By Kirk Petersen “If you want lumber, you have to plant trees.” That’s how the Rev. Canon Nicholas Porter describes the mission for Jerusalem Peacebuilders, the inter-faith, non-profit organization he has led since 2011. JPB hopes to help create a next generation of leadership in Israel and Palestine that will be devoted to coexistence and peace. In past years, the … [Read more...] about Training Youth to Wage Peace in the Holy Lands
Middle East
Abp. Welby on a ‘Daily Threat of Murder’
Middle Eastern Christians are on the brink of “imminent extinction,” the Archbishop of Canterbury has warned. Writing in The Daily Telegraph ahead of a Westminster Abbey service to celebrate the contribution of Christians in the region, he said Christians face a “daily threat of murder.” In the last few years, he said, they have been slaughtered by Islamic State, and in … [Read more...] about Abp. Welby on a ‘Daily Threat of Murder’
PB Honors Middle East Christians
Adapted from the Office of Public Affairs “Our journey as Episcopalians also includes remembering our sister and brother Christians in the Holy Land who maintain the faith which we hold so dear,” Presiding Bishop Michael Curry wrote to the clergy of the Episcopal Church. “Their witness is an inspiration.” Presiding Bishop Curry wrote in the annual Good Friday letter to … [Read more...] about PB Honors Middle East Christians
A ‘Complex and Wicked Crisis’
A statement from the Archbishop of Canterbury about the migrant crisis facing Europe and the Middle East:This is a hugely complex and wicked crisis that underlines our human frailty and the fragility of our political systems. My heart is broken by the images and stories of men, women and children who have risked their lives to escape conflict, violence and persecution.There are … [Read more...] about A ‘Complex and Wicked Crisis’
Bishops Decline BDS Bid
By Zachary GuilianoThe House of Bishops rejected a resolution Thursday morning that would commit them to putting economic pressure on Israel.Resolution C003 (Work for Justice and Peace in Israel-Palestine) “deplores and laments that Israel’s Occupation of 4.4 million Palestinians … undermines Israel’s credibility in the eyes of the international community.”The resolution would … [Read more...] about Bishops Decline BDS Bid
Make Room for Healing
Review by Brian Grantz“With new understanding we can reject both despair and old patterns that merely choose sides.” This is both the central thesis and an honest plea from Alex Joyner in A Space for Peace in the Holy Land. Joyner’s concise book explores how Christians might distinctively and effectively engage the deep divisions and conflicts that characterize relations … [Read more...] about Make Room for Healing
Diplomat: Be Bold Christians
By Peggy EastmanChristians need to defend their faith amid increasing persecution, said Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm, Jr., a scholar on the Middle East.“I think our faith needs to be bolder and stronger,” said Gnehm, an elder in the Presbyterian Church who spoke on “The Middle East Today: The Religious Factor” in a lecture at All Saints Church in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Gnehm has … [Read more...] about Diplomat: Be Bold Christians
‘Silence is Full of Blood’
By Faith J.H. McDonnellMore than a dozen members of the U.S. Congress have offered their solidarity with those targeted by the Islamic State (ISIS) jihadists. The three senators and 13 representatives addressed 1,000 participants in the inaugural In Defense of Christians summit at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. They pledged to stand with persecuted Christians, Yazidis, and … [Read more...] about ‘Silence is Full of Blood’