Conference Papers presented by Rev. Naim Ateek |
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PART ONE: Factors that Affected Palestinian Christians (3-11-2006) As we look at the last 2000 years of Palestinian Christianity, I would like to point out five major factors that affected the life of the Christian Community of the land. It is very important to remember that we are dealing with the past, and some of the hard facts that I will mention must be understood in their own historical context and do not necessarily reflect our thinking today. We must be true to the historical record. I hope and pray that we can learn from it. This presentation is, therefore, a general introduction. It is basically an outline, but it is intended to give you an overall picture of a 2000 year old movement of history that adversely affected the Christian Church and its presence in the Holy Land . Once the picture is clear, some of the other lectures in this conference will become clearer and hopefully will make sense. In an outline spanning 2000 years, I am bound to make mistakes by choosing a word here and there that might offend someone. Please forgive me. This is not my intention. I stand corrected. I hope that this presentation will stimulate discussion among all of our participants. In the second part of my presentation, I will consider the future of Palestinian Christianity in our land. The first part deals with the past and the second part looks to the future. BACKGROUND: * The Church was born in Palestine by the power of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. * The names of the countries and peoples mentioned in Acts 2 are a theological statement. The writer Luke wanted to tell us in a symbolic way that on the Day of Pentecost the Gospel was preached to the known world at that time and representatives of all these nations heard it. * The book of Acts gives us another glimpse of the inclusiveness of the Gospel as it was preached in Palestine . Besides it being preached in Jerusalem , it was preached in Nablus for the Samaritans (chapter 8), and it was preached in Caesarea for Cornilius (chapter 10). * The Christian community grew in number in Palestine . * Scholars tell us that by the end of 4 th century Palestine was a predominantly Christian country. Let us now look at the five major factors that adversely affected the life and presence of Palestinian Christians from the early centuries until the present.
1. The theological factor is more general and affected the life of all Christians in the Middle East including Palestine . 2. Up to this point, although the church was taking roots in various countries among different races and cultures, it was still perceived as One. People recognized their belongingness to the same One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. 3. Soon, however, difficulties and misunderstandings began to emerge as a result of theological, political, cultural, and geographical differences. Some Christians were living inside the Roman Empire , others were living outside it. Some spoke Greek, others spoke Aramaic and other languages. Some thought through Hellenistic thought patterns, others thought through Semitic thought patterns. There were cultural and political differences. Some were governed by the Roman Empire others were governed by the Persian Empire . 4. There were no printed Bibles for people to refer to. 5. The Church was caught up in bitter controversies. The most excruciating issues related to the relationship between Jesus Christ and God. The Church was determined to maintain the faith in the Oneness of God. Therefore, a number of Church Councils were held that brought together hundreds of church leaders to agree on the basic principles of the Christian Faith. 6. Four major Councils were held during the 4 th and 5 th centuries: Nicea in A.D. 325, Ephesus in 381, Constantinople in 431, and Chalcedon in 451. 7. By the end of the 5 th century most of the Christians in today's Middle East , and as a result of the decisions of these Councils, found themselves outside the main body of the Christian Church. They separated themselves. – The Assyrian Church of Iraq, the Coptic Church of Egypt, the Church of Ethiopia, the Syrian Orthodox Church, and the Armenian Orthodox Church. 8. This was the first schism within the church that contributed to the fragmentation of Christianity in the separation of most of the Eastern Christians. Christians became alienated from each other. 9. What was left in the East was the Byzantine (Eastern) Orthodox Church that remained together and was pejoratively referred to as Melkite in reference to its loyalty to the Melek , the king or emperor. The Byzantine Orthodox and Catholic Churches remained united. 10. By the middle of the 5 th century, Palestine already had some Copts, Syrians, Armenians, and Ethiopians who were already living close to the Holy Places, and although they enjoyed good relations the fracture had already taken place within the one church. 11. This was the first great rift and division within the Church. It resulted in alienation, resentment, hostility, broken fellowship, rejection of the sacraments of the “other” and denunciation of the other. Second Factor: the coming of Islam 1. The coming of Islam in the 7 th century was welcomed by many Eastern Christians in order to get rid of the cruelty of the Byzantine Empire . In fact, some Eastern Christians fought along side the Muslims against the Byzantines. 