News,
articles and documents from the Holy Land
Issue No. 186 - Saturday, 4 January 2003
Dear Friends, Brothers
and Sisters,
Time is running, we have already finished the year
2002 and entered quickly 2003, which we hope, will be a year of peace for all
of you.
This year began with the annual mass for peace which
was presided by our Patriarch at the Concathedral of the Latin Patriarchate in
Jerusalem, which was assisted by all the religious communities of Jerusalem,
including the members of the French delegation from the French Bishop’s
Conference headed by it’s president Msgr. Jean-Pierre Ricard, Archbishop of
Bordeaux. The Patriarch spoke in his homily about the Pope’s message for peace “Pacem
in Terris” and insisted on the Paragraph about the Holy Land. Msgr. Ricard spoke at the end of the
mass and said that they come in solidarity with the Church and the peoples of
the Holy Land. He said that they will return to France with a different vision,
and promised a financial assistance. In fact, we can find in the report
published on the site ( http://www.cef.fr ) of
the French Bishops Conference a very strong and encouraging statement calling
the churches in France to come and visit their brothers and sisters in the Holy
Land. It seems that they were very touched from their visit to the Christian
community in the small village of About near Ramallah where they spent the
whole day of last Sunday. We do really thank them for their solidarity visit
and encourage all our sisters churches to do the same and come to hear and see.
We are also grateful to the Holy Father John Paul II
who in his new year message called for peace in the Holy Land using a very
clear language: “Holy Land! The dramatic and lasting tension in which this
region of the Middle East finds itself makes more urgent the search for a
positive solution to the fratricidal and senseless conflict, which has bloodied
it for too long”. We completely agree with the Pope that “Despite serious and
repeated attacks against the serene and shared coexistence of peoples, peace is
possible and is a duty” and we stress with Him “What is more, peace is the most
precious good that must be invoked of God and be constructed with every effort,
through concrete gestures on the part of every man and women of good will”.
Speaking of “concrete gestures” I have called the Pope and the Vatican diplomacy
to propose a practical initiative of peace for the Middles East, and maybe call
all parties to a meeting in the Vatican or send a delegation for a mediation,
because to tell you the truth, we lost the trust on all the parties: the actual
government of Israel don’t have a vision of peace, the Palestinians are very
weak and under pressures and cannot do anything, the Americans are siding with
Israel and are very busy with Iraq
and don’t have time for us, the Europeans know everything but cannot do
anything for us because of the American monopole of the world, the UN don’t
exist any more because of the USA control over it, and even more, became an organization
declaring war instead of making peace; the Arabs are sleeping in the middle age
and need long time to woke up… Who is remaining? Only a prophetic voice, or a
moral and spiritual authority in this world, which means the Voice of the Pope and
the strength of the Catholic Church.. We do really hope that they will hear our
voice and do something!
Finally, we would like to thank the Cardinal of Florence
who came last days with the largest group of solidarity during the last two
years, he guided a group of 130 pilgrims from Florence and Toscana, and spent
the new year in Bethlehem, they participated to the Peace and Justice March
which was organized for the second year on the last day of the year and was
headed by the heads of the churches of Jerusalem including our Patriarch (See
the report below). We thing that the return of the pilgrims to the Holy Land is
very important, and should be a priority to all the churches of the world and
will be a very good sign of solidarity with the Church and Christians community
of the Holy Land. Therefore, we tell you again and again, please come and don’t
be afraid to come!
You will find in today’s Olive Branch, the following
articles and documents:
1) An article about the Patriarch written by
a journalist friend of mine Geoff Baker and will be published in the British
Catholic Newspapers “A Wise Man from the East – Michel Sabbah - The Patriarch
who seeks Peace.
2) Letter from Bethlehem (44) by Toine van
Teeffelen.
3) REPORT ABOUT THE JUSTICE AND PEACE MARCH
31/12/02 IN BETHLEHEM written by the Arab Educational Institute.
