{"id":74,"date":"2014-06-01T12:41:14","date_gmt":"2014-06-01T12:41:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/beta.dminlgp.com\/?p=74"},"modified":"2014-08-11T21:27:15","modified_gmt":"2014-08-11T21:27:15","slug":"making-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/making-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Space"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past two weeks, I\u2019ve had the privilege of leading a Travelearn study tour throughout Israel and portions of the West Bank.\u00a0 During our time we were able to see, experience and participate in many life changing events. \u00a0Often, the most change came in areas we would not have expected or from people we would not have expected as well.\u00a0 In particular, mid trip we planned an entire day in Bethlehem.\u00a0 Our itinerary included lectures at Bethlehem Bible College by Palestinian Christians, a tour of a refugee camp, seeing the Church of the Nativity and an adventure in some shepherd\u2019s caves.\u00a0 Before leaving for Bethlehem, our Israeli guide made the statement, \u201cI\u2019m not sure why you\u2019re spending a whole day in Bethlehem!\u201d\u00a0 After leaving our Israeli tour guide behind, passing through the checkpoint at the wall, we were then introduced to our Palestinian tour guide, Raf.\u00a0 Raf, a 28 year old Palestinian Christian took us on the experience I will not soon forget.\u00a0 After having toured a refugee camp, Raf shared with us that many Christians once given access to leave the occupied territories, depart never to return.\u00a0 Raf, on the other hand, having dual citizenship in Canada and the U.S., has chosen to live in the West Bank for the purpose of being a missional representation of peace and the gospel.\u00a0 Separated from his family living in the States and Canada, Raf is not allowed to leave the West Bank.<\/strong>\u00a0 I learned more about sacrifice from Raf in 6 hours, then I had learned in my previous 41 years on earth.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This past week while reading Over Coffee: A Conversation for Gay Partnership and Conservative Faith by Dave Thompson I was struck by the need for faith based communities to create space, which in turns allows the existing faith community as well as those who are different to have a deeper faith formation. \u00a0So, if creating space is so important for the communities faith formation, why isn\u2019t this simple act practiced more?\u00a0 Below are three main concepts which emerged during my reading this past week.<\/p>\n

When we Create Space<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fears must be dealt with\u2026\u00a0 <\/strong>When I use the word \u201cPalestinian\u201d, what comes to mind?\u00a0 For most Westerners, they immediately drift towards PLO, terrorist, etc.\u00a0 However, sometimes our fears keep us from learning valuable lessons from dear Christ followers who because of their title, nationality or even positions, are not given space to be present or heard.\u00a0 It is when our communities lean into their fears, deep and profound formation growth happens, often coming from those least expected.<\/p>\n

Assumptions are challenged\u2026<\/strong>\u00a0 We all have assumptions.\u00a0 Some we now about and many that we do not.\u00a0 When we create space, we open the door for assumptions to be challenged.\u00a0 Once challenged, we find that many of our preconceived assumptions are inaccurate, or simply just wrong.\u00a0 Through this sharpening we begin to see more as Christ sees.\u00a0 Feel, more as Christ felt.\u00a0 We begin taking on His heart and mind for others.<\/p>\n

We see with new eyes\u2026\u00a0 <\/strong>Standing in a Shepherd Cave, Raf shared a story that his grandfather shared with him as a young boy.\u00a0 He went on to tell us about how shepherds would twist the leg of a sheep, when the sheep won\u2019t stay close to the flock.\u00a0 Once twisted, not broken, the shepherd would place the sheep around its neck an carry the sheep.\u00a0 It is during these times that the sheep learns to be close to the shepherd\u2019s voice.\u00a0 Separated by mere inches, the shepherd and the sheep, form new levels of understanding and connection.\u00a0 After long pause, Raf said, \u201cChoosing to live in the West Bank, for many Christian Palestinians is choosing to be close to the Father\u2019s voice.\u201d\u00a0 When we make ourselves available through creating space, we begin to see with new eyes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Have you been creating space for those who are different?\u00a0 Remember it\u2019s essential for their faith formation as well as yours.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Over the past two weeks, I\u2019ve had the privilege of leading a Travelearn study tour throughout Israel and portions of the West Bank.\u00a0 During our time we were able to see, experience and participate in many life changing events. \u00a0Often, the most change came in areas we would not have expected or from people we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2,41],"class_list":["post-74","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dminlgp","tag-thompson","cohort-lgp3"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1390,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74\/revisions\/1390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}