2. Generally speaking the Arab Muslim rulers were more tolerant towards Christians and Jews. Many Christians and Jews occupied prominent government positions within the Muslim state. 3. With the passage of years, the non-Arab-Muslim rulers became less tolerant this resulted in greater hardships and persecution of Christians. 4. Such a situation caused the movement of many Christians from the Arab peninsula towards what we know today as Syria , Lebanon , Jordan , and Palestine . 5. Furthermore, to escape the payment of the special tax for non-Muslims (al-jizieh) and also to avoid persecution, many Christians became Muslim. By and large, it was a conversion of convenience rather than conviction. 6. One indication is the names of dozens of villages and towns throughout Palestine that begin with the word “Deir” which refers to a convent, monastery or church. Most of these towns are totally Muslim but were at one point Christian. 7. It is true that the coming of Islam lifted the yoke of the Byzantines off the shoulders of the indigenous Christians of the Middle East , but it weakened the Christian community through apostasy to Islam. Third Factor: The Crusades 1. In 1054, forty five years before the first Crusade started, (1099) the break between the Byzantine Orthodox Church in the East and the Roman Catholic Church in the West took place. This resulted in the second major division within the Christian Church. 2. When the Crusaders came to Jerusalem they perceived not only the Muslims as their enemies but also the Jews as well as the indigenous Christians of the land who were largely Orthodox. 3. The Orthodox Patriarch was removed and replaced by a Latin Patriarch. 4. Beginning with the Crusades, every major Orthodox Church in the East split and a segment of the church went into union with Rome while retaining its eastern character and liturgy. In historical order this is the picture that emerged: 5. The establishment of a Latin church that eventually accepted members from various Orthodox churches. - In 1180, the Maronite Church in its entirety went into union with Rome - In 1672, the Chaldeans from the Assyrian Church followed suit - In 1724, the Melkites (Greek Catholics) from the Greek Orthodox Church - In 1742, the Armenian Catholics from the Armenian Orthodox Church - In 1783, the Syrian Catholics from the Syrian Orthodox Church - In 1895, the Coptic Catholics from the Coptic Orthodox Church These divisions left the Christians of the East weaker and fragmented with much bitterness and hostility towards each other. Fourth Factor: The Protestant Missionary Movement – the rise of western powers and Colonialism 1. In the 16 th century the Roman Catholic Church in Europe experienced divisions within its own ranks. It started with what became known as the Protestant Reformation. Many churches in Europe separated from Rome and formed their own national churches. Further splits took place from within those national churches. Eventually, many new denominations came into being. 2. By the beginning of the 19 th century, the great Protestant Missionary Movement started. In some places it preceded the colonization of that country. At times it followed it. 3. To Palestine , the missionaries came while the Ottoman Turks were still in power. Colonialism followed after the end of the WWI. 4. The American Presbyterians went to Lebanon , Syria , and Egypt . 5. The Anglicans and the Lutherans came to Palestine . 6. This created the fourth division within the Christian churches. 7. New Protestant and Evangelical churches began to be formed whose members were solicited from the Orthodox and Catholic churches of the land. This created the 4 th division within the church. Fifth factor: Zionism and the state of Israel 1. The Zionist Movement did not differentiate between Palestinian Christians and Muslims. They were both Palestinians and they needed to be eliminated for the success of the Zionist project. 2. Therefore, when the state of Israel came into being, 750,000 Palestinians – Muslims and Christians – where displaced. 3. The Jewish state was established on 78% of Palestine . 4. Whereas up to this point the divisions among Christians were internal, with the establishment of Israel , the country itself was divided. The Christians were split between those who stayed in Israel and those who were driven out or fled. 5. Most Christians and their clergy became refugees and were not allowed by Israel to return to their homes in contravention of UN resolutions. 6. The loss of Christian numbers weakened the church further. It did not stop with that. Later, many other Christians emigrated to the West largely to escape the discrimination of Israel against its Arab Palestinian minority. Other refugees who could not return to their home inside Palestine were scattered in different parts of the world seeking refuge and a decent life for themselves and their families. 7. The same policies of discrimination have been used by Israel after it occupied the West Bank and Gaza . Due to political instability, many Palestinian Christians have been emigrating on a steady basis. Today more Palestinian Christians live outside Palestine than inside.
