Blessed Are the Peacemakers: A Palestinian Christian in the Occupied West Bank by Audeh G. Rantisi & Ralph K. Beebe

After returning home following my 3-month stay in Jerusalem, I have to say it took me some time to get back into the ‘swing of things,’ and deciding what to read next was turning into a real time-consuming feat…

So I finally decided to go with Audeh G. Rantisi’s Blessed Are the Peacemakers: A Palestinian Christian in the Occupied West Bank. I had purchased it before leaving on my trip and since it seemed like a quick read, I felt it was a good place to pick up from.

I was correct in that it was definitely a quick—but not always easy—read; at 164 pages I finished it in 2 days. It is basically Audeh’s life story as told by Ralph K. Beebe (written in 1st person). The narrative starts with the events of 1948, when Audeh was 11 years old and driven from his home in Lydda (now named Lod) to live as a tent-dwelling refugee in Ramallah. Later on, Audeh studied at the Bible College of Wales as well as Aurora College in Illinois. Audeh also spent some time in the Sudan as a teacher before returning to Ramallah. He eventually married, opened a school for boys with his wife, and became involved in politics as mayor of Ramallah in 1980. Since the narrative’s events span from 1948-1990, this account is clearly a bit ‘dated,’ but still a highly relevant and powerful read.

It is always bittersweet reading these kinds of stories as they are full of pain, but also of love and hope. What touched me—if not also somewhat surprised me—were the various instances of miracles, either big or small, that Audeh witnessed and which constantly guided him in making important life decisions. It is definitely inspirational and a reminder to remain steadfast in our faith, and to remember that if something is meant to be, God will guide you to it.

Another thing that touched me was Audeh’s influence on Muslim Palestinians while serving as mayor of Ramallah. Audeh shares stories of Muslims asking for help and wanting to read and own their own copy of the Bible, which he would provide them. In a part of the world where religion can be so divisive, it warms one’s heart to read about a Palestinian Christian having close personal relationships with Palestinian Muslims and even opening up their hearts to Christianity.

I also enjoyed seeing other Palestinian Christian figures being mentioned and quoted such as Elias Chacour ("Blood Brothers") and Raja Shehadeh (Palestinian Walks). In closing, I share this powerfully-written passage by Raja Shehadeh in his book The Third Way, as quoted by Audeh in his narrative:

“States of mind cannot be forced on you. This is where you are free, your own master—because your mind is the one thing that you can prevent your oppressor from having the power to touch, however strong or brutal he may be.”

I hope always to remember this truth.

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Ramblings on identity, pain, faith...

What does it sound like? What does it sound like to say 'I am tired of hearing another tragic Palestinian story'? Like the same story repeating itself over and over… but told from different mouths, with a few differing details here and there… but in the end it’s still the same story.

Am I tired because it hurts? Because the mere listening after a while becomes just as painful as being there… can you shut yourself off from the narratives even when you feel you’ve had enough?

I want to absorb it all and I want to block it all out. I did, I do, want to hear it all… but is it becoming harder to do so?

Why did I come here? To find myself, to identify with a certain group… only to end up feeling removed, a world apart? And what if there are others who feel this way? And yet, what if that very confusion was the point of it all?

Is it contradicting that I have, and will continue to, identify at times with either one side or the other, but sometimes with both at the same time?

But who was it who initially said what, or who, I have ‘to choose’? Is that not the example to follow from Him; to seek and accept truth no matter where it comes from because it will come anytime from anyone, anywhere?

As human beings, do we not have multiple identities and loyalties to which we cling to…? but in the end, how much do they really matter?

Does your faith come first, second, last?

Was not the point of Jesus to enlighten us to our humanity as opposed to nationalities, ethnicities, religions, etc…?

An irony… That sometimes finding yourself can actually feel like losing yourself in some ways...
Or simply that some aspects start to take precedence over others.

For me there is only one component that will ever make the real difference in the way you experience pain and endure harsh times in life. I know my answer to that. +

Coptic Egyptians and Muslims clash in Cairo

I am saddened to hear of the latest news happening in Egypt. Coptic Egyptians (Christians) and Muslims have clashed following the supposed conversion of a Christian woman to Islam (but I read elsewhere that this may not be entirely accurate either?).
It seems 12 have died and hundreds have been wounded.

My heart and prayers go out to all who have been affected by this traumatic event. +

Link to washingtonpost article, with some pictures:

Hundreds of Christians, Muslims clash in downtown Cairo after mobs burn church

A little note

As I am currently in Jerusalem for Easter and staying a while, I am mostly writing about Easter events here. I don't feel the need, or see the point, in posting to both blogs if the topics are the same. Some may pertain mostly to Christians in the Middle East, regardless of the time of year, which I would post here. Obviously if it's Easter-appropriate then it will go on the other blog.

That is all :)

I am wishing everyone a very happy Easter season and celebration!! +

'Incendies' Movie

Flying. I really do not like to fly but I gladly endure it to have life-altering experiences. 

