terrible gash in his side where he has had previous lung operations, which tomorrow morning will be reopened once again.

After arriving at the hospital we got Akram and his mother situated in their room, and took Akram to be X-rayed, to have blood work done and lines put in his arm. I have stayed nearby Akram for moral support throughout the last few days and I wanted to be there for him especially when he was suffering the pain of the needles. Akram showed more courage in this than I did, returning to a state of calm immediately after the painful parts were over. While I have seen many grizzly things in my time at Shevet, it was an especially humid today in Tel Aviv, and watching Akram get stuck with needles in addition to the humidity proved a bit too much for me and I had to remove myself for a couple minutes out of fear I would faint (it was from the humidity, I swear). But everything on Akram’s end was handled smoothly, when all was said and done, Akram and his mother were comfortable in their room, Akram doing some drawing, one of his many talents, his mother, encouraging him to eat more, one of hers. Donna and I prayed over Akram and his mother, exchanged hugs and kisses and promised to see them again the next morning for the surgery.

• • •

Yesterday at the John the Baptist site Akram was perusing the various crucifixes and considered buying one, but after I told him the price in sheqels he was deterred. Because of all his previous medical treatment Akram and his family are one of the poorer ones we have had. So, after checking him in last night, I ran down to the Old City with a good Arab Christian friend where I got him a crucifix small enough to hold in his hand, made of olive wood, and covered in mother of pearl. When I arrived to visit him before his surgery this morning I surprised him with it and he was pleased to receive it. Many of the Muslims who we minister to have something called worry beads, which looks something like a catholic rosary; basically something to occupy your hands during stressful times. Akram handled this crucifix much in the same way, feeling its texture in his hand, memorizing the outline of the cross and the figure of Christ pressed upon it.

Akram underwent surgery at 11am this morning on his collapsed right lung, one of the lasting effects of his grueling bout with tuberculosis. In order to accomplish this repair the doctor made an incision between his ribs and removed necrotic tissue and scar tissue which inhibit his lung from functioning. After a four and a half hour surgery Akram emerged from the ER and was transferred to the ICU where we received good news. All reports are that the operation was a success, his lung is now free of the offending tissue and the hope is that now his lung will begin to inflate, a process which is expected to take several days. The one complication I became aware of in the ICU was that Akram’s blood pressure post surgery was unusually low, but the ICU doctor said that he had become slightly over-sedated and that it was not a serious problem. Akram has a long recovery ahead of him as this special surgery will require him to remain in the hospital up to a month, much of which he will spend with tubes inserted in his chest, as shown in the X-ray, for drainage.


Prior to the surgery Akram appeared very calm and he and his mother were encouraged by our visit. After he was taken to surgery Donna, Kirsten, and I sat with Um Akram for the duration; she was visibly anxious but remained collected the entire time. When we left, the doctors and nurses running around him in the ICU had thinned, and Um Akram was sitting by her son’s bedside holding his hand while he slept.

On my end this marks working about 30 of the last 40 hours. In addition to praying for Akram please pray that I will not need to be admitted myself.

Akram

Akram, one of our patients, has an incredible story of survival. Last year he came to our Iraqi clinic on the verge of death because of Tuberculosis; he weighed 66 pounds. The senior cardiologist said, "do we want him to die here, or should we send him back to Iraq to die?" The doctors were certain his Tuberculosis. Here is a picture of him about 1 year ago, and one of him last week, weighing at least twice as much. Completely clear of TB, strong enough to walk around the zoo.

He is here in Jerusalem now waiting for at least two surgeries. The first will be an attempt to reinflate one of his lungs which collapsed as a result of his TB and the questionable medical efforts done by some doctors in Iraq which removed a substantial portion of his lung. The original prognosis was that his lung was a lost cause, but just like last year, the doctors were surprised again to find that his long would be operable and there was a good chance of success. After the surgery he will need to be hospitalized for a month to recover. If the lung surgery is successful he will be stronger and better able to withstand the strain of the open-heart surgery which is to follow. Akram has faced a long road already, and he has quite a way to go, but he is leaning on new friends and a new faith.






