THOUGHTS ALONG THE JOURNEY

Sydney and Melbourne ‘enjoy’ an intense rivalry. And when push comes to shove, as it often does, we can always pay out on the good folk of Tasmania. Australian city and state rivalry is something I am well used to but my first experience of it in the Holy Land took me by surprise. The good Christian folk of Nazareth have only one claim to fame. Whereas Christians around the world cry joyously “verbum carum factum est” (the Word was made flesh) those from Nazareth claim “verbum carum hic factum est” (here the word was made flesh) and to be very honest there ain’t that much more to Nazareth. The Johannine lament ‘what good come from Nazareth” (1John43) still rings mostly true. Then there is Jerusalem, the place where it all happened, our Judeo Christian heritage and hope is firmly rooted in that crazy hot bed of a city. It is the City Of King David and the setting of Christs Passion, Death and Resurrection. No one can escape the mingle of politics and hope when you walk its’ narrow streets. Well, last Thursday I was in Jerusalem enjoying a pre-Lenten feast at ‘Foyer Mar Maroun’ which is a Christian Hostel and the home of the Maronite Patriarch when he is in Jerusalem (he normally resides in Haifa). I was seated between two lovely women, one from Nazareth (of the afore mentioned lack of fame) and the other from Jerusalem (of the aforementioned fame). The scene, getting acquainted: “Hi, I’m Paul and I’m from Australia”, “no not Austria – Australia (as I put out in my hands in front of me and bop up and down pretending I’m a kangaroo).” “Yes, very sad about the Crocodile Hunter”. A point to which all three of us willingly agree. My friend from Nazareth then chimed in, proudly proclaiming that she was from Nazareth and a likely descendant off the same family that gave birth to Jesus. Or so she had been told by a man writing for National Geographic some years back. Not to be outdone the lass from Jerusalem claimed that her family had been in Jerusalem the ‘Holy City’ since before the time of Christ. “So” the Nazorean casually remarked “It was us who gave Him life and it was you who killed Him.” Now that has gotta hurt! Oh Tassie where are you now?