Our ministry has centered on amplifying the voices of Middle Eastern Christians, voices which are so often drowned out in the loud debates and vitriolic rhetoric. In this current crisis, we have heard a few such voices that we’d like to share with you...And, as always, we are called to pray. We find ourselves asking God for it to stop, stop, stop, praying thus...
Read MoreWe no longer have the on-the-ground vantage point to gather stories and experiences that we can share with you. We have to make an effort to keep in touch with the people in Zababdeh and with the situations they are facing. One way we do this is by chatting...We do not take our Christian brothers’ words as gospel, but rather hear them through the lens of the gospel. If we do so, we will hear wisdom – wisdom that is “better than weapons of war.”
Read MoreWe are a people always in need of repentance, for whom God is always present, and who should always rely on the wisdom of the Spirit. Faithful living is to live constantly in emotional tension, with resurrection and crucifixion, triumph and suffering, shaping our lives each and every day.
Read MoreOur years living in the West Bank have made Advent a season that resonates deeply with us. People there know waiting: waiting at the checkpoint, waiting for military closures to lift, waiting for peace. They know preparing: stocking up for curfew, anticipating loss, fearing for the worst. They also know hoping: hoping to arrive at their destination, hoping to survive, hoping for the future of their children.
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If fulfillment of prophesy in Scripture has shown us anything, it shows us that divine prophesy is fulfilled, but in ways we don’t expect and can hardly imagine. Christ was not the political ruler that even his disciples expected, the Messiah come to oust the Roman occupiers and reestablishing the Davidic throne. Rather, Scripture was fulfilled with a Prince of Peace whose crown was of thorns and whose throne was a cross.
Read MoreWe asked our film subjects if they wanted to say something to their American brothers and sisters in Christ. Here are some of their responses.
Read MoreIt is evil. It can be nothing else. Evil is opposed to God, and God creates. This is utter destruction - of people, of property, of lives, of hope.
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These people who come to Salem, who come and wait hours and sometimes days and are regularly turned away, are the compliant ones, those who are trying to follow the rules of the Israeli Occupation. And they feel punished for doing so.
Read MoreEarly Saturday morning, we left in our Catholic car, carrying our Orthodox lanterns, Marthame wearing an Anglican robe borrowed from the Melkite priest, and made our way towards Jerusalem.
Read More"It was particularly wonderful for us to be here this year, since it will be our last Easter Season in Zababdeh. This was also true because we weren't sure if we'd be able to share in it at all."
Read MoreWe feel strongly that this is a time for peacemakers, not warmongers. For those of you who share our conviction, we love you dearly. Struggle with us. Pray with us. Work with us as seekers of peace. If you disagree, we love you dearly. And we challenge you.
Read More"You're lucky Abdallah's not here, Hajj. If he had been here, there would've been a war. You see, he's wanted. He's a very dangerous man. I wouldn't have sacrificed one of my soldiers for his life, so we would've destroyed the house. I'm sorry, Hajj, but if you have students staying with you, you have to pay the price."
Read MoreA walk through modern Ein Kerem, now something of an artists' colony, reveals some of what the town must once have been. The narrow streets and haphazard building betray its origins, as do the architectural features of most of the homes: thick walls made of large honey-colored stones, domed roofs, stone arches over narrow passageways to courtyards.
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On most days, there is a steady trickle of Arab-Israelis entering Jalame. But not today. The only vehicles we saw on the road were two cars driven by settlers zooming off to Jenin's illegal neighbors, Kadim and Ganim. Otherwise, it was just the two of us walking this long stretch of road. There was something unsettling about the quiet, and we both drew deep, nervous breaths as the stretch of road grew longer and lonelier. Firas began to pray as we walked.
Read MoreThere is no order here, there is no Authority, and people have been living in more squalor than usual for the past two years. Every night, Apaches and F-16s fly overhead, and periodically puncture the night and Gazan buildings with rockets. If this is hell, then we are the devil's minions, we American taxpayers.
Read MoreA pre-dawn blast rousted us from our beds and away from the windows. Even though our friends in Nablus have gone through much worse this spring and summer, they and their kids were still shaken by this explosion. Through slats in the shutters, we watched tanks prowling the deserted streets, their gun turrets moving ominously and firing regularly, their loudspeakers broadcasting the morning order: "Stay in your homes or you will be shot."
Read MoreThis morning, after much prayer and heartache, we made the difficult decision to leave. We left because we feared for our lives and well-being in the face of the Israeli military offensive perched on our doorstep.
Read MoreThis past Thursday, Christians gathered all over Jerusalem to remember Christ's Last Supper. We joined in worship at Redeemer Lutheran Church. As we commemorated the Passover feast Jesus shared with his disciples, we were again reminded of the Wednesday suicide blast that killed more than twenty Israelis as they celebrated Passover. "This is my body broken for you," we heard in English, Arabic, and German. "This is my blood."
Read MoreHere in Israel and the Occupied Territories, the divine seems extravagantly absent. In the past seventeen months, 300 Israelis have been killed by Palestinians. For a population of five million, that’s the equivalent of a World Trade Center attack five times over. 1100 Palestinians have been killed by Israelis - 37 WTCs. A lot of eulogies, but we hear very little truth or grace.
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Running away to Egypt is a time-honored tradition in our neck of the woods - Abraham did it, as did Joseph's brothers when they fled the famine of Canaan. People have been doing it after Christmas ever since the first one, when Mary and Joseph fled with their newborn to escape Herod's slaughter of the innocents.
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