Our good friend, Pastor Woody Chamberlain of First Lutheran in Lorain, OH, recently traveled with a group of Christian and Jewish leaders to the Holy Lands as one of three invitees from the Northeastern Ohio Synod of the ELCA.

Along the way he kept a journal, which he published in four parts in the local paper. These are reproduced for you here with his permission and blessing. As an introductory note, Pastor Chamberlain writes:

"Listening to Arabs and Israelis, Jews and Muslims, government officials and local citizens, I found that each person is passionate about his or her own perspective and adamantly avows truthfulness.

Instead of filtering their thoughts through mine I present these reflections in their own words. Most of the people quoted were never in the same room at the same time."

Click here or on "Security Barrier" to go to the first page.