College. It's the same everywhere.

            Today we visited Bethlehem University, a small university run by the De La Salle Christian Brothers. The university, which was founded in 1973, boasts an enrollment of a little over 3,000 students. This was more than a simple visit, rather it was a chance to see a part of life in this area; a life both very similar to our own and remarkably different. When we spoke to the students, many of the questions focused on the distinctions between attending college studies in the United States and in Bethlehem. Through their answers, however, we both began to see similarities emerge. As 70 percent of the students attending Bethlehem University are Muslims, it was an excellent opportunity to see how the Christian and Muslim students interacted. To the surprise of many, the four students who participated in our discussion reported that the Christian and Muslim students interact quite well with one another. While many of the cultural norms are different from those to which we are accustomed, the nature of the university promoted strong interactions between students of both faiths. More than that, there was a common bond established among the seminarians from the U.S. and the students from the Holy Land. We were all able to sympathize over the stress of examinations and the occasional boredom of a lecture. We were able to express a common gratitude for the gift of education as well. Indeed, students are students wherever they may be found.

            I hope and pray that, when we return to the United States, that we might remember this lesson. Despite that which divides us, whether race, language, location or culture, that we share a common humanity. It is often by encountering that which is slightly different and taking those differences seriously that we are able to see where those differences end. By understanding what is different, one begins to engage in genuine dialogue by sharing various perspectives. Through this dialogue and an examination of our differences, we can discover those areas in our own lives which we may have been neglecting. By meeting one another, we do not learn only about the life of the other. Rather, we fundamentally learn something of ourselves, as human beings are fundamentally relational and social.