When words aren't enough

Sometimes I think our written words fail us. When we met with the Jewish settler he talked about the written and the oral Torah that were given to Moses. As he said we can't really completely know God but some ideas and concepts can only be conveyed orally. I think there is a lot of truth in this. Can we convey in words on a blog what we are truly feeling and thinking? Perhaps as we share our stories in our communities upon our return people might better understand us. I've read once that in communicating only 10% is conveyed in the actual words. The rest is in the tone, the visuals, the emotions we convey.

Today we experienced a Lutheran service in the old city and I really appreciated the opportunity to worship in the holy land with people from all over the world, drawn to the birthplace of our faith.

From there we toured the old city with a tour guide who pointed out things we would have never noticed. He showed where aggressive settlers were moving into buildings in strategic locations trying to change the city creating new facts on the ground. Ariel Sharon the former prime minister whose visit to the Temple Mount triggered the second Intifada bought an apartment in the heart of Muslim quarter. This apartment seats right on the main street and he has never spent a night in it, although he visits it sometimes. We also looked down on the Temple Mount and the Wailing Wall. From there you could see how every building was strategic and all the energy and money was being spent not on achieving peace but on grabbing an extra meter or building. So much tension in such a small space, something that words can't possibly describe.

From there we went to visit the Yad Vashem (Holocaust) museum. Again words fail to convey such an experience. The images and words in the exhibit are shocking. I've done enough reading about the Holocaust to know much of the story, but still the staring into family pictures of happy people destined for the gas chambers is really tough. Some of the words and images reminded me to of things I've seen on this trip. A Jewish person's description of being forced into the Warsaw ghetto and comparing there life on one side of the wall with the freedom and prosperity on the other reminded me so much of the plight of the Palestinians we met this week. How is it that we humans create these systems designed to oppress and destroy our brothers and sisters. Surely God expects better than us.

Today we started to talk some more about how to share what we've experienced. But do you convey these experiences when words are not enough.