Introducing the "guest blogger" label/category; others will follow--
One of the privileges of living here, is the opportunity to encounter people of so many walks of life and creed, who work for peace, justice, love of neighbor, freedom -- what folks who call themselves 'followers of Jesus' consider 'advancing the Kingdom of God.' Marlin and Sally Vis are such people, and Marlin has a great talent (which I lack) for narrating the human experience. In the following blog, he gives us a simple story and reflection on Issa and his daughter Miriam, going through the most simple and prosaic reality of occupation--far away from the headlines-making events and catastrophes. Before giving you the link, here's a copy-paste from one of the concluding paragraphs of the story (emphasis mine):
"As trite as all of this sounds; it is the deepest of all truth. Miriam is a child of God, and therefore she deserves to be treated as such, especially by those who call themselves children of God, those charged by God not to forget their own suffering so as not to forget to be a champion for others who suffer. However, and here is where the truth gets deepest, I think, no matter how Miriam is treated, and no matter how others see her, Miriam is still a child of God. The truth does not change just because others do not see this truth as true... Miriam is a child of God. Issa is a child of God. The soldiers at the checkpoint are children of God. Does God favor one child over the other? Wrong question. And why are we asking that question at all?"
Read about Miriam on Marlin and Sally's blog : http://marlinsallyvis.typepad.com/marlin_sally_in_jerusalem/2008/06/same-old-story.html
Elrig
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