When one summarizes the last 2000 years of Palestinian Christianity, these five major factors are certainly obvious. Every one of them affected the Christians in Palestine and left them weaker and more vulnerable than before. It is possible to summarize this outline in the following way: 1. Internal factors that weakened and divided the Christians, namely, the early theological controversies, the consequences of the coming of the Crusades (and the Catholic Church) and the coming of the Protestant Missions from the West. Historically speaking, these factors divided the Church and weakened its witness and unity. It is possible for some to emphasize the fragmented Body of Christ; while for others it is possible to see the beautiful mosaic and the rich heritage of the Christian presence in the land. This is dependent on the different perspectives of the people. 2. External political and religious factor with the coming of Islam. It was not only a political conquest by the Muslims but the effect and ramification of a new religion that eventually led to the weakening of the Christian community through apostasy to Islam. 3. External political factor with the coming of Zionism and the establishment of the state of Israel that wanted the land without the people. It was not a missionary religion of Judaism. It coveted the country and created policies to reduce the number of Palestinians in the land including the number of Christians. In light of this brief outline that spans 2000 years, we believe that in order to be faithful to God, we must address the following areas in our ministry at Sabeel: 1. We must address the internal agenda within the Christian community; i.e. the divisions, separation, bitterness, and resentment that resulted from the divisions within the Christian community of the land. We need to create a spirit of repentance, forgiveness, and love for each other. All of us have sinned against God because we have failed to love. We must work ecumenically to increase the love and to remove the walls of separation. Although some of our people interpret history differently, we need to see the rich mosaic rather than the fragmentation. 2. We must address our relation to Islam genuinely and work for greater understanding. 3. We must address our relationship with Israel . We must work for a peace based on justice that would lead to reconciliation among all the people of the Holy Land . The past contains much pain and sorrow from the internal as well as external factors. We still suffer as a result of the past. Our historical memory in the Middle East is very vivid and sharp. Historical events are not easily forgotten. History moves slowly in this part of the world. If we continue to live only in the past and to dwell only on the past, we can never move forward with God into the present and the future. As we look at the past, we realize that we have survived by the Grace of God. Because we walk with God, we cannot lose hope. Our hope is in God “who in Christ, [as Paul said], always leads us in triumphal procession and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him for we are the aroma of Christ…” (2Cor. 2:14 -15)
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PART TWO: The Future of Palestinian Christianity (8-11-2006) Introduction This is a very difficult topic to address because ultimately only the omniscient God knows about the future of Palestinian Christianity. It cannot simply be an academic topic to be discussed. At the same time, we live in a scientific world. God has given us knowledge, wisdom, and reason to study, analyze and make scientific projections. As people of faith, even when we do this, we place our trust in God's love and mercy towards us. Indeed, our future and destiny lie in God's gracious hands. As a Christian community, we look around us and we see certain dangers that face us. We must confront these dangers and threats with courage and faithfulness to God. We cannot sit passively around. It is our responsibility to study and to analyze the potential threats to our community. It is essential to carry out surveys and to make projections. It is important to assess the movement of history and all possible trends and do whatever one can to effect positive change in the future. There are some warning red lights. Many of our people are aware of them. There are internal as well as external dangers. The difficult questions are: What can we do to alleviate these dangers? What can we do at the grassroots level? What can our religious leaders do? What must our political leaders do? The answers to these and many other questions are not contained in this short presentation. They need more thorough investigation and study to be done as soon as possible. It is mandatory that we be comprehensive. We must rise above our petty church interests in order to work for the good of the Christian community of the land. The purpose of this paper is to stimulate our thinking regarding the future of Palestinian Christians. It is only an introduction to highlight and to make us aware of the impending dangers. It is our responsibility to ask, what must we do? And what can we do? There are a few important remarks at the beginning: 1. I want to apologize if any of my words seem insensitive or offensive to any one church or religion. This is not my intention. At the same time I would like to stimulate and stir up people's thinking so that together we can find radical and effective remedies to the serious problems that face us. It is easy to take words out of context, twist them, and to reject and condemn the whole presentation because of one little remark and forget the overall objective and the spirit in which these remarks are made. 2. It is important to point out that this paper will not be complete until it appropriates the ideas that have been put forth by many of our presenters throughout our conference . We need to collate all the important points in order to have a clear strategy for the future. 3. The challenges facing our community are so great they demand earnest and dedicated action. Without being self critical no change can take place. If we continue to deny or gloss over the problems no change will take place and we will wake up one day when it is too late. We must rise to the challenges before us. We need to discern the guidance of the Holy Spirit. What must be shed and what must be clung to are essential questions today. We must not be afraid of change. Theologically speaking, the Incarnation is God's way of adopting change for the sake of us humans. God was not satisfied with the old theology which humans had of God. The Incarnation was God's way of contextualization. This meant change. God does not accept theological fossilization. God meets us in our new contexts of life. 4. Paramount in my mind, therefore, is the survival and vitality of the Christian community of the Holy Land . This must be our primary focus. In the first part of my presentation, I outlined the factors that impacted Palestinian Christianity throughout the last 2000 years. It was clear that Christians faced three formidable challenges to their existence. These challenges and dangers are still with us and make the life of our community quite precarious. Every one of them threatens the viability and vitality of the Christian community. 1. Internal threats. In the past it was the theological controversies that fragmented the Church. Today it is represented not only by denominational divisions and internecine problems, but by difficulties that affect us from some extremist fundamentalist Christians and especially Christian Zionists. 2. External threats that come from Jewish and Islamic religious extremists. 3. Political threats coming from the territorial ambitions of Israel and the rising impact of global empire represented by American Empire and its Israeli extension.
