Describing the Indescribable - Thoughts and Feelings from the "Holy Land", by John Shaffer

There is no way to adequately describe in words the experience of being here with Leah, Cathy and Yael, in the "Holy Land", the land of history, the land of the foundations of three major religions, the land of love and strife, goodwill, open arms and pain, deep pain, anger and fear.  
You would have to look into our eyes, and see with your "eyes", you would have to listen to our words, and hear with your "ears", you would have to touch my heart, and let me touch yours, and do the same for the scores of people of all ages we have met, touched, listened to, been a part of at the level of heart while we have been here. You and I are privileged to be a part of something grand that is in the process of being born, and I     have never heard it said more clearly than by our compassionate angels guiding us, instructing us and helping us here.  Their work is truly remarkable.  You feel it yourself, deep down to your toes, and you hear and see it in the others with whom you are travelling.  
We share in warmth, and love, laughter and tears, and we see and hear and feel it in the warmth, and love and laughter and tears of the others, the Palestinians, the Israelis, and others with whom we have been brought together in this amazing trip. We all experience the feeling we have been truly blessed to have been born in this time and this Earth, this beautiful globe, with all its diversity - each of us in our way, awakening to be an entry point for compassion, compassion even in the face of anger and hurt and fear, or as others might say, to be an entry point for the light of the Universe, or the hand of God, or the Way of the Tao, or whatever you might choose to call it.   
Shalom, Salaam, Peace Be with You. John

(John is an attorney and mediator from Bellevue, Washington. Photo: Cathy Keene and John Shaffer, photo by Ellen Greene)