He's been drawing a lot lately, here are a few of his works. Akram has been excited to read the Bible as much as any Christian teenager I've seen and one of our coworkers who speaks Arabic has been able to read along with him. I personally, have been engaging in as much discipleship with him as possible with the time I have and my little Arabic and Kurdish. Akram is the only male living in the house over the age of 3 apart from myself, so I have had the privilege of connecting with him in ways no one else has been able to. Akram is a normal teenager, apart from all the medical complications at least, so I have been able to utilized my gifts and experience in youth ministry to minister to him in the best ways i know how. Akram and I have spent a lot of time together, playing games, on outings, generally goofing off, and being there with him in hospitals as well. Last night during our Shabbat meal, Akram took communion with the rest of the staff after the meaning was explained to him. Everyone feels the Lord working powerfully in this young man's life, spiritually and physically, pray for his health and his spiritual growth.

Akram's blog on the Shevet site contains a detailed account of his journey thus far through word, picture, and video and is worth a read http://www.shevet.org/akram/

The Power of the Good News

Saturday I brought 6 of our Iraqis to church: Arazoo (17) who comes regularly now, Halo (9), Alaa (6) and Um Alaa, and Omed (12) and Um Omed (Halo, Alaa, and Omed are our three latest arrivals for heart surgery from Iraq). The families are each given a Kurdish or Arabic New Testament when they come to stay with us, and they had not seen a Christian worship service before. Outside it was the most extreme weather I’d seen in Israel yet, freezing cold, gusty winds, hail, and claps of thunder that made me wonder what kind of idolatry could provoke God to such a fury. It was perhaps more actually blessing in disguise as Israel has really needed the rain, and each thunder clap made the prayer, the worship, the preaching poignantly emphatic.

Because the nature of Jerusalem Christian churches involve a lot of people coming and going the pastor asks who is here for the first time and they are acknowledged by the congregation. Our visitors received a lot of attention as you can imagine, both because they’re not Christians, but also because of the situation they come out of, the fact that this congregation prays for Shevet Achim and its patients regularly, and because Arazoo who they had prayed for previously had since had her surgery and was doing much better. They were made to feel very at home by one of speakers leading a liturgy who addressed them in Kurdish with “choney boshey” which loosely translates to something like “how are you, good?” to which both mothers jumped up, seemingly very pleased to hear these words, raised their hand and said “choney boshey” in return. They seemed to enjoy the worship though they could not understand it, Halo and Omed enjoyed clapping along to the songs (however out of sync they were), and had a good time participating. They all also participated in all the prayers that were said. Whether it was coincidence, Divine will, or sensitivity towards the Iraqi’s, the guest preacher gave the sermon in Arabic which was then translated to English for the rest of the congregation. Kurdish and Arabic are only related to the same extent that, say, English is to say Spanish, but Um Alaa is fluent in Arabic, and Um Omed like most Kurdish speakers in Iraq can understand some basic Arabic. The speaker talked about a prison ministry that he runs in Israel, talked about how we are all molded uniquely like clay in the hands of a potter and gave some other theological references and general edifications toward an individual’s humanity regardless of circumstance and the need for redemption.

I was very grateful that the mothers were able to understand the sermon but something very unexpected happened following the closing prayer and the small horde that approached the mothers and children to bless them and pray over them. Um Alaa began to weep. I wasn’t sure what had happened, if the stress had overtaken her or what exactly, but the other volunteer with me, Donna, told me shortly following that she was weeping because she had been so touched by the message. At this I was kind of surprised…I didn’t think it was that powerful of a message…sure it was good to hear about the success of this ministry and to hear again how God has made each individual special, etc… I thought maybe Donna was being a little too optimistic that it wasn’t something else, but then I noticed the other mother, while not weeping, was also visibly shaken…

This reminded me of, and strengthened my conscience concerning something I’ve felt over the last few weeks being here and in the course of settling in. The work my coworkers and I are doing by any outsider's standards would be seen as tremendous, incredible, awe inspiring, praiseworthy, etc; but the longer and more feverishly I do it, the harder it is for me to see this. I’ve heard analogies such as "you can't see the forest from the trees", or "you can't grasp the immensity of a sky scraper from inside the ground floor," and I think this fits both with my work at Shevet and my spiritual life to a certain extent. I may be driving kids in and out of Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, making believers out of Muslims, ministering to the least, being a peacemaker between arch enemies, living humbly so that I can save others, etc. but unless I repeat that to myself, stop and step back and realize that is what I’m doing, I don’t see it when I’m actually in the process of doing it.