4) The Newsletter from the Evangelical
Lutheran Church (ELCJ) and Bishop
Munib Younan.
We renew our best wishes of a blessed New Year 2003
and hope that it will be a wonderful year for all of you.
With my best wishes and greetings from Taybeh Fr.
Raed Abusahlia
A
Wise Man from the East
–
Michel Sabbah - The Patriarch who seeks Peace
By Geoff Baker in
Jerusalem – 3rd January 2003
The
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah is a Palestinian from Nazareth. He
is the leader of about 70,000 Latin Rite Roman Catholics spread through out
Israel and Palestine as well as in Jordan and Cyprus. Many people in Israel and
in the West consider him to be a Palestinian Partisan.
In
many ways, perhaps he is! Constantly in the past, in public or in private, and
while speaking to journalists, Sabbah always made his position clear. A text
issued by him last May was typical of what he said before and since. Ending the
Occupation would bring peace.
“The conflict between Palestinians and Israelis is not basically a question of Palestinian terrorism that threatens security or the existence of Israel. It is a question of Israeli military occupation that started in 1967, which provokes Palestinian resistance, which then threatens the security of Israel.
“In
vain one will struggle against the various expressions of violence through
condemnations, reprisals or a declared war, but as long as the cause is there
the effect will be there, as long as there is occupation, the cycle of violence
will continue. On both sides, fighters and innocents will continue to be
killed.” Declared the Latin Patriarch.
Yet
as a Christian Leader he is adamant on non violent ways of ending the conflict.
Sabbah’s motto as Patriarch is “In Pulchritudine Pacis”, “In The Beauty of
Peace”. He believes that the only way out of this deadlock is to believe in
peace and to build it by means of the ways of peace and not through means of
violence.
It
was this quest for peace and non violence which led him to pay a visit in
August of last year to Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, founder and
spiritual leader of the militant Islamic movement Hamas in an attempt to
persuade Hamas to stop suicide bomber attacks on Israeli targets and to work
actively for peace.
His spokesman explained at the time that
the aim of the visit was not just to persuade Yassin to stop the violence but
to entice him to actively work for peace.
That visit was a rare move. Palestinian
Leader Yasser Arafat was under curfew in his Muqata at Ramallah, because the
Israelis were saying that he was not able to control the terrorists. Yet it
seemed that Sabbah knew where the power base really was.
During the two-hour meeting at Yassin’s
house in Gaza, The Patriarch was accompanied by Bishop Riah Abu-Al-Assal, the
Anglican bishop of Jerusalem and Bishop Mounib Younan.
Yassin was adamant that the violence was
not going to stop because the Occupation had not yet stopped.
That was only the
second time the Patriarch and the Hamas leader have met. The first meeting took place in 1996 when Sabbah
visited Yassin to congratulate him on his release from an Israeli prison.
Now, in an even
bolder move, he used his Christmas Message which was circulated to the media
world wide to make it very clear that, on both sides, if the present leaders do not succeed in making peace, “there is only one
solution: open the way to other leaders, perhaps they will succeed better where
the present ones have failed.”
Sabbah never made
a secret that he thought that Sharon’s administration did not succeed in making
peace. Yet now he is saying that if Arafat, whom he had favoured and supported
over the years, was not going to succeed in making peace he should be replaced.
One journalist
quizzed the Patriarch during a press conference in Jerusalem what he meant by
this, and he made it clear to him that he included all leaders in that
statement, including Yasser Arafat.
This came only a
few weeks after a senior Palestinian aide to Yasser Arafat, had stated that he
thought that the Intifada or uprising might not have been a good idea after
all. It did the Palestinians no good. Their economy is in ruins. Lives were
lost and the hope of a Palestinian State seems further away then ever before.
The past year saw
Sabbah being recognized for his peace making work. In October 2002, he was awarded the
prestigious Coventry International Prize for Peace and Reconciliation for his
efforts for peace in the Middle East.
