Musalaha = Reconciliation

"Genuine hope for the Holy Land"

We have has many vicars in the past who have had interests in what is going on in Israel and the immediately surrounding territories. One left us to become Chairman of CMJ. The church I did my training placement in supports the Palestinians, by trading goods for them that they find difficult to get traded any other way - simple things like soap and olive oil.

While for me this is not the most important part of my ministry, it is interesting. Just what is God up to with his Chosen race?

So here was a chance to hear more -from a Palestinian Christian.

Dr Salim Munayer from the Bethlehem Bible college came to speak to just a few Christians from Billericay - perhaps 50, but I didn't count. Saleem see the problem from the ground up, rather than from the leaders down (although he had some interesting things to say on that as well). His ministry is about reconciliation, not at the country level, but at the individual level.

He is trying to change the world one person at a time - what other way is their?

This involves taking a group of people, some Israeli, some Palestinian into the desert to learn that the other side are people just as they are. He is concentrating on women and young people, and looking to the future. The desert is significant because it helps the group to gel, it puts them in a difficult environment and makes them rely on each other.

In the days when 'the troubles' in Northern Ireland were at their height I remember hearing of Christian play schools dedicated to getting children from either side to mix, and make friends.

Will it work? - For some undoubtedly. Other will refuse even to take part. Things happen in the world and we cannot see the source, even when we are close to the 'action' In Northern Ireland peace has (officially) returned. It is not everywhere, and there are still things to do, but the news stories are now often positive.

As Christians we make the effort to be well informed and to pray intelligently. That may be all that I can do, and I must do my best at it.

Saleem has a greater calling and a greater task and we give thanks to God that he is pursuing it.

Click the title for his web site, or follow this link