In the same way the radical nature of the Gospel is something that I need to be reminded of and refreshed by; not only that, but be truly impressed by the things being accomplished in Jesus name. The speaker was talking about a wonderfully successful prison ministry, to which my response was, “that’s great, another effective prison ministry built on the love of Christ,” but I lacked the enthusiasm of how glorious such an accomplishment is. I know that there are such ministries around the world and perhaps I am jaded by their number rather than overwhelmed by the joy of the enduring and vibrant work of Christ and his Church. I am used to the wonder of God, like the Israelites, like so many Great Revivals, my eyes have adjusted to the brilliant light; I know it's not the right place to be. Witnessing the response of these mothers, I think certainly more appropriate than my own by Kingdom standards, is a welcome reminder to pray for a new, fresh faith that can appreciate all these things, that will in turn encourage and strengthen me as I go about doing the work the Lord has graciously set before me to do in his name. Perhaps when you pray you can petition God to do this for me, so that I can feel newly inspired again and again, by all that he does, and for yourself if you find you are in this same place.

After the service ended the kids ran around the sanctuary taking pictures, smelling the flowers, enjoying being kids. Each of them, and the mothers, received copious blessings and prayers during this time. While I was not there with them, it’s my understanding that some of them, maybe more, went to church again that evening. Please continue to pray for the work God is doing in the lives of these families, physically and spiritually, today especially as I will be taking Halo, Alaa, and Omed in for their open-heart surgeries within the next 48 hours.

Emotional Rollercoasters Are by Far the Most Nauseating

I’ve preserved the drafts of this blog in their original form to better capture these experiences.

• • •

Written Sunday 2-15-09:

Abu Firdaus has been in very poor spirits because of the condition of his daughter who has not been struggling greatly the past week or so. Because of this his demeanor Abu Firdaus had, understandably, become very panicked and frustrated, which is a far cry from the kind and gentle spirit everyone had known him by. In the hopes of alleviating some of the stress, much of which he was putting on himself by being in the hospital, we took him out of the hospital environment he had been living in the last few months and brought him to the Shevet Achim house over the weekend. The outcome could not have been better!

After spending just a few hours in our home Thursday evening he seemed to be doing better; being around other families in similar situations who spoke his language gave him much encouragement, even simply being in a warm comfortable home seemed to make a difference.

Friday the traditional day of prayer in Islam, I took Abu Firdaus to the Old City so that he could spend some much needed time in prayer (see the subsequent excursus on this). The prayers begin at 11am and we left at approximately 10:45 so I knew we were in a rush, however, on the way to the Old City Abu Firdaus kept pointing me toward the Arab market and trying to get me to go there with him. I thought this was curious because I knew we were late for prayer, but he seemed to be very hurriedly tasting some of the greens in the various shops to find the right one, eventually he found what he was looking for: celery. I didn’t know why he was so interested in the greens, and celery of all things, I thought perhaps it had something to do with the prayers…would he be praying so fervently he would need something to sustain him, celery of all things?…would he be making…an offering? After he found it I thought, “certainly we’d better rush to pray,” but he started walking in the opposite direction hurriedly checking out the food stalls once again! When he grabbed a dented can of tomato sauce and started rushing back in the direction of the Shevet Achim house I was completely baffled. Well, as it turns out, Abu Firdaus had had lunch cooking on the stove before we ran out and these were the ingredients he needed to finish the meal. When we visited Abu Firdaus and his daughter in the hospital we talked on a few occasions about his restaurant business back home in Iraq and we often joked that we would love to have him cook for us, and that we would hire him on as our staff cook. He decided to surprise us with that very thing! After some much needed translation through Dorothy, I was told by Abu Firdaus that “of course I would love to go with you to pray, but after lunch!”

