drive-by coffee

drive-by checkpoint coffee
see the wall in the background?

While my sample may be small, I haven't seen a drive-through restaurant in all of Israel. My travels in the West Bank have not given me any reason to think I will find one there either. In this part of the world, a meal is an opportunity for conversation, connection, and community. Stuffing your face while driving is just not done here.

So it was a bit of a surprise to find myself face to face with "Drive-By Checkpoint Coffee." Well, actually, I made that up. But that is what I call the young man who sells the Turkish brew to drivers at the Bethlehem Checkpoint.

I noticed "drive-by checkpoint coffee man" on one of my first forays into Jerusalem. He was there with his thermos hawking coffee for a few shekels a cup. As is common with the occasional hucksters who sell to the people waiting in line, he engaged me in a conversation. He wanted to know where I was from and was surprised when I told him I was staying in the West Bank for the next 3+ months.

When the line is long, we often chat about his family and his circumstances. I've seen Khalil there as early as 6:30 am and as late as 9 pm in the evening. He supports his lovely wife and two children which includes his beautiful 6 week-old daughter. I've seen the pictures! He lives in the nearby refugee camp, his family displaced decades ago during the 1948 so-called Israeli War of Independence or as the Palestinians call it, al-Nakba, the Catastrophe. He also takes care of his father and mother who are both ill and unable to work. And he does this selling by coffee to people like me for 3 shekels or about 80 cents a cup.

Khalil with his portable coffee cart

In the few months I've known him, I've been surprised by his initiative. His business is apparently growing. Last week, he bought a cart and is now selling tea and soft drinks as well as coffee. He is eager and never complains even when the rain is freezing. He is optimistic, glad to have this little business, and motivated to take care of his family.

"Drive-by checkpoint coffee man" does not seem that unusual to me. Here in the West Bank, most of the businesses are operator owned. Whether you offer some type of service or product, the business is often housed in a little store front. Department stores and chains are rare here in Bethlehem. People seize opportunities and invest in their fledgling businesses until they begin to flourish. You see the same attitude among the street vendors, the sheep herders, and the shop owners - even the outreach ministries of the church seems to be cut from the same cloth. The motto seems to be, "start where you are and help it grow!" Perhaps it is a function of having to survive in this political and economic environment but the Palestinians are among the most resourceful and purposeful people I have ever met. No excuses. They will get it done because they have no other choice.

I'm not really sure why I find this so inspiring but I do. I realize that in my own life, I am often reluctant to take a risk that doesn't have a guaranteed or at least the expectation of a good outcome. This means I often play it safe. I can be a creative and innovative thinker but I like to have the supportive net of others alongside me. And who doesn't? I work as part of a great pastoral staff that provides leadership for a large and stable church organization. But being a good team member doesn't often nurture maverick maneuvers.

The Palestinians remind me that nothing is really "guaranteed" or safe in this world and that one needs to live well and courageously. I don't mean "well" in terms of economic gain but living with heart and conviction. This means navigating life with passion, energy, and a bold commitment to venture into those liminal, uncharted places that God brings into your life.

As a result, the Palestinians are not afraid to fail. In fact they push through their disappointments, constantly reassessing and refining their goals. Life here is anything but boring. It is hard, vibrant, unpredictable, and necessarily responsive to a very fluid political environment. The Palestinians roll with what is given them, or more accurately, what is forced on them. And they make it work. They move forward. They keep growing.

While I didn't anticipate this months ago when I planned this sabbatical in the Bethlehem, I now see that being here has pushed me to live more courageously than ever before. I am living in the unexpected and unexplainable culture of the West Bank and I am loving it. Every day I pray that God will start with what and where I am and push me to me grow.  

I think my prayer is being answered.