I've just returned from a 2 and 1/2 week trip visiting Palestinian Christians on the West Bank. It was a whirlwind tour that took our group of 23 to every congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL for short) I'll be going back in January for the Consecration and Installation of the new Bishop.

Later today, according to news reports, the current US President will make a declaration of acknowledging Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel. This highly controversial move is viewed around the world as furthering division, and most likely will sideline any efforts to achieve a meaningful and last Peace. Why? This article and the summary video explain it best. But the bottom line is that the move is a clear indication that the US is taking Israel's side in the peace talks. This means the US looses it's opportunity to be an honest broker or moderator. It's like having a referee in a game who is on one teams payroll, and is a fan of your side. The big problem here is that this is no game, this is the central middle east divide. Click here