A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

Msgr. Maroun Lahham

Someone once said, “If you spend a week in Jerusalem, you can write a book on the city. If you stay a whole month, then you only can write an article. If you stay more than a month, You can write nothing. You just listen to Jerusalem.” Nonetheless, and despite the fact that I’ve been in Jerusalem for time immemorial, it is my pleasure today to talk about Jerusalem, making use of numerous articles and statements that reflect the standpoint of almost all the Churches of the Holy City, including:

· Memorandum of the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem (14.11.1994)

· Patirarch Sabbah, Read the Bible in the land of the Bible, (November 1993)

· Patriarch Sabbah, Seek peace and pursue it, (September 1998)

· Sabeel Ecumenical Center, The Jerusalem Sabeel Document, (May 2000)

· Archbishop Tauran, The Holy See and Jerusalem, (October 1998)

1.  THE UNIQUE CHARACTER OF JERUSALEM.

For Christianity, Islam and Judaism alike, Jerusalem is a holy city. It is the city that God chose to address mankind, calling them to reconciliation with their Creator, with themselves and finally with each other. Jerusalem is the symbol of this dialogue between God and man as well as between man and man. Therefore, Jerusalem is the city of God and the city of man. This mysterious unity between the divine and the human made Jerusalem the greatest of human and spiritual symbols for mankind.

  From this uniqueness derives the vocation of Jerusalem. Its importance goes beyond the limits of the three monotheistic religions, for Jerusalem is also a spiritual and cultural heritage for all of humanity. In this sense, Jerusalem is universal, and has a universal character. Because of this, a genuine experience of hospitality and openness is made possible to everybody. Jerusalem is not any more a city for itself only, it is a city for the other who is accepted with his differences. That is where Jerusalem becomes a [5*****] first-class place for ecumenism and dialogue. It is only in Jerusalem that one could see different religious communities living, praying and even singing in the same place, and sometimes at the same time. Jerusalem has developed a unique occasion of educating and strengthening communal values such as the sense of the sacred, the sense of the other, his respect, the sense of tolerance and of liberty.

2.  A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

For Christians, Jerusalem is a Holy City, with a large number of holy places. A holy place is a place which contains a special relation to God or to religion in general; a place where man tries to encounter God and render his sense of God stronger and sharper. This applies to Jerusalem. Through prayerful reading of the Bible, Christians recognize in faith that the long history of the people of God, with Jerusalem as its center, is the history of salvation. It is the history through which God fulfills His plans in and through Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. Within and around the walls of Jerusalem Jesus lived, taught, performed his miracles, suffered, died and rose again. In Jerusalem, the Spirit of God came upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost, the day of the birth of the Church. On that day, every Christian and every church was born in Jerusalem. Therefore Jerusalem is the Mother Church of all Churches. As such, the Church of Jerusalem has responsibilities towards the Churches of the world, such as welcoming and assisting pilgrims as well as others who come to spend their time in prayer or study.

Moreover, the Churches of Jerusalem, as well as the Holy See, refuse any distinction between the “question of the Holy Places” and the “question of Jerusalem". It is obvious that the Holy Places derive their meaning and their cultic and cultural uses from their intimate connection with the surrounding environment, to be understood not merely in terms of geography but also and most especially in terms of its urban, architectural and above all human community and institutional dimensions.

3.  THE CONTINUING PRESENCE OF A CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY

“Jerusalem is the home for every Christian.” This is why, since the inception of the Church, Jerusalem has become the home of an incomparably rich variety of churches from all rites, denominations and confessions. While the majority of the faithful are from indigenous stock, that is, Arab Palestinian Christians, they treasure in their midst the presence of brothers and sisters in faith from a great variety of nations.

For almost two thousand years, encountering many hardships and enduring the succession of numerous powers, the local church with its faithful has always been actively present in Jerusalem. Throughout the centuries, the local Church had been a faithful witness to the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ in His own land. Its faithful have been receiving their fellow brothers and sisters in the faith as pilgrims, resident or in transit, inviting them to be re-immersed into the refreshing and ever-living ecclesiastical sources. That continuing presence of a living Christian community is inseparable from the Holy Places. These “living stones” are indeed the spirit and soul of the holy archeological sites.

4.  EXCLUSIVISM AND SOVEREIGNTY ON JERUSALEM.

A Latin saying states, “Historia Magistra vitae”. Jerusalem has had a long and eventful history. It has known numerous wars and conquests, has been destroyed time and again, only to be reborn anew and rise from its ashes.

Religious motivation had always gone hand in hand with political and cultural aspirations, and had often played a preponderant role. This religious motivation, unfortunately, had often led to exclusivism, or at least to the supremacy of one people over others. However, this exclusivism and this supremacy were always a clear denial of the prophetic character of Jerusalem. Its universal vocation is to be a city of peace and harmony for all who dwell therein.

