Reconciliation

Ok so last semester in Denver I went to Emma’s home church and I don’t remember much about it honestly except for one quote the woman said while she was sharing her testimony. She was speaking through tears and I could tell it was hard for her to talk about but the one thing she said I will never forget.. she said “God had her sit at a table with her enemies and eat.” I spent a while contemplating this quote and trying to figure out what it really means and I came to a couple conclusions, the first is that I know biblically speaking sharing a meal with someone is very symbolic and it can represent reconciliation. Also, if you think about who are your true enemies in life I highly doubt you would be willing to sit at the same table as them let alone share a meal. But if you think about it, reconciliation can only true happen when two people hear the story of the other and try and understand their pain and their struggle and not just your own. I think this seriously applies to the conflict here in Palestine/ Israel because I think there can only be peace in this region when one side truly listens and tries to understand the other. But I do realize that is a lot easier said than done, because I know personally  I don’t think I could reconcile with my enemies at this point in my life but I am working towards that. There is an organization here called roots that allows Palestinians to meet Israelis and lets them talk through their stories and their lives and that is probably the most productive thing to do in such a complex situation as this. I am only beginning to learn about this conflict and I hope to continue to educate myself and those who want to know about what is really going on here and the truth about the situation.