Blood Brothers

If you have never read the book Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour, I would highly recommend it. It is written by a Christian Palestinian who was a boy at the time the state of Israel was established. It is a first hand account of the conditions between Israel and Palestine, from a Palestinian's perspective, from around 1948 to the present. If there is one thing that I have learned since coming here it is that there are always two sides to every argument. This book talks of Chacour's internal and spiritual struggle and this dream to help his people. Today he is the Archbishop of Galilee-Israel and has established an elementary, highschool, university, and church in the Arab village of Ibillin, Galilee. We stopped by this property on our way back from the Galilee.

After our tour of the building and the church, on whose stairs were written in English, Hebrew, Arabic and Latin, Chacour's theme verses, Matt 5:3-8, we met with the man who oversees the entire work, whose name is also Elias. (If you read the book, he is the son of Elias's best friend who travels with him to study to be a priest.) Elias told us of their work in Israel and how they were trying to educate Palestinian children in order to give them hope and a future. Theirs is one of the few private schools in Israel and is very highly acclaimed for its education. From the elementary to the University, the enrollment is 4,500 students from all over Israel. Their university is a foreign branch of the University of Indianapolis, but they are in the process of making it the first private Arab University in Israel. He said, "The promise[to recognize it as a private University in Israel] has been given, but we live in the land of promise so who knows how long." He is praying for this college to be established so that they can offer Christian young people a future in their own land. "Christianity for Arabs is being squeezed out between the Jews and the Muslims. Arabs must go out of the country for a good education and jobs and so our Christian young people are leaving and not coming back. With them, they are taking our hope and our future. We need help," he said. "We are shouting, and no one is listening."

It is a problem with no easy resolution. Both sides are justified and both sides are in the wrong. God's people have prayed for the peace of Israel since Old Testament times, and it would be a peace that would spread to all of God's children regardless of race or skin color.
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.
Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek thy good."
Ps 122:6-9