Michael Scott, AA, and The Middle East
I read this entire book, and I still don’t fully understand the situation in the Middle East. I didn’t prior to October 7th, and I still don’t fully after October 7th. Honestly, I just don’t get it. Reading The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict by Martin Bunton only seemed to confuse me more, and the material only covered up to 2012! My goodness, it’s crazy to think about how much has happened since 2012, let alone what has taken place since October 7, 2023.
It makes me think of Season 5, Episode 9 of The Office. Accountant Oscar Martinez attempts to explain what a budget surplus is to Michael Scott, the manager of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch. Afterward, Michael Scott asked Oscar to explain it him “like I’m a 5-year old,” at which point Oscar used an analogy about “his mommy and daddy giving him money to run a lemonade stand.” It’s a funny scene. I thought it about it the entire time I read this book, and I think about it every time I read or watch the news regarding the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
I wish someone would tell it to me “like I’m a 5-year old.”
I know the Palestinian-Israeli conflict goes clear back to the days of Isaac and Ishmael, but even in saying that, all too often we deem Isaac to be the de-facto good guy, and Ishmael the bad guy…but, honestly, it’s just not that cut and dry. Yes, we must dig into the past, even as Bunton says “there can be no assessment of the present, nor discussion of the future, without an understanding of how the conflict unfold from the beginning” (Bunton, 19). Bunton goes onto concede that there “many layers of complexity that have been added to the conflict….”
That’s the understatement of the century. There are massive layers of complexity. Massive. And we may never get to the bottom of those answers because of the layers of complexity from the past. It’s like asking “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Or wondering if “Adam had a belly button,” or “why abbreviation is such a long word?” One could spend a lifetime pondering why feet stink and noses run. One could spend another lifetime wondering what color a Smurf turns if it chokes.
Things that make you go hmmm.
And things that send me to ChatGPT.
I asked AI to explain the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as told to a 5-year old. Here’s what it kicked out:
“Imagine there is a big box of toys. Two children, named Sam and Alex, both want to play with the toys. The problem is, they can’t agree on how to share them. Sam says, “These toys are mine, I was here first!” But Alex says, “No, these toys are mine, I need to play too!”
Both Sam and Alex feel very strongly about this and sometimes they get very upset and fight over the toys. Their friends and family also take sides, and this makes things even more complicated and sometimes leads to more fighting.
The grown-ups around them are trying to help Sam and Alex find a way to share the toys so that they can both be happy and play together without fighting. But it’s a really hard problem to solve, and they are still working on it.”
Bottom line: Two people. Two perspectives. One land.
Both see the land as their historic homeland, and in the case of the Jewish people, it is a safe haven after centuries of persecution, including the horrific murdering of more than six million Jews. Of course, “safe haven” is a relative term.
When one thinks of Palestine today we generally think of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and segments of Jerusalem. These are the hotbeds of conflict that dominate our news currently. Bunton helps us understand that the term “Palestine” denotes both a geographical region as well as a political unit, and that prior to “the First World War, there was no ‘Palestine’ as such, rather a territory…” (Bunton, 38). He is differentiating between a region and a political entity that emerged in the 20th century.
Now, scripturally, Palestine was home to various ancient civilizations, including the Canaanites, Philistines, and the Israelites. So, ultimately, who the land belongs to boils down to how you read and understand the Scriptures. And, I think we all know THAT isn’t a cut and dry issue. There are many interpretations of the Bible, often influenced by our biases, and faith traditions. It’s not a simple issue. To complicate it even further, Bunton’s Very Short Introduction inserts a whole cast of characters including the pesky HAMAS, which I now know is an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Bunton, 121).
Welp, that cleared it right up. Someone, please, give me an acronym like I’m 5-year old!
Here’s one: AA.
Most know AA as Alcoholics Anonymous. In The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, there is a reference in Step Nine to “sweeping your own side of the street.” It’s a invitation to make amends with people that have been hurt, but to realize that one cannot fix others, only themselves. However, one can take care of oneself (ie: sweep your own side of the street), and be kind to others in the process. That’s AA, as we know it.
But to me “AA” is about Abraham and Abu. Two people with two perspectives in one land.
Abraham is a Jewish elderly man. He has been the tour guide I have used for over 30 years. I have been to Israel ten times now, and most often Abraham has led us. He loves his land. He loves his people. He weeps over it. I have witnessed this 70 year old man cry for joy as he watched little children playing in the streets of the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. We wept with him.
Abu is my new friend. He is an Arab man that lives and works in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. I seek him out every time I go to Israel, and I keep in touch with him online. He was the first person I reached out to after the October 7th Hamas attack. Some would wrongly lump him in with those brutal attacks because of his religion and political alignments. I do not. Abu is loving, kind man. He loves his land. He loves his people. He sweeps his own side of the street. He actually, literally sweeps. He keeps is store and sidewalk clean. But more than that, he speaks kindly of his Jewish neighbors. He wants to be in Palestine. Abraham wants to be in Israel.
Two people. Two perspectives. One land.
