It's not surprising to me coming from a Christian upbringing, that Jerusalem would get framed Biblically like this. In Sunday school growing up, we would hear about tails of Jerusalem often. To me, it was just a city of the past, a city of the book. Most of my childhood , it still had that mysteriousness to it. After indulging in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict freshman year of high school. I finally had the chance to see that it was in fact a city today, and a city with more than just my Christian faith.
So as Nassar described the pictures that were framing Jerusalem as a Bible city, this is what was going through my head. When I was young, these pictures in the article are the ones that I would have imagined it would look like. I can just picture palm branches and the many people of the Bible strolling the streets like they own it.
It's interesting now, to see my point of view from my childhood to my point of view now.... very different. But when you are taught something your entire life, if no one ever tells you any different, that is truth right? That is why this dispute has so much at the core of it. Kids just like me, that believe the truth they know.
I could not agree with what you are saying any more. It is a really interesting how the picture never changes but our point of views will always shift. For years now and years to come, the city of Jerusalem will look the same but people will continue to shift their opinions. In this case, the picture is worth more than 1000 words.
ReplyDeleteWord. As far knowing what we are taught, it's pretty inescapable. I mean, Maybe traveling around to all kinds of different places might open up our minds (body-heart-spirits) but even then, how can one know something that one has not experienced. May be that whole "I think therefore I am" thing kind of attempted to address this issue... Hmmm but I wanted to go somewhere else with that... What was it? I forgot. Well may be it had something to do with... O yeah! I remember! Maybe that saying, "I know that I don't know" kinda thing can help us stay open-minded and challenge our beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI do think it's important to just accept beliefs too, and like play with them. I play music with all kinds of folks, a lot of them fervently religious, and of different religions. They tell me what they believe and I'm like "cool, alright I can see how that applies to my life. Let's play music." You know? Cuz no one believes something that they think is evil. So may be their expressed belief is not in terms that I would use, but at the heart of what they are saying, there is something loving there. Anyways. Sorry to ramble all over your blog.
I think you are right, Maggie...what else are we to believe or even begin to analyze as a child. Our world centers around our family and the stories they share and the beliefs they instill. Why would we even consider wondering about their validity? Truth in our world it is! Yet when we step into the bigger circles of life we find many different beliefs...that's a foundation shaker sometimes...wow...our own truths need analyzed. And life continues...like you shared...more kids, just like all of us, are being raised with 'truths' passed down to them. And, why wouldn't they believe them...just like us.....good point you raised!
ReplyDeleteI think you post was really interesting and so relatable. Although I can't say I'm really christian, or at least a good one, I can remember having my own idea about what Jerusalem was as a kid, and picturing it in my own mind. I always had this feeling like it wasn't a real place. Growing up and learning about Israel, and its conflict and complexities obviously I know now about its realities. It's so weird to think about how much what I know about this city has changed as I've grown up and learned about the world.
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