In Acts 9, Peter travels from Lidda, where he has just healed someone, to Joppa, where he is about to raise a female disciple, Dorcas, from the dead. These stories allow us to see what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit and, likewise, how much faith and power Peter carries with him, despite his previous doubt and denial. There is hope for all of us.
But it also matters because Joppa and Lidda are real places populated with real people. Joppa is where Jonah boarded a boat to run away from God’s call to go to Nineveh. Lidda is mentioned in the historical record as early as 1400 B.C. Then as now, these cities were marked by their diversity in peoples, religions, and, of course, conflict. Today they are among the most diverse communities within the bounds of Israel—with large populations of Israeli Arab (both Muslim and Christian) and Israeli Jewish residents.
Some of the most violent (and still contested) events and narratives surrounding the establishment of the modern state of Israel took place in Joppa/Jaffa and Lod/Lidda. A recent round of protests and violence over equal rights for Arab Israelis began in Lidda/Lod just a few years ago.
Both cities frequently suffer from accusations of illegal land seizures from historic Arab landholders. Things were not much different in Peter’s time. Within his lifetime, it is likely Lidda changed from Gentile/Roman-controlled to Jewish-controlled, and then back to Roman control, with most of the Jewish residents being sold into slavery, around A.D. 43.
Peter enters fearlessly into these communities, however, not to take sides or win a battle but to provide healing and hope to faithful people in need. Not only does Peter heal the sick and raise the dead, but he also earns the grudging respect of the political leaders of the day, and of this day, which is why churches dedicated to Peter and his miracles still stand in both cities.
I can’t help but draw a connection between Peter and ministry that continues in the most conflicted places in the Holy Land today. The Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, under the leadership of Archbishop Hosam Naoum, operates one of the few hospitals left in Gaza, in part because he is determined to continue Peter’s courageous model of leadership to care for the most vulnerable despite the politics, and in so doing has maintained the (grudging) respect of Israeli and Hamas leadership in the region.
Whenever people ask what the Episcopal Church should do about the war in Gaza, I mention Archbishop Hosam and the work of the diocese. We should follow his lead, support his vision, and visit and pray for all those churches.
Not only that, but we should identify and support other groups willing to work across boundaries, willing to build peace, and willing to do God’s work despite very difficult circumstances.
And they exist! Members of all three Abrahamic traditions, working in and outside of the Holy Land, in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza seem to recognize two fundamental truths: we all live here, and the only way we survive is if we decide to live together.
Right outside of Lidda/Lod is the small community of Ramle. There one can visit Open House: Ramle, operated by the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue. There Arabs and Jews meet for community programs, meals, and dialogue to discuss points of conflict before they erupt.
In modern-day Joppa/Jaffa, one can participate in a dual narrative tour to hear firsthand from Jews and Palestinians the different histories and narratives that inform their reality. The goal of these and many other efforts is not to “win,” but rather to build understanding and acknowledge the perspectives and experiences of the other. Until each can begin to appreciate the other, there is no way to live together.
If you are part of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land sometime soon, I urge you to add efforts like this to your itinerary, and then come home and tell the story of the modern-day Peters in the region.
Make no mistake, there are loud voices clamoring for war in the Holy Land. It was true then and is true now. As Christians, we should be on the lookout for those still, small voices seeking peace, justice, and care for the least of these. Then as now, those voices are speaking in places like Lidda and Joppa. May we have the courage of Peter, who knew the risen Jesus and spoke words of healing in his name, to go and offer our support.
The Rev. Grey Maggiano is a Guest Writer. He is rector of Church of the Nativity, Raleigh, North Carolina. His previous calls include parishes in Baltimore and Miami. Prior to ordination, he was a Presidential Management Fellow in the White House and State Department and was a law enforcement and counter-narcotics program manager in Afghanistan.
