Urban Wandering and Reflection: part II

The reality is that there are several types of urban dwellers. There are those high-class yuppies that are out to make the big bucks, work the big jobs, and hold the big power. At the other hand there are the downtrodden ghettos and projects that carry a population working simply for survival. In between, there’s everything from political activists to artsy-fartsy types to ethnic enclaves filled with hundreds of cultural nuances. Each type of person has his or her own stories to tell. It would do us well to listen and learn.

Understandably, I am not an urban dweller. I am what could be called a sub-urban dweller. One that is more familliar with the mall than to the office, the park instead of the ghetto. This gives me all the more reason to listen to the stories of the city. I, of all people, need to learn. Contrary to popular belief, the sub-urban existence is just as dangerous as the urban one, especially for the youth. However, that is another topic for another time.

Washington D.C. boasts itself as one of the most important cities in the world, clearly because it is the capital of the most powerful nation in the world. Since I’ve arrived home I’ve spent several days walking the streets of northwest D.C. simply hoping to understand more of what it means to be a Washingtonian. Above all else, Washington D.C.’s most distinguishing characteristic is Political Power. As such, wandering through these streets always provides interesting tales to tell.

Just the other day I passed by the newly renovated Washington Convention Center. This building houses several large conferences and shows throughout the year. As I was crossing by on the way to visit my grandmother in Chinatown I noticed several Hasidic Jews, complete with black hats, coats, and long curls by the ears, protesting outside. They held up banners declaring that, “Real Jews Reject Zionism.” Zionism is the movement that promotes the nation state of Israel. Jews against the state of Israel, now isn’t that an interesting concept? I proceeded to try and go converse with them on the topic.

I took a hand out and skimmed it quickly. They introduced themselves as Neturei Karta International. It seems that these Rabbis believe that it goes against the Torah for the Jewish people to self initiate a political state like that of the current Israel. G_d himself must bring back the exiled Jews to the land. Any man-initiated Israel is a sin. These were some pretty extreme views for such a conservative sect of Judaism to adhere to. I suppose the most amazing part was when I began to question one of the Rabbis on the subject. It so happened he spoke Chinese. Not only this, but he spoke Chinese better than he spoke English. I considered it a once in a lifetime moment to be speaking to a Chinese-speaking, anti-Zionist, Hasidic Jew.

At first I was quite confused as to why this group would protest outside the Convention Center. I found out shortly after asking the question as several younger men and women came up to the Rabbis to engage in conversation. Before long the conversation turned in to a raging argument. It just so happened that the Convention Center was hosting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Conference where some of America’s most politically active Jews come together to meet with the government and lobby Israel’s interests. It was quite the experience. There I was on the corner of Massachusetts and 9th Street hearing one of the most intense debates concerning the existence of the state of Israel I’d ever heard, the topic being held at the heart of those discussing. Sadly, the debate almost got to the point of just plain name-calling as younger Jewish college students in their trendy suits challenged the conservatively dressed Rabbis. I managed to strike up a conversation with one of the students despite the loud arguing in the background. Afterwards I even went so far as the go into the Convention Center and find a couple of nice Texan Jewish college students to continue discussion.

Indeed, Political Power is at the root of Washington’s existence. That day I learned a few more things about the Middle East conflict that has ravaged the land for years now. The dimensions of such a conflict run too deep to fathom and too many to count whether it be religious, political, or otherwise. My time at Wheaton had already exposed me to several points of view. Talking with these Rabbis and college students has opened up many more. It would do me best to seek out more views as time goes on.

With so many interests on so many levels, how can anyone ever make a confident decision? How does one decide whether the razing of Palestinian homes in the Rafah Refugee camp is truly for Israeli protection against weapons smuggling? How does one truly decide whether Americans attacked a wedding party or a rebel party in Iraq? After all the conversation I had that afternoon, the heart of many of the subjects was the concept of the media. How the media chooses to portray Israel, Palestine, America, or Iraq is pivotal to our own understanding of the world and how we see it, especially when we are unable to speak with those at the heart of the situation. I know I don’t have the personal time to research every aspect of those topics I am interested in. Instead I rely in the BBC or Fox News to tell me. But what are they not telling me? What is fact and what is opinion? How do we live in this firestorm of information that passes through our lives every moment? Truly, we must be selective lest we become overwhelmed.

In the end, we can’t make that authoritative decision on anything as complicated as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the War in Iraq because there will always be sides to the story and parts of the picture we cannot see. It is good to have an opinion, but bad to stick to it in such a way that ignores and even persecutes others’ opinion. The best thing we can do is keep seeking Truth, test such with our experience, and change ourselves and the world around us accordingly.

Current State of Spirit: Learning. As summer proceeds, I am trying to learn a lot of things like which of my relationships are truly good and valuable, how to have peace and joy in the grace of God, about China to prepare for my upcoming trip, and much more.