Dr. Bernard Sabella estimates the number of Palestinian Christians to be between 400,000 and a maximum of half a million scattered throughout the world. In the Holy Land itself, i.e. Palestine and Israel , there are approximately 170,000. Out of those 130,000 live in Israel and the rest, about 40,000 live in the West Bank including East Jerusalem and Gaza . In Israel In Palestine Basing this on what we know today, 1. It is probable that the presence of Christians in Gaza will continue to decrease until it disappears. NOTE: It is not a hopeless situation. In fact, I am one of those who are very hopeful about the future. It is not the demography that worries me but rather the vitality of our presence. There is much that we and our religious leaders can do if there is coordination and proper planning. At the same time, there is much that our friends abroad can do. One of the objectives of this conference is to highlight the dangers but at the same time to point to some remedies that can contribute to the strengthening of the Christian presence in Israel and Palestine . Christian institutions and international non-governmental organizations (NGO's) can do much. We are thankful for the presence of these western institutions and all the help they extend to Palestinians whether Muslims or Christians. In fact most of the help goes to the larger segment of the community which is Muslim; and we are not against that. Our theology is to help those who are in need regardless of their religious background. They are all our brothers and sisters. Having said that, we have a responsibility to our people. “Do good to all and especially to the household of faith (Galatians 6:10 ). We need to challenge international NGO's and especially Christian ones to apply a policy of affirmative action and give closer attention to the needs of the Christian community in light of the dangers that face it. In light of their precarious position as well as the fragility and vulnerability of the Palestinian Christian presence in the land, I believe there is a great need to hold a conference for international Christian NGO's that would lay down policies and strategies for help. Since political changes defy scientific trends and predictions, all the above projections could be worthless with the turn of political events. Both political as well as religious upheavals could impact the population enormously and cause sudden drastic demographic changes. But that is not an excuse for doing nothing. It is important to plan well. Internal Challenges: 1. Frankly, one of the disadvantages working against us is the presence of a mentality that is both very conservative and, at the same time, past oriented in its culture, theology, and tradition. I believe there is a general dichotomy between some of our religious leaders and some of our laypeople. Some hierarchies believe that in order to preserve and protect the church and the Christian community, they need to freeze its traditions. That is why many people have become disenchanted with the church because they see it obsolete and irrelevant. They see it representing the past and unable to address the present. They turn to the church for certain services (marriage and burial) not out of faith but out of perfunctory reasons and because they do not have other alternatives. At the same time, we have some clergy and laypeople who believe that in order for the church in Palestine and Israel to be relevant, it must undergo certain change. These are future oriented. We cannot continue to live only in the past. It fossilizes us and will kill and destroy us. At the same time, we cannot shed and throw away the past. There is significance and beauty in the past. We are in a dilemma. We must change what must be changed for the sake of the church. Christ does not only meet us in the past, Christ is ahead of us. Christ meets us in the future because he is not only the Christ of yesterday but the Christ of today and of tomorrow. We cannot rigidly hold to the past and hope to be relevant. History can be one of our worst enemies that stifle our vitality. Indeed, there is a past that we must cling to and remember with fondness and gratitude to God. We cherish our Christian heritage, the life of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection, the establishment of the Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes indeed, these are the historic foundations of our faith. But when it comes to the ministry of God's people which we have been entrusted with, we must be up to date, relevant, and organized. We need to distinguish between the past that must be shed because it obstructs the work of the Holy Spirit and the past that we cherish. We cherish the treasure, the heart of the Gospel, the Lord Jesus Christ. But the vessels, the equipment, the methods, and the techniques must continuously change to fit the time and context of ministry (2Cor. 4:7) 2. There is a great need for a new dynamic relationship among the hierarchy of the churches in the Holy Land . We thank God for the closer relationship that one observes since the first intifada. But this is not enough. The needs are immense. There is a great need to meet together not only to find solutions to immediate challenges. There still exist age-old frustrations and resentments that must be addressed. We need to accept that history has moved on. We cannot afford to continue to hammer past wrongs and grievances. Every church has made mistakes. Every denomination has sinned against the other. All of us have grieved