Some thoughts before I go to Israel

This post was originally posted on my blog at http://bit.ly/1KeZhp3

A few months ago a friend put me in touch with @CIJA. Thanks to them I’m able to spend over a week in Israel on an educational trip!

I guess one of the things I’ll try to do while I’m in Israel is to check in every so often with the blog. I know I’m deviating from my usual material, but deal with it.

I’m not in Israel yet, but on the heels of my second visit I feel it’s only fair to reflect on the last time I visited the Holy Land (besides how my camera had such an embarrassing low resolution).

Last time I was skinny, in high school, had an affinity for baggy pants, and was a misguided and tacit Dispensationalist. That was 2007.

9 years later, I feel like some years of university, theological education, and experience have tempered some of my youthfulness. Hopefully this time I can have a thoughtful, less Pentecostal, and more holistic view of the land.

Before I start meandering, I think it would be best to list some things I’m excited for during my visit.

1)Hearing other narratives

While I do have political and religious commitments (I tend to slant pro-Israeli), I know that there are many other stories and stakeholders in the region. Many of their commitments have ramifications that go beyond winning a college or theological discussion. It’s life or death. It’s their cultural identity. While I may not agree with everyone I’ll meet, I feel I can at least become a more empathetic and well rounded person by listening to them.

2)The food

Isn’t this any surprise? My main blog talks about my food exploits in Vancouver. In addition to reading more news-based sources, I’ve been watching some videos about Michael Solomonov’s experiences with the region (I just bought his cookbook too). The way he talks about Israeli food makes me excited. While my hometown does have a variety of food, it is generally slanted by the immigration patterns, and region (deserts and temperate rainforests don’t share much in common). The Jewish diaspora has food influences from a plethora of places, but has a different makeup than Vancouver’s immigration patterns. It’ll be interesting to see how these variances in influence change the flavours of the food.

3)Learning how it all fits together

I remember the last time I visited Israel, I was able to see a site where they excavated the different layers of Jerusalem. It showed how many times the city had been invaded, torn down, and rebuilt. Within that time numerous cultures, religions, traditions, empires, and political cultures have gone through these borders. One of the largest startup scenes in the world sits on top of a land that 3 of the world’s major religions consider sacred. Jesus’ ministry was said to have started in the same region where Intel created some of their fastest processors. New and old is contained within a landmass smaller than a fraction of most Canadian provinces.

I always love places that have a complex past. That’s why I avoid suburbs. To say Israel is complex is an understatement, but boring never births 3 religions, starts one of the largest startup scenes in the world, and continues to intrigue al observers. I’m ready.