Roots

The setting was the room of the last supper, the tomb of David, the dormition of Mary (choose any or all of the above based on your tradition). Bound within this church/mosque/synagogue are walls that stand as monuments to the ties and clashes between these traditions. Roman columns, Arabic script, and the mihrab, the niche within a mosque marking the direction of Mecca, pay tribute to a land conquered by many, but controlled by few. Jerusalem is a city where time stands still, interminably caught in the past, yet effortlessly remaining relevant to the future.

A high holy site in Christianity, Islam and Judaism, Jerusalem engenders the fault line, nay the epicenter, of history. Each of these religions, descendants of Abraham, tower in the minds of people across the globe, three "cedars of Lebanon" undeterred by time. Their rich histories tell the story of a land forged by faith and by blood. Many adherents to these traditions, however, attempt to extricate their religion from the others, to demonize the chaff while sifting the wheat. But this is not grain. Just as cedars who stand tall among a forest, they may seem to occupy unique positions on the landscape. When one digs beneath the surface, however, we realize that the roots of these giants are tightly wound together. Countless sites across the levant, as many scholars call this "Land Between," share a common footprint in these traditions. Whether it is the aforementioned humble room that gave birth to the eucharist and enshrines the tombs of the great, or the site of the second temple, near sacrifice of Isaac, and the ascension of Muhammed into heaven now demarcated by the Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem itself is a storehouse of links between its three major religions. To dream of freeing one tradition from the grips of the others is to damage ones own life source, to cut off our own roots.

Instead, I believe we must seek to be students of our roots, to proffer "the ties that bind" as an opportunity to recognize that as members of an international community, it is possible to appreciate both our differences (which we are often quick to point out) and our similarities. To value our diversity and enjoy the "spice of life." In saying this, I intend not to imply that we must water down our own traditions like a poor cup of Nescafe. On the contrary, our common roots make it all the more important that we define our perspectives carefully. Rather, I wish to admonish the reader that in our world comprised of devoted followers of many faiths, it is essential, especially in service of justice, that we fully comprehend the essence of the proverb that "the tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly." Our own beliefs may be based on the traditions of others. It will serve us well to hear the other voices of this land. To be a great speaker, a commander of wisdom, we must first be prepared to listen and to listen actively. Otherwise, we may very well be chopping ourselves off at the roots.