I would never expect to see important and/or meaningful movies offered for viewing

on a flight, yet that is what happened on my Air Canada flight to Tel Aviv 4 days ago.

The movie in question is a Canadian movie called "Incendies" which translates to "Fires." 

It is basically about 2 Canadian twins who, upon their Christian mother's death, 

go in search to uncover a secret from her past. Since the movie is about the Lebanese
civil war, I presume that the mother is Christian Lebanese. However the movie is never
really specific about the location, which could have been done intentionally.

This is definitely a memorable movie but also tops my "saddest movies I've ever seen" list. 

It's in Canadian French and Arabic and is subtitled.

Be ready to watch/do something ridiculously cheerful after viewing this!!!

YouTube trailer:

From the Holy Mountain: A Journey in the Shadow of Byzantium by William Dalrymple

William Dalrymple’s From the Holy Mountain: A Journey in the Shadow of Byzantium may quite possibly be my favorite read thus far. His account chronicles his encounters with Christian communities starting from his passage through Greece’s Mt. Athos, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and the Occupied Territories and Egypt. His goal? To walk in the footsteps of Orthodox monk John Moschos, albeit 1400 years later. As Moschos witnessed the increasing threats to the Byzantine Empire (Persian, then Arab Islamic invasions, as well as plagues and diseases), so does Dalrymple explore and highlight the complex situations of today’s Middle Eastern Christians.

There are a few things to note on his account. Despite the apparent contradictions, reading it was heartbreaking, anger-inducing but also hilarious on several occasions. Tears aside, I laughed hysterically for minutes on end, with my favorite moments including the taxi driver at Aleppo (searching for a Syrian Orthodox Cathedral), the man I refer to as the “cat-hunter,” and of course those drunken Egyptians in the taxi cab. Despite the 454 pages, I consider this a complete page-turner, so easy it is to read and hard to put down. For those who don’t know much about Middle East Christians, I’d say this account covers it quite effectively and would be a great place to start. It’s also very useful to read prior to a trip to any/all of the Middle Eastern countries in question due to its substantial historical information.

As sad as it may be to see that the Christian population of the Middle East is steadily declining, it’s also true that it has not entirely disappeared. At least not yet (and who knows? Maybe it never will…?!). 17 years ago, when Dalrymple wrote his account, some of his interviewees were estimating that “no one would be left in 15 years.” I am delighted to say that this is not so. Surely, no one can deny their declining presence, but perhaps my heart also rejoices at the thought that maybe this unfortunate decline is taking its time, that the little that is left is holding on by everything it’s got…

Are Christians deciding to stay no matter what? Is it ‘betrayal’ when/if one chooses to leave and start a life elsewhere? If it was ever an option, would the ones who left ever consider going back? Many are the questions, abounding are the answers.

Depressing aspects aside, one thought lingers steadfastly in my mind: if nothing else, such an account reminds me that some things take much time to disappear, or in fact, never entirely do. +


Amazon.com links (published under 2 similar yet distinct names):

From the Holy Mountain: A Journey in the Shadow of Byzantium

From the Holy Mountain: A Journey among the Christians of the Middle East

Sociology of Early Palestinian Christianity by Gerd Theissen

Continuing in my endeavor to read books on Christianity, I have completed Gerd Theissen’s Sociology of Early Palestinian Christianity (originally published under the title The First Followers of Jesus). The book discusses the effects of the “Jesus movement” within both Judaic and Hellenistic societies. Not an easy subject to research or even to explain (as per Theissen: “there is hardly any literature which gives a thematic treatment of the sociology of earliest Palestinian Christianity” p.120), I of course did learn quite a bit from his analysis.


It was interesting to find that although the “Jesus movement” was first construed as a renewal movement within Judaism, it soon became clear that it was a separate religion. By analyzing the 3 roles of the “Jesus movement”— the wondering charismatics, their supporters in local communities, and the bearer of revelation—we see how each society was influenced (or not so much) by this “Jesus movement.” Theissen highlights that Judaism was undergoing an identity crisis, with various groups constantly arguing over the concept of “true Torah” and debates over “stricter interpretation of the Torah or laxer interpretation” (p.77). He hypothesizes that some of these renewal movements came about as a reaction against Hellenistic influences, thus intensifying norms. It is amidst the tensions of Judaic and Hellenistic societies that the “Jesus movement” emerged, eventually finding ground in Hellenistic society.

Although a mere 119 pages, this analysis is very dense and is by no means ‘a quick read’ (or at least it wasn’t for me?! and I say this having had religion classes as a kid in Brussels, having taken religion classes in college and acquiring my Bachelor’s, and having numerous religious books at home… go figure!). At the very least, one’s vocabulary is sure to be enriched following the completion of this book. Terms like apodeictic, eirenic, monistic, and Palestinian Jewish society abound and may leave you reaching for your dictionaries and religious texts on repeated occasions (as it did for me). Since various subjects in this analysis interest me, I am delighted that a bibliography of helpful works is provided to help us launch our own personal quest for answers, if we are so inclined.

Amazon.com link:

Sociology of Early Palestinian Christianity by Gerd Theissen