I know I may simplistically thinking like a 5-year old, but isn’t it possible that two people groups, holding two radically different perspectives, could coexist in one land, especially if they both sweep their own sides of the street?
About the Author
John Fehlen
John Fehlen is currently the Lead Pastor of West Salem Foursquare Church. Prior to that he served at churches in Washington and California. A graduate of Life Pacific University in San Dimas, CA in Pastoral Ministry, and Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, CA with a Masters in Leadership and Spirituality. He and his wife Denise have four grown children and four grandchildren. John is the author of "Don't Give Up: Encouragement for Weary Souls in Challenging Times," a book for pastoral leaders, a children's book called "The Way I See You," and the forthcoming "Leave A Mark: The Jouney of Intentional Parenting." You can connect with John on Instagram (@johnfehlen) as well as at johnfehlen.substack.com.9 responses to “Michael Scott, AA, and The Middle East”
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After reading Bunton’s book, I think the chicken-or-egg question is actually more straightforward than the Palestine-Israeli conflict! Like you, I knew it was complicated but this book opened my eyes to more deep-seated issues than I had imagined. And, like you, my heart breaks for the neighbors on both sides of the conflict who would like to just coexist peacefully. Thanks for your post, John.
In speaking to a dear Israeli friend of mine (an elderly, learned man), he tells me that it is complicated even for those IN the land, even those that are paying attention and interested in the situation and the outcomes.
I could imagine it being similar (but not really) to how confusing Americans may find our political systems, and financial/banking structures, just as a few examples.
In such complexity it’s vital that the wisdom of the Lord, as well as the intelligence of the best and brightest be brought to bear on wicked problems such as this.
Crazy that you’ve been to Israel 10 times. I had hoped to go for the FIRST time a couple of years ago with a local seminary where I teach from time to time, but alas I STILL have yet to travel there.
I think you raise a great question at the end of your post — “but isn’t it possible that two people groups, holding two radically different perspectives, could coexist in one land…” Bunton seems to see the situation as having only two possible outcomes. When I originally wrote my post, I ended with a question for the cohort. Is the solution so binary, or is their a third way / alternative? I took the question out, because I had exceeded the 1000 word limit.
I’m glad you asked the question in your post, however. And my short answer is, at least in the case of Israel and Palestinians, I don’t know. It seems like a “wicked” problem. So complex. So complicated.
I’ve been long intrigued by the concept of “a third way.” Not just in regards to the Palestinian/Israeli issue, but with so many wicked problems. I think a “third way” needs to be considered in theology as well. Far too often, our determination IS binary, and sadly very limiting. The best example of that (in my mind) is our political arena. We force individuals to squeeze into two (and only two) realms, and anything that falls outside of those two is not tolerated.
I still haven’t scratched the surface of even trying to understand the conflict! About the response from chatGPT, it sounds like the conflict could be boiled down to a perspective of scarcity vs abundance. There’s not enough land for both groups vs. there is plenty of land for both groups if we can share and grow food that feeds us all. I am TOTALLY simplifying a very complex issue but then again, so is chatGPT, so that a five year old (me) can understand it a little, tiny, minuscule bit better.
I remember in Bible College, a professor told us that much of the Bible, and the mindset of the people of the Bible is about LAND and WORSHIP. And the two are intertwined.
By LAND one must include that of WATER, and access to it.
This speaks to your comment about scarcity vs. abundance. I think you’re onto something. Consider the way that America was founded, and how it cruelly displaced the First Nations people, from plentiful places full of resources to much less desirable locations with little access to vital, flourishing resources. That’s a quick example, but I think there are correlations.
I love your honesty and humor man! This post had me laughing out loud and you had me at Michael Scott. The Office is one of my all-time favorite shows, so I was curious how you would connect the manager of Dunder Mifflin to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. You did not disappoint!
This book complicated this issue for me as well (in a good way). I listened to the audio but had to buy the digital version so I could see all the dates, names, and places on a screen which helped. It really reinforces just how much I don’t know about something and how so many other factors (off my radar) play into what I see on the news which encourages me to “proceed with caution” when talking about this subject with others. Thanks for sharing your processing and connecting it to one of my favorite shows!
So complicated.
I had a conversation with one of the tour guides we use when we can’t get Abraham. She is dyed in the wool Zionist but admits that she thinks the current government isn’t handling things well, and that Palestinian people don’t deserve this suffering. But she also vigorously defends the right of Israel to defend itself and is frustrated that many of the Palestinian people have chosen to allow Hamas to represent their interests.
In other words, I think what’s hard about explaining this to a 5 year old is that little kids think in black and white and have no ability for nuance. And I think often (like you mentioned briefly) Americans think in black and white, too.
But this issue is so full of grey and nuance there is no way to understand it in black and white when not even those who are directly living under the problems caused by this issue can see it the same way.
I wonder what all of this would look like if “mom and dad” had allowed them to work it out, or just mediated? You are brilliant with asking ChatGpt that! Thank you, it helped. Maybe AI will solve the problem of Peace in the middle east. Take the soul out of it, the greed the power and just let AI do it?