“Save us from the time of trial” “Laken najjina mi-nash shir ir”
These familiar words from the Lord’s Prayer are hard to pray in this painful Holy Land. This year as Palestinian Christians pray this prayer, more illegal Israeli settlements have been built, more economic and political rights have been suspended, and more men, women and children detained. Many of them do not even get to face ‘trial.’
The unemployment and emigration rate among young Muslim and Christian Palestinians continues to increase. Islamophobia and fear of ‘the other’ dominate western media stories with the word ‘terror’provoking hatred and revenge 24/7.
And adding to the unrelenting forces of occupation, the Israeli government militarily backed by US Congress and the Pentagon ‘mowed the lawn’ again in Gaza with a summer of slaughter resulting in 2,100 Palestinians dead, including 519 children. Close to $8 billion USD is needed to reconstruct the homes and infrastructure of the 1.5 Palestinians trapped there by the siege.
“Save us from the time of trial”…we pray, but then we act.
At Sabeel this year, and for 26 years now, we work with Christians around the world to turn prayers into action. In the face of trial and tribulation we do not run away and hide like many of Jesus’ disciples did. We stand up and stand together. We will not desert the cause of compassionate love and liberating justice…continue reading Sabeel Narrative Report 2014