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2007-07-03 issue:

A gift from the past

From the Real Families column

by Gerald Shenk

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Strolling the Cardo near the Western Wall in Old Jerusalem again on a recent visit, I was captivated by a portrait of a father blessing his son. The scene had just been enacted before our eyes in multiple festive Bar Mitzvah family gatherings in the open square at the Wall, just below the ancient Temple Mount. The stripes of prayer shawl, the leather thongs enfolding portions of the Torah, under the shadow of huge limestone blocks fashioned for the Second Temple—the portrait captures a moment rich with reminders of a heritage of blessing passed on from parent to child, from generation to generation.



The young boy is crossing into manhood, becoming a son of the covenant (“bar mitzvah”). His father is deep in reveries, eyes closed in prayer. The father’s hands rest on the boy’s head, in the classic blessing. The son gazes forward with a soft smile.

Among “the gifts of the Jews” enumerated by Thomas Cahill in his book by that title (1998), many by now have become cultural patterns that we almost take for granted. Some of our basic concepts of human rights and freedoms, of education and law as a gift from God, of Sabbath rest—all may be traced back to origins in the early stages of the Semitic wanderers who came to know themselves as God’s people Israel. The blessing of a father on his children is surely one of the most precious legacies. The portrait I found captures that “gift”—the gift of a fatherhood that is tender, attentive, respectful and prayerful. The hands-on blessing is also a highlight of the weekly Sabbath celebration in homes across the Jewish world (and in some Christian homes with adaptation as well).

Our extended family group touring in Israel/ Palestine joined for worship in the warmly hospitable Kol HaNeshama synagogue. We then were invited into several family homes for their Sabbath meal that immediately follows. This remarkable privilege, building upon many years of relationships established by Mennonite workers in the region, brought us into close encounter and lively conversation in ways many casual visitors miss.

The family my wife and I joined had two young daughters. To watch the shiver of delight and the sparkling eyes of these two little girls as their parents placed hands of blessing on their heads was for me a keen reminder of the power of the spoken word to enact real goodness. In a world of “data smog” and flippant banter, we easily miss the tangible impact of careful words conveying true connection and blessing. I fondly remember the years when the sheer magic of this practice with our own small children was a weekly event during our family’s Sabbath meal.

The gift of a father’s blessing came alive for me also in the energetic witness of the beloved “Abuna” (Father) Elias Chacour, now archbishop of the Melkite Christian church in Jerusalem and Palestine. Anyone who has read his book, Blood Brothers, will recall the enduring impact of his Palestinian father’s rich wisdom.

“If you become a true man of God,” Michael Chacour instructed his son, “you will know how to reconcile enemies—how to turn hatred into peace. Only a true servant of God can do that.” After many years of internal exile and second-class citizenship in the state of Israel, Elias Chacour has steadfastly refused to dwell in hatred. Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, his lifelong meditations on the teaching of Jesus in the Beatitudes have now taken shape in many practical ministries in Galilee. One is a remarkable church complex in Ibillin, his first parish. It is dedicated to training for peace and reconciliation. The Beatitudes are etched in numerous languages into the steps leading up to the church.

Under a magnificent mural in the church’s great hall displaying heroes of peacebuilding, Chacour told us of 10,000 graduates from the schools he established to bring together young people from Jewish, Muslim, Druze and Christian families (meei.org). Like Jacob and Esau, whose restored relationship is depicted atop the mural, we catch a glimpse of God at work, of a shared blessing from the father to the sons.

Abuna Chacour is fulfilling the blessing of his father as he gives his life to reconcile enemies. And he does so in the name of Jesus, who said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.

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