He shared
it with Jewish Orthodox Rabbi Michael Melchior, former Deputy Foreign Minister
of Israel and Sheikh Tal El Sider former Minister of State of the Palestinian
Authority, who is also an Imam and a Senior Advisor to Palestinian Leader
Yasser Arafat.
All three
took great risks for the sake of reconciliation and have been the leaders of
the Alexandria track of the Peace Process which has been led by Lord Carey
while still Archbishop of Canterbury and his Middle East Envoy Canon Andrew
White.
With
Rabbi Melchior and Sheikh El Sider, Sabbah was instrumental in the signing of
the Alexandria Declaration on 21 January 2002. The seven-point declaration pledged over a dozen religious and political
leaders in the Holy Land to use their religious and moral authority to work for
an end to violence and the resumption of the peace process.
It also envisaged the establishment of a permanent
committee of leaders from the three religions in the Holy Land, to pursue the
implementation of the declaration. The accord also called on Israeli and
Palestinian political leaders to implement the Mitchell and Tenet
recommendations.
Patriarch Sabbah may be a Palestinian partisan at heart.
Yet he is also a bishop with a special love for the people entrusted to his
care. He is a man of God preaching tirelessly a Gospel of peace and
reconciliation. He is also a wise man filled with an endless supply of
Christian hope. That is why he speaks out, and does so boldly.
He was the churchman who just after the terrible events of
September 11th, 2001, said that the peace of Jerusalem and an end to
the conflict of Israel and Palestine is the key to peace in the world.
He keeps on insisting that peace breeds peace and violence
breeds violence. Perhaps it is time that the world stops and listens!
Letter from Bethlehem (44)
Toine van Teeffelen
January 4, 2003
On Tuesday
December 31 the Justice and Peace march is held. After nightly showers, we are
lucky to have dry weather. Some hundreds of people are waiting for the heads of
churches who are delayed at the Bethlehem-Jerusalem checkpoint. They are
followed by three buses of Italian pilgrims, including bishops and a cardinal
from Toscany, who all join the march. While walking the crowd slowly swells to
a size of - I and some journalists estimate (and as always the estimations vary
widely) - about 1000 demonstrators. Later on some people leave early while
others join the crowd attracted by the sight of people carrying colourful
red-white hats, balloons, and banners with political or political-religious
slogans such as "Let's turn the checkpoint into a prayer place." Some
youth say that they prefer not to carry any banners as they are concerned that
later on they might be refused a permit to travel abroad. In fact, in advance
of the march I had heard from several persons in my environment that they were
afraid to come for fear of reprisals. Mary's sisters and their children join
but say that they stay at the end of the march. I carry Jara on my shoulders so
as to give her a good look at the people.
The army does
not let us walk for long. After 1 kilometer we are stopped for the first time
but are allowed to continue. The second time, near Rachel's Tomb, we can't
proceed further. We all stand together in front of a street-wide row of
soldiers. There is almost no tension in the air. Some kids of the neighbouring
'Azza camp start talking with the soldiers who respond not unfriendly, knowing
that the cameras are directed at them. The church leaders, a Moslem leader and
the governor of Bethlehem hold speeches; Patriarch Michel Sabbah also addresses
the Israeli soldiers. Jara whispers in my ear that she likes one soldier's
face. Apparently the soldier looks like a class friend of hers. Next day, when
Mary and her sister in an offhand remark wish the Israelis to go to the moon,
referring to the unpredictability of curfews, Jara takes it literally and says
"No! Not all of them. Not the Israeli soldier I saw.") In the march,
one youth says that non-violent actions are definitely the best way of
protesting but that we should stay longer in front of the soldiers and that
people should sit down while the heads of churches and mosques are conducting
prayers. TV and photo journalists would then have a better view of what is
happening. After all, visuals are more important for the media than speeches.
Otherwise, there is a good feeling among all the organizers, not just because
the march went largely according to plan but also because it provided an
opportunity for people to raise their heads and spirits.
