Up these 92 steps to say hello to some friends that I made a few years ago. The whole world could certainly learn something from the Palestinians about welcome and hospitality. The fact that it was a surprise, they did not know I was coming, they didn’t even know that I was in the country, and it has been a couple years since I have seen them, made no difference whatsoever. Just a quick hello and visit would not do. I was to have lunch with them, of course. When moving toward the table, one of the women apologized for using plastic plates and flatware for lunch, “We have no water.” The Israeli government controls how often the people of Bethlehem are allowed to buy water. It had been twenty days since they last got water. I noticed that the only small glass of water was at the place where they invited me to sit down. Stupid me, it did not dawn on me until later what they had done.
With Open Doors 
Leave a comment