At Zion Adventure Company a big thing is noticing moments or times of importance throughout the day. These can be big or small, but times of great significance. Over the season noticing moments was something I struggled with greatly. But this morning at the Basilica of the Annunciation I had a poignant one. The Basilica is about 1000 feet from where I live, and this morning I was there to write postcards. It is a popular stop for tour groups, and this morning I stated speaking with a man, Emmos, from Nigeria. Out of nowhere several members of his tour group sat down next to me, wanting their pictures with taken with me. It was rather surprising. About 10 minutes later I spoke with some of the other group members, two men Tony and Mike. After about 2 minutes, Mike told Tony to take his picture with his "new friend," which was obviously me. It was humbling to be thought of his friend after such a short interaction, and there was obvious sincerity in his comment. After Tony and Mike left, it took a lot for me not to start crying in the middle of the gardens at the Basilica.
A lot of my faith in humanity was restored this morning. I just wish that there was more of what I experienced this morning in Israel between Israelis and Palestinians. This afternoon, I watched some of the neighborhood kids play in the lane. Their games involved toy guns and a lot of hitting, and I thought a lot about how much hatred is perpetuated from generation to generation here. Those children are the next generation of leaders in Israel, and one must ask what their legacy will be and how will they address the Israel they have been given.
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