Afterwards,
Mary and her sisters from Paris want to pass the soldiers to do shopping. While
watching the soldiers, Mary recognizes one of them who belonged to the group
that searched our family in law's house, and also damaged ours, during the
siege of the Nativity Church. First Mary and her family are not allowed to
pass. Mary offers a soldier her hat with the sign "Open Jerusalem" on
it, and asks him to give it to Sharon "so as to cheer him up." The
soldier laughs and changes his mind. But the relaxed atmosphere of the march is
quickly forgotten. In the evening at 21:00 a curfew is installed driving people
back home from their New Year's eve celebrations. Mockingly, the military jeep
announcing the curfew imitates the honking of football supporters who celebrate
a victory.
*
* *
Next day,
January 1, it is big feast. At least, so we want it to be. Tamer will have his
baptism and people here celebrate this extensively, even with a reception. We
had chosen the day of January 1 presuming that this day would not be curfewed.
But early in the morning it looks there is curfew, then, to Mary's relief, the
lifting of the curfew is announced on TV. However, two tanks drive up and down
the main Bethlehem roads announcing the curfew. So what is happening? Mary
calls around, and nobody – even not the governor – understands what is going
on. Local TV announces that the Israeli army headquarters are reconfirming that
the curfew is lifted but outside on the street the two tanks are still chasing
cars and people from the street. Perhaps the tanks do it without authorization
in order to play with the nerves of the people, it is speculated. Sitting in
front of the telephone, Mary is in tears. She had first told the restaurant
that the reception for 90 persons was cancelled, then that it was on, and now
she doesn't know anymore what to do. Finally, in a burst of determination, and
after getting some good advice, she says, "Khalas [let's finish
it], if the Israelis don't know what they are doing, we should know what we do,
whether curfew or not." So we go ahead. Jara offers the suggestion that,
going to the church, we should keep on our hats with the signs "Open
Jerusalem" and "End Occupation" and give them to soldiers so
that they let us pass. She is clearly inspired by Mary's little act of defiance
yesterday. The restaurant owner cooperates but needs one hour more to prepare
the food. We delay the baptism with an hour. The bakery calls for the cake, he
doesn't want to bring it to the restaurant because the two tanks are still
passing by. I take a taxi to the bakery, where the baker quickly sprays
"Tamer's baptism 1/1/2003" on the cake, and move to the restaurant
opposite the Church of Nativity. Inviting me in, the restaurant owner sighs,
with a gesture of resignation, "See how we live."
The baptism
turns out to be the feast we wished it to be. During the ceremony, so many
video and photo cameras are in action that Tamer almost looks a media hero.
When he bubbles out his salva, Fr Peter of Bethlehem University, who leads the
baptism, says he is "full of holiness" and we all laugh. As Fr Peter
says afterwards, the baptism was an event rather than a routine. The families
and friends enjoy the reception (a colleague of Mary said, "everything
uplifting is good for us"). We make a group picture of the families Salman
and Morcos laughing brightly as if living in better times. Some family and
friends advise Mary not to allow the people to kiss Tamer as he would risk to
be influenced by the evil eye, the more so because he looks so pretty and some
people may feel a hint of jealousy (which is according to tradition the source
of the evil eye).
