Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian Christian woman and political leader, wrote on X the other day a series of posts about Gaza, addressed to all of us. It began, Can you take a drink of water without thinking of the people of Gaza going thirsty & getting sick for lack of clean water? Can you eat a meal without thinking of them starving? Can you sleep a whole night in your bed without thinking of them being bombed in theirs? Can... Read more
“I heard the Bells on Christmas Day” has always been one of my holiday favorites. I always loved the contemplative, sad second verse, followed by the triumphal third verse. “The wrong shall fail, the right prevail.” I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old familiar carols play, And wild and sweet the words repeat Of peace of earth, good will to men. And in despair I bowed my head: “There is no peace on earth,” I said, “For hate... Read more
In the last post, we began considering the question, can Christians support oppressed groups that have risen up violently against their oppressor? I personally know many Christians who had sympathy for the Palestinian struggle two months ago, but have taken a giant step back, now that a Palestinian group has turned to violent means to achieve rights for their people. Others have never backed Palestinian rights because of the “terrorist” stigma. The definition of terrorism and who gets to assign... Read more
As the death toll in Gaza continues to climb (now hovering near 15,000) and the death toll in Israel has actually fallen (now about 1,200), I keep hearing the same sentiment from Christians: “I am praying for both sides,” or “I grieve for the innocents on both sides of the conflict.” I have found that even people who know the history of the Palestinian struggle, and who accept Palestinians’ humanity, frequently fall short of supporting their armed struggle for justice.... Read more
For readers who have been following the insane story of our relatives in Gaza, here is a new installment. For newcomers, you can read the first two parts of what I hoped and prayed would be a two-part series (#1 here, #2 here). Alas, the Israel-Gaza war is still going. It’s more like a massacre than a war – many of you know that. We have lots of relatives in Palestine, but one family is particularly close to our hearts.... Read more
Are you are a compassionate person who is starting to understand what’s really going on between Palestine and Israel? Have you been sitting on the fence, waiting for something to tip you to one side or the other – and 10,000 Gazan deaths was the last straw? Or have you been supporting Israel because it claims to be a democracy – and you’re just not buying it anymore? Or maybe you’ve been a silent supporter of Palestine, afraid to go... Read more
I’ve known Don Wagner for years. He and his wife are the yin to my husband’s and my yang. Don is American and Christian, married to a sweet Palestinian Muslim woman; I’m a sweet American Christian married to a Palestinian Muslim. Don has been on a journey full of twists and turns (a trajectory similar to mine, only his is much more interesting), growing up an evangelical supporter of Israel, later to become a fervent advocate for Palestinian rights (I... Read more
We are all familiar with the October 7th surprise attack by the resistance group Hamas against unsuspecting Israelis. We also know about Israel’s relentless bombing campaign that started the next day and continues even to this moment. Let’s play a game. Thought experiment #1 Imagine you’ve been in a coma for two months, and you just woke up today. You turn on the TV to see what’s going on in the world, and all the news programs are talking about... Read more
Different format today! Pop some popcorn and settle in for my chat with Spiritual Brewpub’s Michael Camp (unsolicited: I highly recommend his Patheos blog and the many goodies on his website). Full disclosure: Michael did not offer me beer in exchange for being a guest on his podcast. I tend to think his “brewpub” might in fact be metaphorical. Just a hypothesis. (Commercial: if you question “business as usual” in Christianity – or want to question it – subscribe to... Read more
I met the Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb during a visit to Bethlehem in 2013. At that time, he was pastoring Christmas Lutheran Church, and we talked a bit after the service. I’ve been fortunate to get to know Mitri since then on some of his many visits to the US. He is the Founder and President of Dar al-Kalima University College of Arts and Culture in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, as well as a prolific author and compelling speaker.... Read more
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