A Baptist View of Gaza

Over at the website Come and See, is a great post by Yohanna Katanacho on A Palestinian Baptist in the bombarded Gaza shares his thoughts and prayer requests. Do read it.

Interestingly, Shadi is not harboring anger and revenge. He is part of a church that has a martyr who was murdered by Muslim extremists, and a church that suffered from Israeli air strikes. Instead, he told me that the church of Gaza has asked all of its members to pray for peace. At first, I thought he means peace for his church or perhaps for the people in Gaza but then discovered that they are praying for peace in the whole region including the peace of Israel. Further, he added that the followers of Jesus in Gaza are afraid from violence; however, they are committed to loving their enemies and to following Jesus in this difficult situation for violence begets violence but the love of Jesus Christ is the path forward. Shadi added that he wants to follow Jesus and face violence with love, curses with blessings. Please remember the Baptist Church of Gaza in your prayers and pray also for Shadi, his wife, and his three months old daughter. May the leaders of our region and the world learn from this small church and choose peace, not war; choose justice not self-centered political programs. May these leaders choose long term solutions not a bloody shortcut.