After eating a delicious lunch, Abu Firdaus and I finally ventured into the Old City to pray at around noon. I left him at the entrance to the Temple Mount as only Muslims are allowed in most times, and we agreed to meet back at the entrance at 4pm. In the midst of the most dire situation a man can face, his child’s life hanging by a thread, Abu Firdaus emerged with joy visible on his face and embraced me. He later told me after praying, “I am at peace now,” and I believe it, he could hardly keep from smiling on the walk home. On the walk back we enjoyed a sweet from a shop, and I had the pleasure of watching Abu Firdaus do some genuine Arab haggling over some green beans (we got them down to 7 sheqels a kilo). We walked the entire way back through the winding streets of the Old City, up and down the Arab market, and then to the Shevet house arm in arm (which is a feat in itself given the foot traffic).

He had been so uplifted by his day and our loving care to him and Firdaus that he prepared the staff three full dishes for dinner as well!

Abu Firdaus spent the rest of the weekend taking in Jerusalem and getting a much needed break in mind and spirit from the circumstances he is facing. We brought him back to Schneider Children’s Medical Center today a renewed man.

As we learned in a prior visit to him at the hospital, Abu Firdaus has been diligently reading the New Testament each day since he received a Kurdish version from our Jordan coordinator Dirk. He also took interest in one of the Kurdish Bibles we have on our shelves here at Shevet and cracked it open and began to read without hesitation. He showed no signs of hesitance or offense to walk with me arm in arm, even in front of all the Muslims, despite me lugging my enormous and conspicuous Bible to and from the Old City on our outing. Team members have also spoken with him about what it means to pray in the name of Jesus as an intercessor and Abu Firdaus has been moved to take part in this as well for his daughter. Abu Firdaus is a man of great spiritual fervor and sincerity, please pray that the Lord would continue to draw him near and that through these most difficult and painful times where there seems to be no hope and no chance for life, that he would receive the gift of a new life, and hope in the one who freely gives it. Please also continue to pray that God would act in miraculous ways in the life of baby Firdaus, and that the work God is already doing in her now would be only a foretaste of what is to come.

It’s when crazy things like this happen that I know what we are doing is working, and that it really is from above. The notion of a 50 year old Muslim man walking joyfully, literally arm in arm, with a 23 year old Christian through the streets of Jerusalem being joined together with the hope of saving his child’s life…there's something about it.

• • •

Written Wednesday 2-18-09




Firdaus died yesterday. After being stable and on the road to recovery the child took a turn for the worse about one and a half weeks ago which she never recovered from. I know some of the medical details about her condition and operation and the difficulties that had the potential to make her unsavable but I didn’t ask for any further when I heard the news, and I’ll spare you all the details. Almost as difficult for me was the fact that Abu Firdaus was put on a plane last night as well before I had a chance to see him. Yesterday, I drove for 7 hours, and spent 6 hours in Wolfson hospital in Tel Aviv; between two trips to Gaza to pick up and drop off children and 3 trips to Wolfson, and then getting back to Jerusalem, it was all I could muster to reach my bed and collapse when I got home. When I awoke this morning he was already in Amman, Jordan with Firdaus.

I was told by the Shevet staff who went to him after hearing the news that he was on his knees weeping when they arrived, still cradling the small yellow pillow that belonged to Firdaus. They left the hospital with him shortly after. This father that did all that he could for his child, breaking every social, cultural, and religious barrier to save her could now do nothing more than give her just one last kiss before the tiny body bag was zipped over her face.

I have written him the following condolences for Dorothy to read to him in Arabic over the phone:

Abu Firdaus,

I am very sorry I was not able to see you before you left or offer you any comfort in person, I was needed all day to bring children to and from Gaza. I am so sorry for your loss and I know there is little that can make you feel better at this moment. I myself am deeply grieved and mourning for Firdaus as well. I would like you to know that even though you are leaving now, our relationship and your relationship with those who know of you around the world does not end here. It is especially now that we will bring our prayers for you and your family before God so that you may know he has not abandoned or forgotten you. I pray that God would grant you peace that surpasses all understanding and that in the midst of the difficulty and pain, God may use it somehow to draw you nearer than ever before.

