Hands Across Jordan: Creating a Bridge of Peace Across the Jordan River
Can a group of passionate activists from a small town in California really do anything about the retributions, recriminations, and violence in the Middle East? An initiative called “Hands Across the Jordan” seeks to find out. Their intention is to build a bridge of peace across the Jordan River, with help from all around the world, to help unite the people of Israel and Jordan in a grassroots effort. Here is their statement.
September 10th, 2004
We are a grassroots organization located in the small town of Linda, CA population 13,474. We are making an effort to promote peace in the Middle East. From this little town, things can be done. Please help us by spreading the word.
Our initiative is named “Hands Across the Jordan.” Our intentions are to be politically neutral, and pray for peace in the region. What we wish to do and what we actually do may be two different things, but pray for peace, we will. Our primary objective is to get a large body of people together to show the world’s yearning for peace. This is and will be a worldwide effort.
We will build a PEACE BRIDGE across the Jordan River between the Arab world and the Israeli world, in an undisputed area of land. We have personally surveyed and know of an area that meets this criterion. After the bridge is built, we will gather in a circle across the bridge, join hands and pray silently. As you know from your experience in Middle East, we will need both governments of Israel and Jordan to allow this action. This will be non-exclusionary. All people are invited and it will be highly publicized. We have contacts with 1.6 million people throughout the world via peace groups, environmental groups and religious organizations. We are in touch with Jordanians, Palestinians, and Israelis wishing for peaceful solutions to their ordeal.
It would be an honor to join hands with you on the bridge, as respected and accomplished representative of world peace. The International Day of Tolerance is November 16, 2004; this will be the day of the event.
Ask yourself, what is peace? How many types of peace are there? What makes up peace? What would you call it, if the only peace I receive were the understanding that you are as pitiful as I am? Peace, as most know it, is a state of mind. Peace of the body, is mental peace. Peace of the spirit is a God given peace. As we think about these questions and statements, we come upon our ability to think freely. Isn’t this action yet another type of peace? Not one is more important than the other is. We have mental peace, emotional peace, and environmental peace. Worldwide peace is the combined state of minds across the earth. Each of these can be broken down into categories.
Mental peace is both emotional and environmental peace. The need of the body defines and uses all peace, in a true sense. Appropriately, to determine mental peace, we must think of states of mind and mental activity. Placing duress on any of the types, effects your mind, such is terrorism.
Soothsayers in the past called these stimuli. Likes and dislikes are adjusted in ones growth and play important roles in adjusting to environment and culture. If you place someone in an environment that is not of his liking, then what type of peace can he achieve? Isn’t peace then a mental state of mind? If I can teach you want and dislike, can’t I teach you to be mentally/culturally ill or well? It can be looked at as a mental illness if you haven’t the ability to achieve some state of peace.
Capacity of one’s use of his intelligence also seems to be important because of one’s ability to think. Should a person be very simple, then only simplistic things would give him the mental ambiance of peace. Now if a person has a complex intelligence, shouldn’t you think that what is baffling to the simple mind is only mental exercise of resolve for the complex thinker. Difficult problems may offer this person a freedom of thought that will place him in bliss. Since peace has been determined as a state of mind. Mental environment is noted different than physical environment although the physical effects the mental. Now we are coming to the real definition of peace. Peace is a virtue, that God is willing to give; even if He has to judge you and give you a piece of eternity that you deserve. Many people call themselves atheists. This is a choice and another God given virtue.
What ever you equate with effects your peace. Terrorism of any form, effects you emotionally and physically which takes away God’s given gift, of grace, known as peace. Those that violate this should live outside God’s grace because man’s enviable future has been written, as well as the book of life. Blessed is he that knows. If you truly search for Him, you will find Him. He that is true to Him will join Him. May His Holy Spirit touch and be with you. A global community of peace is a culture that God would like. When man learns to live with man then he has a chance to live with God.
Some quotes from the contrasting sides:
“ Once you bring life into the world, you must protect it.” “We must protect it by changing the world.”
“All children of Abraham, to remember it as the dawning of the new era of peace,”
“They are willing to leave no stone unturned in the search for peace. Both peoples deserve peace, and they need the support of all of those who believe that peace in the Middle East is in everyone’s interest.”
Endorsements
- Elie Wiesel (Nobel Peace Prize Winner) We are meeting with Elie Wiesel, this spring in Israel to discuss his participation.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Center
- Wally Herger, Congressman Ca.
- M. K. Gandhi Institute
- His Holiness, The Dalai Lama
- Bertrand Russell Foundation Ltd., Nottingham, England
- Rabbi Chaim Mahgel-Freidman, San Francisco State University
- Phone call from President William Jefferson Clinton’s Office in N.Y. with a letter to follow.
- Ambassador Alon Pinkas of Israel, giving us commendation and politically proper direction within Israeli Consulate structure in this country
- The Archbishop of Canterbury
- The Islamic Center of Southern California
To join the group or provide an endorsement, contact Chayim Levin at info@handsacrossthejordan.org.