the Holy Spirit of God. All of us are guilty of fragmenting the Body of Christ. Both hierarchy and laypeople have committed blunders against Christ. There is a need to repent and ask forgiveness of God and of each other. At the same time, we need to accept history. We need to thank God for the mosaic of the church in the Holy Land . We need to recognize the contributions that each of the churches has made to the building of the Body of Christ in this land. A rethinking about servant leadership and a collegial relationship between bishops and patriarchs is needed. A greater involvement of the hierarchy with the people is needed in all aspects of their life. We need to begin to view history in a new way. Obviously, we acknowledge that the church in the Holy Land was planted by the Holy Spirit through what became known as the Orthodox Church. We thank God for all our Orthodox Churches that played a great role in the planting of the Gospel on the foundations of the Apostles, where Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone. At the same time, we can say today that we thank God for the coming of the Latins (Roman Catholics) and Protestants for nourishing, watering, and strengthening the Christian community of the land. I realize that this is not the way we interpreted history in the past. And obviously we can always debate history. Today, there is a need to recognize the valuable contribution rendered by all churches to the survival of the Christian Faith in the Holy Land under excruciating and abominable circumstances. For the sake of the vitality of the Christian presence in the land, we must move on. The present generation of Christians is not responsible for the divisions of the past. For their sake and for Christ's sake, we need a renewed commitment on the part of the hierarchy to servant leadership of their flock. Above all, we have to recognize not only intellectually but also emotionally that we cannot go back to a period before the 4 th century, before Nicea or before the Crusades. Indeed, we continue to pray for the unity of the church, but we know that humanly speaking it is very difficult to achieve. What is possible to achieve is greater love for one another as Christ asked us; and the tearing down of the barriers that separate us. We have to realize today the importance of working ecumenically. The future of Palestinian Christianity lies in our unity not by physically becoming one church, but by becoming more united ecumenically. Indeed, we must preserve the rich mosaic of our churches. We thank God for the liturgical richness of all the traditions that we have – the Orthodox whether Byzantine or Armenian, Coptic, and Syrian. We also thank God for the Latin and Protestant traditions. While preserving these significant traditions, we must continually rise above denominationalism and relate to each other ecumenically. We can be one spiritually, in our love and in our witness. We can witness to the One Lord Jesus Christ who died and rose again for us. I believe that Christ calls us to work together ecumenically. There is no future for the Christian community without the full commitment of our hierarchy to Ecumenism. 3. There is a special case that must be addressed by the Greek Orthodox Church. It is the original church of the Holy Land . The relationship between the Greek hierarchy of the church and the Palestinian clergy and people must be addressed if we hope for the strengthening of the Christian presence and witness. So long as the issue of indigenization is postponed, the Christian community of the land will suffer. The Christian community is so small these days that the slightest problems can affect the delicate Christian witness. We cannot put our heads in the sand and think that the problem will go away. It must be addressed. One cannot deny the importance and contribution of the Greek Orthodox Church. For most of us, it is the church of our ancestors. It is the church that we love and for whose well being we care. The fact is, however, that most of the Orthodox clergy have not had the benefit of a proper theological education. It is not enough these days only to baptize, marry, and bury people. It desperately needs pastoral care for the people of God. There is so much that needs to be done, not least a deeper spirituality for the people that can take place through spiritual formation and religious education which, on the whole, is lacking. When I think of the future viability of the Church in Israel and Palestine , this issue is one of the urgent priorities. 4. Another matter of great importance for the future of Christianity in the Holy Land relates to pilgrimage and Holy Places. Here, I want to register our gratitude as indigenous Christians to those expatriate and local Christians who had the foresight to care for, control, and protect the holy places for future Christian posterity. The two major communities that have achieved this are the Franciscans and the Greek Orthodox Church. There is a great need for local Christians and the guardians of the Holy Places to work more closely together in this area. We need to reflect together on how to make pilgrimage a more spiritually enriching experience for visitors while involving the local Christians more actively. The Holy Places are a great asset to the Christian presence in the Holy Land but I do not think that we have maximized their value to the benefit of both pilgrims and local Christians. In fact, pilgrimage can create a bond between Christians in the West and local Christians and