Numerous peoples inhabit Jerusalem in particular, and the Holy Land in general. These peoples came from the desert, from the sea, from the north, from the east, everywhere. Most of the time, the newcomers were gradually integrated into the local population. This process was a constant characteristic of the history of Jerusalem. Whenever newcomers tried to claim exclusive ownership and control over the city, or when they refused to integrate themselves, they were rejected. History teaches us that in order for Jerusalem to be a city of peace, no longer lusted after from the outside or a bone of contention between warring parties, it cannot belong exclusively to one people or one religion. Jerusalem should be open to all, and shared by all.

  This vision indeed has an exciting reference in the present circumstances. Israel's insistence on stressing the “Jewish character” of the city is a major concern to the Church of the Holy Land, as well as to the Universal Church. The Church asks that Jerusalem be respected for what it is in itself, or more precisely for what it should be, compared to what it actually is. That is how Archbishop Tauran (Foreign Minister of the Holy See) puts it: “It is the view of the Holy See that every exclusive claim – be it religious or political- is contrary to the logic proper to the very city itself". I must insist: every citizen of Jerusalem and every person who visits Jerusalem should embody the message of dialogue, coexistence and respect evoked by the city. Exclusive claims cannot be supported by numerical or historical criteria.

5.  CHRISTIAN REQUESTS FOR JERUSALEM.

There are two levels to Christian requests: religious and political.

On the religious level, the Christians of Jerusalem and of the Holy Land have the right to enjoy full religious freedom. This consists of the ownership, custody and control of, free access to and worship in their Holy Places. These rights of ownership, custody, access and worship, which the different churches have acquired throughout history, should continue as is. These rights, know as the status quo, must continue to be recognized and respected.

Moreover, the Christians of the entire world, western or eastern, should have the right to come as pilgrims to Jerusalem. They should be able to find there all that is necessary to carry out their pilgrimage in the spirit of their authentic tradition: freedom to visit and move around, to pray at the holy sites, to embark into spiritual attendance and respectful practice of their faith, to enjoy the possibility of a prolonged stay and the benefits of hospitality and dignified lodgings.

In claiming these rights for themselves, Christians recognize and respect similar and parallel rights of Jewish and Muslim believers and their communities. Christians declare themselves disposed to search with Jews and Muslims for a mutually respectful application of these rights and for a harmonious coexistence, in the perspective of the universal spiritual vocation of Jerusalem.

The political rights of Christians in Jerusalem may seem to be strange in the actual context. The reason is the fusion of the political and religious rights in Islam, where there is no separation between Religion and State. The same fact exists in Israel where the three notions of People, Land and God form but one reality. Nevertheless, Christians of the Holy Land have a claim to a political right of sovereignty as Palestinians undistinguished from their Muslim countrymen. They are not viewing themselves as a “third party” in the question of Jerusalem. They are equal partners and citizens without any need for special claims, nor for special protection or privileges. Equal in sovereignty and equal before the law, they have as individuals the same rights and the same duties. With their Muslim brothers as well as faithful Jews, Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem today call for complete equality. Therefore, mere promises of religious freedom of worship are not sufficient. Christians in Jerusalem are and must be acknowledged as an integral part of the human, social and political reality of the Holy Land. As such, they have their say in the future of the Holy City.

6.  A SPECIAL STATUTE FOR JERUSALEM

If Jerusalem is a unique city, this must be reflected by a “special” statute. In order to satisfy the national aspirations of all its inhabitants, and in order for Jews, Christians and Moslems to live in Jerusalem in peace with one another, representatives from the three monotheistic religions, in addition to local political powers, should be charged with the elaboration on and implementation of such a special statute.

Because of the universal significance of Jerusalem, the international community must guarantee the stability and permanence of this statute. Jerusalem is too precious to be left in the hands of municipal or national political authorities, whoever they may be. Experience shows that this international guarantee is necessary, and that local authorities, for political reasons or the claim of security, sometimes violate the right of free access to the Holy Places. Therefore it is necessary to accord Jerusalem a special statute which will protect it from laws imposed as a result of hostilities or wars, and will instead guarantee its standing as an open city which transcends local, regional or world political troubles. Thus statute, established in common by local political and religious authorities, should be guaranteed by the international community.

7.  SOME HERMENEUTICAL QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF THEOLOGY

The special relationship between the Old an the New Testament, and therefore between Judaism and Christianity, evolved in some of its aspects in existential interrogations related to Biblical Theology. Some of these interrogations are crucial to local Christians, and can be summarized as follows:

· What influence do the Promises, the gift of the Land, the Election and the Covenant have for relations between Christian Palestinians and Israeli Jews?

