This April, in spite of the tense political situation, 25 Palestinian and Israeli university students and young adults went to Wadi Rum, Jordan, for the Student Desert Encounter.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want; He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake…” (Ps. 23:1-3)

‘All we need is for people to get to know each other, overcome some barriers, build personal relationships and appreciate the opportunity to have learnt more about the importance of reconciliation and unity in the body of our Lord’. These were my thoughts as the group came together in the beautiful desert of Wadi-Rum, Jordan.

I had it figured out – ‘this must be God’s desire for us’…

It’s amazing though how much God knows us better than we know ourselves. Surely He knows what’s best for us, as individuals and as a group.

So what was his desire for us?

“The Lord is my shepherd… He makes me… He leads me…”

We meditated on Psalm 23 most of the trip, and God spoke. He spoke through the beauty and the quiet serenity of the desert around us. He was speaking, teaching, moving… because we were a group of people who longed after Him and his good ways. We desired that our God be our shepherd and teacher. And then we just lived… trying to get to know each other, and enjoying it.
Leaving the intense situation behind us, we were glad for the fun, relaxation, and lots of laughter. We rode camels and jeeps, climbed and rolled down sand dunes, sang, prayed, studied the Bible, and broke bread together. In all this God was working. I know He was because we were obeying Him, and He is faithful. Good things were happening. He blessed us with his spirit of love from the outset. There was no other logical explanation for how close we were becoming.

The relationships weren’t meant to end after saying our good-byes on the fifth day. We had only scratched the surface, and there is still a lot of depth that needs to be explored in each one of us. Issues regarding the situation we’re in right now will not be ignored, nor will any other issues that are important to us. They have yet to be dealt with, and who knows, we might never agree on many things that relate to this land. However, one thing has changed. That is our understanding of the importance of ‘loving our neighbor’ by relating to him / her very practically, on a very personal level.

“Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:18).

Some other impressions:

Leader: “… It takes two hands to clap, and it takes two to reconcile… The highlight of the trip was the personal talks between people, which show how ignorant we are about each other and how much work needs to be done to educate each other… I learned to be more patient and respect the lack of knowledge that we have about each other. It proved that only through personal relationships we could better inform each other of our fears, worries and concerns.”

Participant: “The nakedness of the surroundings, the silence so unlike the stressing atmosphere of Jerusalem; hunger and thirst after water, living water, running water; needs that couldn’t be postponed or ignored… I heard – more clearly than ever before – the whisper of the wind, the Spirit, over the sand, between the rocks, the tents… He, the Risen One, encourages us to take another person’s hand on a slanting rock, drink from the same water canteen or share a dry piece of bread with somebody I suddenly dare to call brother, and say: ‘this is His body, given for you – and me’.”