Also the
following days we live in continuous uncertainty. On Thursday a curfew is
announced without any prior warning on the middle of the day, at 14:00. Classes
at Bethlehem University are abruptly broken off. A university teacher tells me
that a student in her class heard by phone about the curfew and that then
everything had to stop. I see the students flocking outside the buildings,
waiting for the buses. At the market the salesmen and peddlers try to still
sell something of their products by lowering the prices enormously but people
rush homewards. While standing at the top of the university hill, I suddenly
feel a deep pity for all those common people who are driven in and out of their
homes like animals. Are there any particular reasons for this cruel experiment
in which people have to cope with increasing doses of uncertainty? We can only
guess. Norma saw some young children burning a tire near Cinema square; and
there is the rumour that somebody shot at Road 60 between Jerusalem and
Bethlehem. During the night from Friday to Saturday we hear explosions. Arrests
have been made, and three houses blown up by the army. Perhaps the making of
arrests is linked to the curfews but the arrests are primarily made during the
evening and night, it seems. Also Saturday morning, the situation is unclear. I
bring Jara to the place where the school bus picks her up but bystanders tell
that it's again curfew. The jeeps had announced it at 1:30 in the night. So it
looks now policy to create confusion about the curfew times, to make sudden,
last-minute, ambiguous or changing announcements which keep people guessing. As
if we all walk on a dark unknown road with contradictory signs
REPORT ABOUT
THE JUSTICE AND PEACE MARCH 31/12/02 IN BETHLEHEM
On December 31,
2002 the Justice and Peace march was held in Bethlehem for the second time.
Like last year the Heads of Churches from Jerusalem – including the Latin
Patriarch, Lutheran Bishop, Anglican Bishop, Greek-Orthodox Patriarch and
Syriac-Orthodox Patriarch – as well as Moslim dignatories from the Bethlehem
area led the march, doing so hand in hand with the civil governor and mayor of
Bethlehem and civil society leaders and PNA representatives (Nabil Shaath).
Publicity was given in advance by several ads in two national newspapers,
regular announcement on local TV and radio, and the distribution of some 10.000
flyers in the center of Bethlehem. Not surprisingly, the flyers elicited a
discussion among people on the street whether or not to join a non-violent
peace march. Reactions varied from curiosity to agreement, with few negative
answers. Considering the pressures the Bethlehem community had undergone the
curfewed weeks before, and the short time available for preparation, we were
happy with the presence of some1000-2000 Palestinians and internationals, the
last from especially Italy (the Cardinal of Florence participated and other
Christian leaders from Italy) but also many other countries. In fact, many of
the local population were understandably concerned about the personal or
community-related consequences of joining a demonstration.
The marchers
carried red-white hats with "Open Jerusalem" and "End
occupation," written on it, and balloons to which prayers and wishes were
attached collected through Pax Christi International, Pax Christi Netherlands,
International Fellowship of Reconciliation and Church and Peace. Other slogans
carried were: "Let Our Children Go To School" – a reference to the
obstacles Palestinian school children face due to closures and curfews – and
"Turn Checkpoints into Prayer Places – a reference to the call of the
Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah in his Christmas message to do so, and other
slogans claiming the right of religious freedom and protesting the curfews
imposed on Palestinians cities ("curfew equals detention camps"). In
a flyer distributed at the march it was said that the "Palestinian
community in the Bethlehem area and beyond wishes to cherish an annual
tradition of holding a community march on December 31. We do this with the
sadness that presently fills our hearts but also in a spirit of hope and
prayer. Led by religious and civil authorities, we follow the call to turn the
checkpoint – symbol of discrimination and fragmentation – into a place of
prayer that reflects our deep hopes for a better future."
The overall
appearance of the march – its size, atmosphere, religious and political
character – was comparable to the one of last year. The Israeli army erected an
improvised barrier of soldiers near Rachel's Tomb to stop the marchers. A
sharpshooter, turning his machine gun around, was stationed on top of a
building along which the marchers passed. The outstanding feature of the march
was its dignified character, with people walking calmly and even gaily showing
a kind of spirited pleasure for being able to have a collective voice towards
the world.
Contrary to
last year's march, the demonstrators were not allowed to proceed to the main
Bethlehem-Jerusalem checkpoint. At an improvised checkpoint near Rachel's Tomb
prayers were pronounced, religious songs sung, the birth of Jesus told
according to the Bible and the Koran, and balloons lifted turning the impromptu
checkpoint into a place of prayer. Several personalities gave speeches,
emphasizing the connection between peace and justice. Patriarch Michel Sabbah
lauded the determination and steadfastness of the people to continue to search
for non-violent ways to reach peace, justice and security for both peoples, Palestinian
and Israeli. He said that the opening of Jerusalem for persons from all
religions and stopping the fragmentation of Palestinian communities and its
separation from Jerusalem are essential for reaching a political solution. The
governor of the Bethlehem area thanked the organizers as well as Pax Christi
and CORDAID for their support to the march and emphasized Moslem-Christian
cooperation in the preparations and implementation.
