Day 5

Bob’s Sabbatical

Day 5, Friday, September 4, 2009

 

            I had my
first really good night’s sleep.  There
was a problem with the wifi at Notre Dame, so I could not go on line.  Issa sent his cousin to take me to the
airport – something about where Sam lives that makes it easier for him to get
through check-points.  The infamous wall
was very much in evidence as we entered/exited the West Bank.  At the checkpoint out of the West Bank, there
were parking lots on one side for Palestinians, who then walked through the
checkpoint and boarded vans to take them to work in Israeli controlled
areas.  Sam said that they did
construction labor and garden work, jobs Israelis did now want to do.  Sound familiar?

            Sam said
the olive harvest would be bad this year. 
He claims that olives have a three-year cycle, two good years, followed
by a bad one.  Maybe this is why they
could not get enough people to do the olive picking thing at Cinque Terra in Italy
that we wanted to do?

            Sam has
four children.  He has the same fear that
Issa shared about the future of Christians in Israel.  He said that one way to take care of it is
for Christians to keep having children. 
I’ve heard the same argument made about Episcopalians!

            I am
writing this while in the Istanbul airport. 
Tel Aviv had free wifi, not so here. 
I head to Ankara from here, where I join the group taking the 2 week
course on St. Paul.  After 4 days of
relative solitude, I am looking forward to being with “fellow-travelers.”  No pictures so far today – maybe some in
Ankara.  Off to the loading gate.

            Flying
out of Istanbul, it is a HUGE city. On a little strip of land between the Black
Sea and the Sea of Marmara (which feeds out to the Aegean Sea).  Istanbul is at the far west end of
Turkey.  We flew about an hour to Ankara,
which is more toward the center of the Country. 
From above, it looks pretty barren. 
St. Paul sure must have had plenty of time to think, since the only way
to get around was to walk (or sail on a couple instances).  Also, one could only walk from late spring
until early fall, due to weather.  He
started all these Churches, and then headed out on more missionary journeys,
only to learn much later of the problems they were having.  He then wrote letters (no overnight Priority
Mail either), to try to deal with whatever issues had been reported to
him.  I’m gaining more respect for him
all the time.

            I am at
the hotel in Ankara.  There are 31 people
from all over the world in our group.  We
begin with dinner, and then our first gathering tonight.  Tomorrow we head for Cappadocia.  I am glad I had the days in Tabgha and Jerusalem.  I’m ready to go!

            No
pictures today – wasn’t in the mood. Airports and big cities are pretty much
the same.  I’ll try to do better.

Peace,

   Bob