Because my mother has always wanted to take a family trip to "see the Holy Land just one time before [she] die[d]," I went to Israel and Palestine this past November/December with my parents: a marathon journey around a country the size of New Jersey on what I call "Ye Olde Bible Lands Bus Tour," hitting about 50 sites in eight days. It was exhausting, it was interesting, it was...a mixed bag, in terms of my impressions and reactions. Certainly not the life-changing, wondersome mountaintop experience of the starry-eyed pilgrim, nor even an exotic tourist adventure stuffed with Kodak moments. I differed from my traveling-companions in a number of ways, not the least of which was a much more skeptical approach to the bells and whistles (or should I say camels and keffiyehs?) of the tour.
The following posts, then, are a recollection of moments and stories from my trip, some of which particularly cried out for snarky commentary, which is the reason behind the series title. My commentary also follows in the spirit of the ancient Greek philosophy of Cynicism: "the example of the Cynic's life (and the use of the Cynic's biting satire) would dig up and expose the pretensions which lay at the root of everyday conventions" (
Kidd 2005).
Believe me, there was much to satirize on this trip. Enjoy.
*DISCLAIMER*
While I have no hesitation ridiculing the foibles and failings of institutions, religious and otherwise, this is NOT meant to demean or mock individual beliefs/faith. As a somewhat postmodern, deeply spiritual (and fairly religious) person, I know better than to try judging the highly personal and unique ways that people experience truth.
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