help boost their economic situation. I believe that this is an area worth thorough investigation. Here again, a conference that focuses on this important topic could prove very beneficial for the future of Palestinian Christianity. In light of the changing circumstances of the last 150 years, there is an urgent need to review the whole question of the Status Quo. In 1852, the Ottoman Turks managed to organize the troubled relations between the major churches in the land through what became known as the Status Quo. Due to certain frictions during feast days, this arrangement has become an embarrassment and a scandal. It mars the witness of the Church not only for Christians but also in the eyes of Jews and Muslims. There are certain matters that need urgent solutions among some of the Christian churches, and our hierarchies have lacked the spiritual will to make decisions and find solutions. I realize the sensitivity of this topic, but it is mandatory that our religious leaders arrive at the needed solutions in the spirit of Christian love and for the sake of the present and future witness of the church. It is inconceivable that such matters keep dragging on. Sometimes human beings have a tendency to become slaves to certain historical documents that have become rigid fixtures that no one wants to tamper with, even when their usefulness has long passed. We must retain the beauty of the liturgical celebrations of the various feasts that the status quo governs while changing some of the antiquated regulations and restrictions that have become obsolete and scandalous. 5. The importance of caring for the needs of the people of God. The closer relationships among the Patriarchs and bishops must produce a better organizational system that can coordinate the wider service ministry of the church. The future of our presence in the land demands more ecumenical cooperation of the churches. I am not referring at all to the liturgical life of every church. Every Church must continue with that. Our ecumenical work must aim at making the Orthodox member a more faithful and committed Orthodox Christian; and the same with the Catholic and the Protestant. It becomes easier then for the hierarchies of the Church to trust the ecumenical spirit in which the work is done. We can then rise above denominationalism and work ecumenically. It will then be possible for most of the youth work to be done ecumenically with qualified people as leaders. Let us face it many churches are not doing much for their children, youth, and young adults etc. There is a need for improving the religious education of our children by greater ecumenical coordination. The same applies to the pastoral care of our people. With more ecumenical resources, we can do things not only ecumenically but also professionally. There is a need for a Christian counseling center that can meet the increasing problems our families and marriages face. One can think of dozens of areas of ministry that we can work on together ecumenically. If we are concerned about the future of Palestinian Christianity, we have to stop thinking denominationally and start thinking ecumenically. We are Christians first belonging to Christ before we stamp ourselves with the denominational label. 6. Another matter that is crucial to the future of Palestinian Christianity is the important witness of our Christian institutions. We thank God for the Christian institutions of all the churches. It is to the credit of these churches and religious orders that we have wonderful institutions serving in so many various capacities. These range from hospitals to schools, from orphanages to homes for the elderly, from charitable organizations to retreat centers and pilgrim hostels. These institutions have faithfully served the Palestinian community of the land and beyond regardless of religious affiliation. It is of utmost importance to raise the standard of all our institutions. We need to offer the best services, the best quality education, and the highest standard of excellence. With more ecumenical cooperation, our institutions can become exemplary. The witness of our institutions not only benefits our Christian people, they can be our window for other faith communities in the land. Through them, they can really know who we are and what we stand for and this can contribute to the creation of greater openness, tolerance, and goodwill. 7. It is equally important for the Church in the Holy Land to reach out as much as possible to Messianic Jews, the Russian Christians, and the small groups of independent evangelicals that are scattered in different areas in the country. We have a responsibility for them and as much as possible it is important to relate to them. Again here, there is a need for a strategy that must be developed vis-à-vis these groups. External Challenges: There is no future for us in isolation or in passivity. Our future is linked with others. 1. Relations with ISLAM : There is an urgent need for the Church in the Holy Land to articulate a theology and a strategy for relations with other Faiths and especially with Islam. Within the Palestinian Christian community, we have qualified people to do that. The well being of the Christian community depends on good relations with their Muslim brothers and sisters. Relatively speaking very little is done on the Christian leadership level to maintain regular relations with Muslims. Only recently the first Iftar was held by Christian religious leaders. There is a great need to set up a Standing Committee that maintains direct relations with Palestinian Muslim leaders and nourishes understanding, respect, and acceptance between the two communities. 