"I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink."

“I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.”  How many times have we read these words of Jesus without giving this simple statement much of a thought.  Yesterday, though, I had an experience that will forever change the way I read this scripture.

3 internationals and I joined a group of about 100 Israeli peace activists and journalists whose goal was to bring water to villages in the South Hebron hills.  Rain has been scarce this year and the Palestinian people are given a very inadequate ration of water by the Israeli authorities.     

We boarded a Palestinian bus in Jerusalem at 9:30 and headed south eventually to meet up with another bus and cars from Tel Aviv.  Just south of Hebron we encountered our first resistance.  Israeli police pulled us over to question the reason for our trip.  They let us continue but “escorted” us as we continued south.  The next stop was a checkpoint, not unusual for the West Bank, except that this checkpoint had been put there that morning just for us!  By then we had met up with the other bus.  There was more questioning, this time by the Israeli army, but again we were let through (the checkpoint was dismantled as soon as we left!).  

On the bus our leader informed us that we were entering an “area of lawlessness” where the only law was “the law of the gun.”  Jewish settlers in this area of the West Bank have the reputation as being the most violent of all the settlers and they are totally protected by both police and the army in all that they do.  We were assured (almost) that we would be in no danger, but warned of their presence “just in case.”

A few minutes later we were again stopped by the army, this time being told that we were about to enter a “closed military zone” and so would not be able to go any farther by bus.  So, we got off and walked—past a small village that was hemmed in on one side by an Israeli settlement, past children playing, past dilapidated housing, past rocks and dirt and dust. We walked for about half an hour until we were finally met by 4 tractors, each pulling open wagons.  We were told to “get on board” and together with 4 small and 1 large water tanker, we continued.  The ride was bone jarring and the sun was relentless as the temperature reached into the 90’s, not the most comfortable of traveling conditions!

We stopped on a flat area just above a small valley.  The road had been intentionally destroyed and a bulldozer was working hard at trying to make repairs.  We took advantage of the rest stop to share a bit of lunch we had carried with us. The bulldozer continued as we made our way down the hill to the other side of the ditch that prevented us from going on.  People picked up rocks and threw them into the ditch while the bulldozer brought in shovels of dirt to raise the ditch to the level of the road.  And then it was done.  We cheered as the tankers came across.  But just as we were getting ready to continue, the army arrived once again.  Soldiers jumped from the jeep and made their way to the bulldozer.  A number of the Israelis surrounded it, protecting it from the soldiers.  One soldier ran through the crowd with a camera, pointing it at the people and taking pictures.  It was an act of intimidation, threatening those involved with being documented.

After about 20 minutes the soldiers left and again we boarded the tractor pulled wagons and continued to our destination.  But 10 minutes later, we again stopped.  This time it was because the major water tanker had become stuck as it tried to turn a bend in the dirt path which we were following.  Eventually two of the tractors were able to push and pull the tanker until it was able to dislodge itself from the dirt and we set out once again.

We reached the top of a hill and there we stopped, this time because we had reached the end of our journey.  Around us, in the distance, we could see small isolated villages which we assumed were the ultimate destination for the tankers.  There was much confusion as no one seemed to know what would be happening next.  And again, we were joined by the Israeli army, this time 4 jeeps arrived and began circulating through the crowd, again questioning the reason for our being there.  (The whole day was conducted in Hebrew, so we were for the most part left to guess what was happening.  Occasionally someone would translate into English which was very much appreciated.)  By this time I was very tired and sunburned and dirty, so when the news came that we were to go back to the bus, I was quite ready.  Some, though, stayed and accompanied the tankers to the villages.  

Those of us who left, again boarded the wagons and were driven to a paved road where we were let off.  We were thankful for the shade of two trees as we waited.  An SUV approached and motioned us to get in. He drove us to where the buses were waiting, next to a military zone that had closed access to the main road.  We got out and walked past the gate and finally were able to board the bus.

But this wasn’t the end.  We drove towards a small village where we were to meet the others, but we took a wrong turn.  The road we ended up on led to a Jewish settlement.  We looked out the windows of the bus and saw an armed man with a dog running towards us.  And then the police arrived and pulled us over.  They took the driver and his papers and questioned him outside the bus about our presence so close to the settlement.  He tried to explain that it was just a mistake, but from that point we were under suspicion.  The police accompanied us back to the road and finally to the road leading to the village, but they wouldn’t let us go any farther.  They waited with us until those in the village walked down the hill to the bus and finally we were allowed to leave.

But again, this wasn’t the end.  At close to 5 p.m. we arrived at the Beit Jala checkpoint, near Bethlehem.  The security guard questioned why a group of Israelis would be coming through on a Palestinian bus.  He made a derogatory remark about the leftist politics of the group and then made us transfer over to the Palestinian side to be checked.  Our leader left the bus and had words with the guard.  There was name calling and pushing, before both the police and military were involved, separating the 2 men.  Our group was called “disgusting” for associating with “Arabs.”  Soldiers came on board the bus and checked our passports and ID’s  and finally we were allowed through.

The day was a "success": the tankers were delivered to the needy villages, the road was repaired so that future water tankers would be able to get through, but... I couldn't help but wonder, What is wrong with our world that giving water to thirsty people has become a crime?

“I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.” I wonder what Jesus would have thought.