As always, thoughtful provoking and heartfelt posts. As usual, we differ on *some* views.

“Jerusalem, he reminds us that it “was the city of God, peace and prayer”- it hasn’t *always* been… people are inherently *people*… they didn’t live in a Utopia. There were hierarchies, and a different kind of conflict.

Yes, agreed, converted into a city of man, war and hatred. Let’s keep emphasis on “man”. The middle east thinking dynamics is “tribal”. They process information differently, and approach conflict with a different frame of reference.

Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, and Arabs have more liberties there than any other arab country. What’s sad it that the Palestinians were looked upon as the lowest of the low by fellow arabs, until the Jews settled. Then the anger and conflict escalated… better to have lowly arabs than Jews.

What’s happening in Gaza, yes, is wrong. Is Israel always right, no. Is much of what’s shown in the media taken out of context, yes. Israel is getting bombed every hour near the Gaza strip, and girls I know attending school for engineering told me on a good day, bombed 12 times, on and bad day, 24… they study on the first floor of the University, no longer on upper levels. Yet, no one hears of this…. the news only portrays Israel as the attacker, not the attacked.

I’ve visited Israel, stood and the Wailing Wall, walked the roads of Nazareth.. it is a deeply spiritual place for all religions. It inspires respect for believing in something larger than yourself.

Should Palestinians have their own land, yes. Is Hope and Faith going to win peace, likely not. It is compassion and dedication to peace, it is mutual respect. It is because we have the capacity to do so that we must; not because we await to be filled with love, but because we were created with love.

Happy Easter

esta

Thank you for faithfully giving voice to the sufferings of Palestinians. On this day when Christ rose from the dead, conquering evil and bringing hope to all who suffer, we are grateful for your steadfast support of the Palestinians. Easter pilgrims from all over the world visit the Holy Land to see the empty tomb, but it is only when they turn away from the stones that they will meet the living people of the Land and the true Body of Christ. It is in standing in solidarity with them and partaking of their suffering that they will become one with Crucified Christ and part of His Body.

We will continue to speak up and act against the perpetuation of injustice against the Palestinians this Easter and every day till the justice of God flows like the river tide in His own land. We will speak out and act against the false peace imposed by robbing Palestinians of their rights and freedom, against the stonewalling of their destroyed lands and homes, against the hypocrisy and complicity of the west who allow brute force to attempt to annhilate an entire people. Strengthen by the Easter message, we will not be fearful but will denounce and stand up against evil, and face the persecutions such a stand results in with joyful acceptance to the glory of Christ.

We reach out to everyone who love the justice of God to take this forth and so be counted as His instruments of justice and peace. May the Risen Lord clothe us with courage. truth, justice and love. May He fill us with hope and faith that His justice and kingdom will come.