It could be
noted that among the demonstrators were many women, older persons, youth, and
both Christians and Moslems. Coverage included the international media (BBC and
Reuters among others), Arab media (Al-Jazeera, Abu Dhabi etc.), and,
extensively, the local Bethlehem media, especially Mahed TV. The demonstration
was marked by good cooperation of an alliance of civil society organizations
from the Bethlehem area including Arab Educational Institute, Wi'am,
Rapprochment, Bethlehem Bible College, Holy Land Trust, the Scouts Movement and
Arab Orthodox Society, all in good cooperation with the civil and religious
authorities, and coordinated by AEI as secretary. Some days before, on December
24, during the patriarch's entry into Bethlehem, the same group of institutions
took the initiative of holding a demonstration in front of the Church of
Nativity along the Patriarch's route. That demonstration too received wide
publicity all over the world due to the occasion and the presence of many
pilgrims. Prompted by the latest activities, many civil leaders and community
members in the Bethlehem area are now discussing the value of the march and
non-violent activities in general.
Meanwhile, a
few hours after the 31/12 demonstration, before midnight, a curfew was
announced for the Bethlehem area which lasted till mid-day January 1, preventing
the people from conducting proper New Year celebrations. On January 2, a sudden
curfew was announced at 14:00 which led people rushing home. The curfew has
been prolonged during Saturday.
The organizers
of the march are grateful for the funding by CORDAID, a Dutch development
organization, of the logistics of the march.
Arab
Educational Institute
Bethlehem - January
3, 2003
Newsletter from the Evangelical
Lutheran Church (ELCJ)__________________________________________________________
E-Mail Newsletter
from
BISHOP DR. MUNIB A. YOUNAN
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCJ).
The ELCJ is serving in
Palestine, Jordan and Israel.
January 6, 2003
Salaam and grace to you from Jerusalem,
the city of Christ’s death and resurrection.
Bishop Younan
and the whole ELCJ send greetings in the new year of 2003, praying for an end
to the Israeli military occupation and a just peace in Palestine and Israel,
and for peace around the world. We
are very aware that our situation as Palestinians is not the only circumstance
of oppression in this world, and our prayers are for all people who are not
free to determine their own future.
May 2003 be a year of firm and steady steps to freedom, justice, peace
and reconciliation in all parts of the earth. .
1. Somber Mood among Palestinian
Lutheran Christians at Christmas
“We worshipped, we prayed, we sang, of course,” said Rev. Ramez Ansara of the Lutheran Church of Hope in Ramallah. The Lutheran and Anglican congregations in Ramallah shared the Christmas Eve service, held at the Lutheran church. Rev. Fadi Diab, the Anglican priest, preached the sermon, children sang and Holy Communion was received by Anglicans and Lutherans together. On Christmas Day the Lutheran congregation again gathered to hear God’s Word. Rev. Ramez emphasized how important it is for us to know that God dwells with us, how God has taken the first step toward us. Later Rev. Ramez reflected, “But this was not a joyful Christmas. Many people are depressed, not feeling Christmas. Usually on Christmas Day we make many visits with family and friends, but not this year. I know a lot of people who just went to work on Christmas Day. The reasons include the re-occupation of Ramallah, the curfews which have been imposed, and our great sadness at seeing Bethlehem occupied by the Israeli military and experiencing such difficult curfews.”
