Children play and make friends there. But they live in a
hard situation. The churches in Jerusalem invite people from around the world
to come and see what is happening. Patricia, who wrote this story, is one of
those people. For three months she lived with Palestinians and Israelis who are
working for peace.
Susiya is a small village in Palestine. The Palestinian
people don’t have control of their own country. This situation is called a
“military occupation.” In this small village, the Israeli army told the people
to leave. They were going to tear down their homes and use their land for
themselves.
But the people don’t want to leave. They love their homes.
They love their families and their animals. They love the land and their
community. This place is their home. Where else would they go?
During this difficult situation, the children try to go
about their daily lives. They are just like children anywhere. The other
observers and I arrive just as school finishes for the summer. Remember how
that feels?
Getting up and out first thing in the morning. Meeting up
with friends. Going in and out of each other’s homes? The children play school,
marbles, and games. They play little sally saucer and statue. They fill water
balloons and—watch out!
We watch the children play. We watch them push and pull, cry
and laugh. There is a lot of love in this close community.
A special moment for me is playing rock-a-bye baby. All of
the children want a turn being rocked. Even the older ones, who have trouble
fitting on my lap! Then I teach them to dance to “Rock Around the Clock.” And
they teach me to dance to an Arabic song!
Every child needs a safe place to live and grow up. The
children of Susiya and many other villages in Palestine need to have courage.
As long as this conflict goes on, they will live with the very real fear of
losing their homes.
We hear the love and courage of the people in Susiya who
want to keep their village. Are we ready to love? Are we ready to step up and
help the people of Palestine and Israel? I wonder what love is calling forth
from us?
For pictures of the children of Susiya that accompany this story from the blog of former World Council of Church’s Ecumenical Accompanier and United Church member Patricia Mercer, visit: https://patriciainpalestine.wordpress.com