· It is possible for a just and merciful God to impose injustice on another people in order to favor the people He has chosen?

· Is there room, therefore, for a local biblical theology and a local and still Christian reading of the Bible in the Land of the Bible?

a.  Election. It is clear that in the Bible, God chose for himself a people, by a free initiative of His, entrusting these people to call the nations of the earth to believe in God and in the Messiah that he would send as the Savior of the world. This choice implies freedom on the part of God. In the same time, it implies a responsibility of the chosen people before God and humankind. At the same time, when God chooses a people He gives all nations the necessary grace to demolish any mechanism of jealousy or envy. Thus, to choose a people does not mean, from the part of God, to reject all other peoples. The election of God should not arouse feelings of pride in the chosen people, nor feelings of rejection by the others. God does not deprive anyone from his grace.

b.  Covenant, promises, land. The covenant is a treaty concluded between God and humankind. The new covenant is the treaty concluded in and through the Blood of Christ, and brings the old covenant to its perfection and fulfillment. The promises – including the promise of land – are part of the covenant. The first promises contained an earthly connotation which underwent evolution, according to the various experiences lived by the chosen people: appropriation of land through Abraham, armed conquest after the exodus, measures and laws based on the covenant to rule the promised land, the threat of loosing the land if not ruled according to justice (Hosea), and a new chosen people with a new heart after the exile.

Therefore, in the Bible the land belongs to God, and all peoples are only the guests of God in the land (Leviticus). The jubilee year limits the absolute right on the land (Leviticus). Two principles are clear: On one hand, the chosen people has to become worthy of the land of God, by observing the divine Law, otherwise the land “vomits its inhabitants” (Leviticus 18: 25). On the other hand, with every new phase of the history of the Jewish people, the spiritual and universal meaning of the covenant and of the promises becomes increasingly clear.

Speaking as Christians, Jesus is the Chosen One. In Him and through Him, the old election applies to all those who, Jews or not Jews, accept Jesus as the Risen Savior. In this view point, the land belongs to God and it is the “meek who will inherit it” (Matthew). The possession of the land by the meek will be fulfilled by the image of the heavenly Jerusalem. The earthly Jerusalem becomes the image and the symbol of the Promised Land, which is our heavenly homeland (Galatians 4:26).

The conception of land has thus undergone an evolution from the political and geographical meaning to the spiritual and symbolic one. A specific Land is not an absolute value for cult (Genesis ??? 4: 21). The first and the absolute is God himself, and one can worship him at any place on the earth.

8.  PROPOSED CHRISTIAN SOLUTION

What I will present here is not a political solution, but rather the historical and moral elements necessary for any valuable solution for the “question of Jerusalem”.

Today as in the past, and since the 7^th century, the faithful of the three religions coexist in the city of Jerusalem. Today, two peoples are claming sovereign rights to the city and are fighting over it. The three religions and the two nationalities are essential elements to be take into consideration in any possible solution.

The basis of any solution is sharing and equality for citizens with their rights and duties, so that no one is superior to anyone else, and no one subject to another or in need of protection from others. All are equal and all are equally protected by the laws.

Jerusalem is a holy city, a national symbol and a cultural heritage. Thus it has a unique character which distinguishes it from every other city in the world. This is why its statute is like no other city or world capital. It requires a particular statute guaranteeing the rights of all its inhabitants and of the three religions, preserving its sacred as well as its cultural character, placing it above wars and hostilities and guaranteeing free access for all, friend or foe, in times of peace or war.

It is up to the two peoples concerned, Israelis and Palestinians, with the collaboration of the religions involved – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – to define this special statute and to govern the city accordingly. Both the international community and all friends of the city have the duty to assist to two peoples in achieving this particular statute, to recognize it and to guarantee its stability. Within the framework of this special statute, Jerusalem can be the capital for both peoples concerned and for the two states, thus becoming the cradle and symbol of mutual recognition and fraternal existence between Palestinians and Israelis. It can also be a symbol and source of peace for all the peoples of the region and of the world.

CONCLUSION

Jerusalem is the symbol of the presence of God in our midst. It is the symbol of brotherhood that unites the sons and daughters of the three monotheistic religions. Jerusalem is a grace for humankind. We call upon the decision-makers from both sides to seriously consider this reality. Peace for Jerusalem is a condition sine qua non for a durable peace in the region.

No one party should monopolize Jerusalem, because monopolizing Jerusalem is violating its universal character and identity. No one party should prevent Jerusalem in its holiness and uniqueness from becoming both the national symbol for two peoples and spiritual capital of the three religions. When we come to understand and accept this reality we will not have to resolve the problem of Jerusalem; Jerusalem itself will resolve our differences.

Msgr. Maroun Lahham

Jerusalem 11.7.00

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