As we are approaching the most important holidays in our context here in Jerusalem, namely Passover for Jews, Easter for Christians and Ramadan for Muslims, we are questioning how we will celebrate these important occasions.

I am taken back to the days when the children were small and I used to dress up to go to the Supermarket or at least wear clean clothes…history repeating itself…

I had no idea at the time how right a friend was who gave me some advice as I left New Zealand to come here. He said, “To avoid becoming totally overwhelmed, try viewing the conflict through the relationships you form with those around you.” It’s true!

The message of the plagues is not just a message to the Egyptians, but to those needing liberation. Read our article from 2014 through the lense of today…

In our difficult situation and lamentation we ought to learn from Job. Let us not think of ourselves alone in this crisis…

Fear is spreading everywhere around the world due to the coronavirus outbreak. As a result, some people have been behaving and reacting to such fear in various ways.

The coronavirus is in full swing all around the world, so I expect what I’m experiencing in Israel is not so far removed from others in your own country. It’s strange though.

Reconciliation is an obvious need in Israel and Palestine – one of the longest current conflicts in the world. But how does it affect European countries or the USA?

In the last few months we were all influenced by a barrage of media regarding the elections.

Who will be in the movement that will demand peace and reconciliation from our world?

To lament is to awaken to situations of injustice around us and then respond. What make us numb to the reality of injustice that people face today?

During this Lent season, we will be unpacking in a three-part series the idea of lament, in our context, where many people have embraced the victim mentality in their identity.

Wilderness = Arad?
I would say yes, after my trip to the Democratic School in Arad.

The journey of reconciliation isn’t always easy. The conflict in Israel-Palestine runs deep through history, society, and personal lives, and given the current political climate you can find yourself asking, “Do my actions really make a difference for peace?”

When I was growing up, I remember being able to see Jordan from the window of my home and knowing I couldn’t visit because the people there were my ‘enemies’.

One young man from England’s life was profoundly changed by this experience. For the first time, he got a basic understanding of the conflict and found out why it is so important for him to be involved in reconciliation in the Holy Land as an Englishman.

Christian leadership is not solely worked, it is like an orchestra where a team should work together”.
Over a year ago, the idea of recruiting Palestinian women to step up as leaders in their own community was born.

The 13th of December was a day we marked at Musalaha as the Chairman of the Board of Musalaha, Evan Thomas, tendered his intention to step down from his role and give room for the new generation to lead the ministry of reconciliation.

“SHWAY, SHWAY (SLOWLY, SLOWLY)
WE CAN CHANGE, STEP BY STEP.”
These women – half Palestinian and half Israeli – courageously stepped out of their comfort zone to an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people.

What is happening now throughout the Middle East is successful change that starts from the bottom-up. We are now seeing what seems to be the second wave of the Arab Spring.