Similar descriptions of a somber mood at Christmas were stated by all the ELCJ pastors. In Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour – Palestinian towns clustered together just south of Jerusalem – the Israeli army temporarily lifted the curfew which had been imposed for more than a month, allowing people to prepare for Christmas and to worship at the churches on the holy days. Tanks and soldiers pulled back from Manger Square by the Nativity Church, but the military presence was still strong in other parts of the three towns. The curfew was reimposed the day after Christmas, then it was lifted the following day, then reimposed. Part of the oppression of occupation and curfews is the great uncertainty it causes. It is nearly impossible to make any plans or implement them in any area of one’s life. Adding to the uncertainty is the knowledge that the Israeli soldiers may reimpose the curfew at any time. For example, the soldiers may shout in the streets early in the morning, announcing that the curfew will be lifted from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. on that particular day. Children run to school, adults run to work, go shopping for food, try to visit relatives. But at any time the soldiers may begin shouting that people must return to their homes because the curfew is being enforced. Then everyone runs for home, fearing that they could be caught in the streets by soldiers. Sometimes the shouted announcements of a reimposed curfew are accompanied by gunfire. There is currently no indication when the curfews in the Bethlehem area will end.
Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, pastor of the Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, was delighted to see the church overflowing with worshippers on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. “There literally was no more room in the church,” said Rev. Mitri, “just like there was no room in the inn on the first Christmas in Bethlehem.” Special guests included Bishop Dr. Munib Younan, Probst Martin Reyer of the German Lutheran congregation and Rev. Michael Thomas of the English language international congregation along with people who had accompanied them to Bethlehem to worship. The curfews and occupation were momentarily forgotten as the beautiful Christmas story was told in the church but the weary, long-standing problems were waiting right outside the church door. The only Christmas decorations were the trees in the sanctuary; people did not have the energy or desire to decorate outdoors. Usually Bethlehem is filled with beautiful decorations at Christmas and people are enjoying festivities with family and friends. Not this year. Nevertheless, on Christmas Day Rev. Mitri preached about the joy of Christmas, saying that joy is a gift of God which we can celebrate even when most people find nothing to celebrate.
Rev. Samer Azar, pastor of the Lutheran Good Shepherd Church in Amman, Jordan, also described a gloomy mood among the people despite large crowds of children and families participating in the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day worship services and celebrations. In addition to problems unique to Jordan, many people have families in Palestine so the concern and fear about Palestinian difficulties spill over into Jordan. Rev. Azar stated that he drove around in Amman late on Christmas Eve. Despite the fog and occasional rain, many, many people were coming to worship at midnight services at the Latin Catholic churches. Rev. Azar believes that church attendance at Christmas was much higher this year in Amman than in previous years.
A
similar story is told by Rev. Ibrahim Azar, pastor of the Lutheran Church of
the Redeemer in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Over seventy children were present with their families at the Christmas,
filling the large church sanctuary. On Christmas Day Bishop Younan was the
guest preacher at the morning service, speaking about the angel’s message to
the shepherds: “Do not be
afraid. To you is born a
Savior.” Rev. Ibrahim noted that
even the children who would normally be noisy and rambunctious opening their
special gifts at the end of the service – even the children were quiet in their
enjoyment. “People came to
worship as they had come to all the Advent activities, but they were quiet and
subdued,” the pastor observed.
“I felt the same.”
In Beit Sahour, the town of the Shepherd’s Field, the Lutheran school and church are closely associated. Evangelist Hani Odeh noted that while the 9:00 a.m. Christmas Day service was well attended with people singing carols and hymns, hearing the Christmas message from Rev. Mitri and receiving Holy Communion, “the mood of the people and town is not good. People’s minds are engaged with curfew, war with Iraq and what Sharon (Israeli prime minister) will do. We have tried to celebrate Christmas with our school programs and our worship on December 25 and 26; we’ve tried to hear the good news of Christ’s coming.” On Dec. 23 the younger school children had a program and gifts in the morning. In the afternoon the young people in grades seven through twelve presented a hastily planned Christmas program in the church, with the school choir singing and classes of voice choirs telling the familiar story of Christ’s birth and the shepherds who had heard the angel message just a short way from the Lutheran school and church.
