On June 13, 2007, on The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert interviewed the author of Muses, Madmen and Prophets, Daniel B. Smith who spoke about how hearing voices is not always psychotic and could actually be a good thing.
I began to 'hear voices' shortly after I began the practice of lectio-divinia/holy reading, in the year 2000, which was two years after beginning the practice of Centering Prayer as outlined by Father Michael Keating.
The 'voices' speak to me in scripture verses, except for "DO SOMETHING!" which has been the most persistent and loudest, and began the second I looked into the eyes of George, a little boy of Bethlehem.
In the year 2000, George, born and reared in the Little Town of Bethlehem: Occupied Territory, was 'captured' by photographer Debbie Hill, the morning after the Israeli army destroyed his bedroom in retaliation for a few hopeless militants who had infiltrated his once peaceful Christian village to snipe across the way into the illegal settlement/colony of Gilo.
According to International Law; ALL the settlements/colonies in the West Bank are illegal.
The shrapnel that pierced the wall of his sanctuary read "Made in USA" and was delivered via American made Apache helicopters. The second I saw George's eyes, in the photograph that was first published by the Florida Catholic and now graces the banner of my website: http://www.wearewideawake.org/
My heart said "DO SOMETHING!"
What could I possibly do I wondered, but I did make a copy of the photo, put it in a frame and placed it upon the altar [a bar high table] in the upper room of my home. Dozens of times a day, I would stop and gaze into the eyes of that little boy of Bethlehem and beg God to end the insane cycle of violence in the Holy Land for the sake of all the children who live there and deliver and release me from the incessant voice that demands: "DO SOMETHING!"
All these years later, every time I look at George's eyes-or even think about him-the persistent voice continues the incessant refrain: "DO SOMETHING!"
In the year 2000, I was a first year student in an Episcopal-Methodist Formation Program for Spiritual Directors. I knew going into the program that I would NOT be hanging out a shingle as a SD. I was there for the curriculum; studying the saints and others ways of prayer. That is also when I began to write creative spiritual literature.
Before 9/11, I did not give too much thought for another beyond my rural community. I was apolitical, thought the world had already gone mad and there was nothing much anyone could do or say to change it. I lived a simple contended -and privileged life in the rural South and have always been grateful to be an American. But after 9/11, I wanted to learn why did a few-and back then it was but a few-people in the world hated Americans so much that they could cold bloodedly murder innocent people. I also wanted to do some good in the world and that lead me to the Interfaith Olive Trees Foundation for Peace http://www.olivetreesfoundation.org and that led to my first journey to the Little Town of Bethlehem: Occupied Territory.
It is George though, who has impelled, compelled and propelled me to return four more times since then and on July 13, 2007, I embark upon my fifth excursion to be with the Forgotten Faithful: The Palestinian Christians, whose numbers have declined from 20% of the total population to less than 1.3% since 1948.
The reasons for the Christian Exodus from the land where Jesus promised, the peacemakers are the children of God, is due to the now forty years of occupation, oppression, denial of inalienable human rights, lack of economic opportunities, fundamentalism and militancy within all three branches of Father Abrahams family and low birth rate. Thus far, NOT one Palestinian Christian has ever strapped on a bomb and committed suicide/homicide.
The Palestinian Christians are the most well educated of all the people of the Holy land, and their unabated exodus will rob any future Palestinian state of the very people needed to create a civil and democratic society.
If I could, I would not ever return to occupied territory, for it is viscerally painful for me and I hated flying even before THAT DAY, we call 9/11. But, willingly, I go to bear witness and pray in solidarity with my sisters and brothers in Christ in the land where Christ walked and taught that what ever one does or does NOT do for the least and outcast, one does it or does NOT do it unto God.
Occupied Territory is NO vacation and violence can erupt from the Israeli forces and hopeless militants without warning.
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