Ponderings

Taken aback by Condolezza Rice’s discounting of a possible ceasefire in the Israeli-Hezbollah struggle, I was impressed to read this morning that she had put herself on the ground in Beirut. Perhaps her dismissal signaled a respect for the gravity of the situation rather than an acceptable level of violence. Given that she has reportedly charmed men across Europe, I’d be happy to see her schmooze for peace in the Middle East.

So I was surprised to read Arab source’s interpretation of her visit. Not everyone is pleased. Rice’s visit is seen by many as one more imperialist imposition. And though we might be tempted to dismiss this interpretation, MSNBC quotes Rice’s boss (Bush) as putting a shine on the current crisis with,”Sometimes, in order to get others to act with us,” he says, “there has to be conditions on the ground that make the case better than I can make it.” After this kind of palm greasing, Rice will need additional body guards.

I continue to find myself in tangled in the Gordian Knot. I hear the Who’s calling in Arabic and Hebrew. Children on all sides of our artificial lines cry for food and for fear. I am persuaded by the passion of my Rabbi friend who visits Israel when he can. I am moved by the truths of the “Angry Arab” and his blogspot. Daily I drink from the deep spiritual well of Chabad.org and notice the Zionist politics. After reading CNN Quick News each morning, I turn to Aljazeera for another view. Quite frankly, I don’t understand and I suspect that I never will.

What I do know is that our nation’s leadership is not calming the waters for those who fill my prayers. Each interview with President Bush or Condolezza Rice seems to pour more fuel on the flames. Humility and compassion would be the order of the day, but our current models for diplomacy seem more in the vein of manipulation and intimidation. And they aren’t working.

Even as I pray for our government officials to come home and tend to the work in my weary city, as a pacifist committed to proactive work for peace I do not want to ignore the growing crisis in Lebanon that in no small measure was kindled by my nation state. I find myself wondering where the real peace makers of our time are hiding? Where is Desmond Tutu? Surely a Truth and Reconciliation team would be more effective than our continued antagonism. Let’s gather the Nobel Peace Prize winners of the past two decades and send them on a mission with our blessings and our checkbooks.

But maybe that is the problem. We want Condolezza to schmooze peace without the checkbook, without the promise of justice, without the hope of economic freedom. We don’t really want to know about the history of our nation’s involvment in both the politics and the economics of the region. We don’t want to know the painful details of colonialism or the crusades or anti-semitism. We would rather not have to see the ways in which our current American lifestyle is dependent on ruthless regimes half a world away. We don’t really want to help rebuild what we have (perhaps unwittingly) torn down in Afghanistand and Iraq. We want to go home, but we don’t want to first pick up the toys. And peace, real and lasting peace, may start with a cease fire but never lasts without justice.