Rev. Jadallah Shihadeh, pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Beit Jala, said it was so good to come together to pray and sing. On Christmas Eve Rev. Jadallah preached on John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Trees decorated the church and there were Christmas decorations in the boy’s boarding section, located on the Lutheran church compound. The church was full for both the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services. “People are coming to church, as always. I don’t see a difference in attendance, but people are very sad, and things are not easy.” Like Bethlehem and Beit Sahour, Beit Jala has also experienced a month of curfews, raised only for a few days at Christmas. “But we concentrate on the Good News of the Gospel, Christ being born among us.”
2. The Situation for the ELCJ Schools
Four of the five ELCJ schools are struggling with the Israeli re-occupation, curfews and closures. Only the Lutheran Kindergarten on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem is able to keep a regular schedule.
The Lutheran School of Hope in Ramallah has lost several days of school from September through December, but it is the three schools in Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and Beit Jala which have lost the most days. Beginning about the third week of November, strict curfews have prevented the children and teachers from coming to the schools except for a few days. According to the schools director, Dr. Charlie Haddad, at least fourteen school days have been lost to date. When the curfew is lifted for a few hours, children and teachers are in school whenever possible, including Friday (usually a day off) and also during Christmas and New Year’s vacation times in order to compensate for the lost days. Dr. Haddad is working with the principals of the schools to make a serious attempt to supplement whatever teaching is possible in the classrooms by giving worksheets and research papers to do at home.
Additionally, Dr. Haddad is working with Dar al-Kalima Lutheran School in Bethlehem on a pilot project intended to train teachers to educate students through “distance learning.” The whole staff will be trained in basic computer skills, telecommunication applications and classroom applications, tutoring and learning strategies. All students and teachers will have their own internet account, working through lessons, important web sites and video conferences. Eventually Dr. Haddad will be working with all the ELCJ schools to implement distance learning through computers in order to insure the education of the Palestinian children and young people.
3.
Bishop Younan Declare Christian Zionism to be a Heresy
Recently Bishop Younan was interviewed by a Danish newspaper. He was asked for his opinion of Christian Zionism and the bishop said, “I hereby declare that Christian Zionism is not only a sick theology but it is a heresy, right along with Arianism and Nestorianism. I believe it is time we named this misinterpretation of Christ and the gospel for what it is.”
First of all, the bishop states, Christian Zionism promotes Christ not as the Savior but as a military general, readying his forces for a huge battle, Armageddon. The true Christ is the Christ of the cross and the open tomb, bringing hope, peace, reconciliation and new life.
Secondly, Christian Zionists pretend to love the Jewish people but in the long run they are actually anti-Jewish in their teachings. The Jewish people are simply characters in the Christian Zionist heresy and in the so-called final battle; two-thirds of the Jewish people will be destroyed because they do not believe in Christ, while the other one-third will be converted to Christ.
Thirdly, Christian Zionism is anti-peace, anti-reconciliation. Bishop Younan states that the teachings are racist, calling for the transfer of Palestinians out of this land. “Christian Zionism is the enemy of peace in the Middle East.”
Christian Zionism is not limited to one or more church bodies, but its adherents can be found in every church body, including the Lutheran church. Declaring Christian Zionism to be a heresy, Bishop Younan states, is intended to alert all Christians everywhere to its dangers and false teachings.
Blessed New Year’s greetings for 2003 to you all from Bishop Younan and
the entire ELCJ family of congregations, schools, faculties, pastors,
staff and
ELCJ members.
____________________________________________________
Noted by Rev.
Dr. Mary E. Jensen
Communications Assistant to Bishop Dr. Munib A
Younan, ELCJ
Bishop Younan: ga_elcj@netvision.net.il Rev.
Mary Jensen: inasmuch@aol.com
www.holyland-lutherans.
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