2. Relations with ISRAEL : The most important objective on the political level continues to be the achievement of a just peace in the Israel-Palestine conflict. There is no possibility for peace without the end of the Israeli occupation of all the Occupied Palestinian lands in accordance with UNSCR 242 and 338 and the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel . Furthermore, the City of Jerusalem has to be shared between the two states, and a just solution found for the Palestinian refugees in accordance with International Law. This prophetic voice must not die, and if pressure needs to be put on Israel , it must be done through nonviolent means and methods in line with the way of Jesus Christ. There is no peace while oppression and domination exist. Yet as I always say, the achievement of peace is not the end of the journey. Reconciliation is the ultimate goal. It is peace based on justice that opens the way to reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis. This is what the church should strive for. 3. The importance of DEMOCRACY : The best climate for the survival of Palestinian Christianity is that of democracy. With democracy, the numbers might even increase and some Christians who emigrated might consider coming back. A climate of discrimination would undoubtedly, adversely affect Christians of the Holy Land and increase their emigration. Only true democracy can guarantee their freedom and rights. As much as possible, we must avoid a minority complex. We need, with our Muslim friends in Palestine and Jewish friends in Israel , to push for the making and formation of constitutions for both the state of Palestine and the state of Israel . We cannot depend on the good will of people in power. We are living in the 21 st century. We refuse the status of Ahl Athimma as we refuse the biblical status of the Ger , the stranger in the land. We want to be protected by a Constitution that guarantees our rights and responsibilities under the law with full equality. We believe that citizenship and nationality for all the people of the land must be combined. This is the best guarantee for the future well being of our community. Only the presence of a constitution in Palestine and in Israel can guarantee that all citizens will be treated equally under the same rule of law. The future of Palestinian Christians depends on this. Relating to the church in the West 1. Educate your churches about the roots and presence of Palestinian Christians in Israel and Palestine and challenge the myths that have been concocted by people of power. Future of Palestinian Christians It is possible to glean from the Gospels a few words that can characterize the life and witness of Christians everywhere and are aptly appropriate for Palestinian Christians. In its beginnings, the Jesus movement was very small. It started with a small band of disciples and friends who loved Jesus and were loyal to him. Probably on more than one occasion Jesus addressed his followers with the challenging words, “Fear not little flock”; “you are the salt of the earth...you are the light of the world…” I would like to suggest that for Palestinian Christians in particular (although it applies to all Christians) these two words – salt and light – capture the essence of what should characterize the life of Palestinian Christians. The challenge for us Palestinian Christians today is to be salt and light in our communities. You do not need a large amount of salt or light to give taste and to brighten the area around you. We are salt in our penetration and involvement in the community. We are salt because we are an integral part of the Holy Land . We are salt when we give flavor and taste to the societies where we live. We are salt when we live the love of Christ in humility and service. To be salt is to effect change. Salt is an active ingredient. It cannot be passive. We must be active in all that contributes to the health and well being of society. The same applies to us when Jesus challenged us to be the light of the world. This is a global challenge for us. It is not to be a light in the Holy Land only but in the whole world. Our light must be seen clearly so that glory is given to God. This means that because we have been dealt with unjustly, we must forever champion justice for other oppressed people. Because we have been dominated, we must work for the liberation of others. Because we have been humiliated, we must forever stand for the dignity of human beings. We must dedicate our energy to working for peace and reconciliation of all the people of our land. We must emulate Christ in honesty, integrity, and truthfulness. Our faith and trust must be rooted in God. Above all we need to learn to walk the way of the cross in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is the Sabeel of faithfulness, the Sabeel of loving our neighbor as our selves, the Sabeel of justice, peace, and reconciliation. This is the Sabeel of Christ that leads to resurrection and life. Some people may ask what the future holds for Palestinian Christians. We do not know what the future holds, but we know and we must put our trust in the One who holds the future. With this kind of faith we venture on with God into the future and we labor on with God for the sake of our fellow human beings and for the honor and glory of God. Amen
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