With hope and love,

Justin

I know God is not done with Abu Firdaus, he is a better father than many men I know who call themselves good fathers, and practices a purer and more active Christianity than many people I know who so casually call themselves Christians. Perhaps these very events have set that in motion, and I hope it is true that our Father will not end prematurely any good work he begins in us.

• • •

Excursus: Some Uncomfortable Questions

After writing the last section I questioned whether or not it would taint the visceral nature of the blog to include an intellectual excurses on a Christian taking a Muslim to a mosque to pray, lest you think I am not in emotional shambles, or that this grievous event is anything less, but I think it may be helpful to anyone who may have been caught off guard or be apprehensive about it. I don’t mean to provide an answer to every concern, indeed I have my own, but here are just some considerations that most people would not grasp at first thought on the matter.

First, on the idea of different God’s in Christianity and Islam. Etymologically, there can be no argument reasoned from the word “Allah” as this is the standard Arabic word for God, used by Christians and Jews who spoke pre-Islamic Arabic languages like Ancient (Northern) Arabian and Syriac for hundreds of years prior Islam. Today there are at least 30 million Arabic speaking Christians that pray to Allah and have the very same beliefs about Him and Yesua (Jesus) that you and I do. To say that “Allah” is a different god doesn’t make much sense in practical terms. Without the bias against the term “Allah” we would be saying in English “God is a different god from God,” which is linguistically nonsensical. What therefore would be in dispute would be the nature of God in Christianity and Islam, rather than having an entirely different deity on our hand. We have to ask then, do prayers by someone who has different, incomplete, or even heretical beliefs about God not ascend to Him? What percentage of correct belief about God does it take or is it relevant?

With regard to prayer, the issue of Islam’s Mohammed need not come into play much either. Muslims don’t pray to Mohammed, they believe he was a prophet and they do not pray to prophets, they only pray to God. In fact, this is a significant snag that Muslim converts to Christianity face at the onset, as we pray to Jesus (God in flesh). Muslim’s venerate Jesus very highly as a prophet or even higher as a messenger of God (they also regard most Bible characters as prophets as well). This is often surmounted by explaining prayer “in Jesus name” as using Jesus as an intermediary between man and God, that he as our divine peace maker and ransom is the only one through which it is worthy to bring prayers to God, or that because of his special relationship to God Jesus is granted power to appeal God more on our behalf.

It is with this in mind that I have to step back in humility for how Abu Firdaus prayed. This is a man that has been reading the New Testament every day since he has been here, more than I have had time to that’s for certain. It would not surprise me one bit if in fact Abu Firdaus was on the Temple Mount praying in Jesus name for his daughter. This produces more questions for those that haven’t encountered Muslims converts or those in the process. Is it wrong for a Christian to pray 5 times a day at the traditional Muslim times and with the same movements? Is it wrong to pray to God in Jesus name in a mosque? Will a Muslim who tries praying in Jesus name be granted his petition if he has yet to come to faith in Him and is seeking if Jesus has real power? What beliefs must they have about the authority of Koran and Mohammed to be received by Christ?

I believe God is just and merciful, and that he extends the most grace to the little children of faith who have just begun to seek and knock on the door. I did not just see this event as Abu Firdaus going to meet God in prayer and hoping that he would pray in Jesus name. Prayer is where man meets God, where divine pierces mundane, it cannot be the other way around, only God can break this barrier to both receive and answer. I therefore took him there to pray not in the hope that Abu Firdaus would grasp the formula and reality of Christ’s efficacious work and pray accordingly, but that God who has the power to reveal these things to man would encounter Abu Firdaus at this time; that it would be from Heaven down. I don’t know what God revealed in prayer, but if the sense of peace and joy that Abu Firdaus emerged with were from Him, I know that God is indeed at work in this man.