The Eudaimonia Blog

As a reminder, all excerpts on Bishara Awad’s story are taken from his book Yet in the Dark Streets Shining. This book was recommended to me by Dr. James Houston former principal and founder of Regent College here in Vancouver.

Despite the support of Hamas for the Palestinian Bible Society to open a Christian bookstore in Gaza, in fact the only Christian bookstore there, a terrible fate would await the “Teacher’s Bookshop” as the bookstore would be named. In addition to a couple of bombings, constant threats and attacks, the store’s manager Rami Ayyad would be kidnapped and killed by Islamic militants. The bookstore would close permanently soon afterwards. You can read about the terrible fate of Ayyad here. It is also documented in Hana Massad’s book Pastor from Gaza. Not realizing it at the time, but after Bishara, Andrew and Salim met with the men of Hamas in Gaza, with restrictions tightening, the trip would be one of the last times Bishara would set foot in Gaza.

Bishara writes that in the early 2000s, many new “Christian Zionist” organizations were springing up to help prevent the fulfillment of a two-state solution, which such organizations viewed as an opposition to the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. These “Christian” organizations would in turn funnel millions of dollars towards the settler movement. The role of these Israeli hardliners known as “settlers” is described here in this short video.

Bishara quotes from a sermon his younger brother Alex had given to the Palestinian Christian community:

“When we hear preaching, we should always ask ourselves: Does this view help the kingdom of God? Do these perspectives defend the weak and the poor? Do they promote justice and peace? Do they honour the image of God in our fellow humans? If they do not, we should question such teaching. The prophet Zechariah said, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice, show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against one another.’ Intentionally or not, too many evangelicals are urging Israel away from righteousness and towards injustice. During my lifetime, global evangelical leaders have actively supported every Israeli and American war against Arabs in the Middle East, regardless of the causes or consequences of such wars. Meanwhile, those of us who live here continue to be collateral damage on the altar of eschatological speculations. If those who pray for the peace of Jerusalem are serious, they should stop their moral passivity and indifference to the suffering of Palestinians. They should caution Israeli leaders to practice justice. They should help us Palestinians resist our oppression righteously and nonviolently. They should stand with all who are working for true justice and peace in the land, whether they are Christian, Muslim or Jew. Otherwise, what good are such prayers?”

Alex would conclude his sermon by acknowledging that it was difficult to keep his heart from bitterness, “I do believe that ultimately justice will prevail, even if I do not see it in my lifetime. But I will be honest, it is hard to stay in a place of forgiveness.” Alex then said to the congregation, “Please pray for us that we can keep our hearts soft. And please help us by joining in the hard work of peacemaking. It is easy to cheer for war. Working for peace is much harder. Maybe this is why the Lord declared the blessedness of peacemakers, saying they will be called children of God.”

Bishara agreed with his little brother by saying that it was daily that “I needed to return to Him to keep my heart from becoming hard and bitter. . . . Forgiveness had to be more than merely forgetting the past or ignoring the present. Forgiveness, as I understood it, was more like looking into the darkness with hope and compassion, while also working for the reformation of systems and people that enabled the injustices in the first place.”

Bishara concludes his book by saying, “Here in this difficult place where it all began, where heaven and earth first came together in Jesus Christ. The rule of our humble king was not established through domination or violence, but through self-giving love and servanthood. His upside-down reign was a sure and certain kingdom that, as we participate in it, turns the world right-side up and transforms everything back into its truest image. Even Palestinians. Even Israelis. And so, though I was not optimistic for our immediate political future, I still had great hope. After all, the spiritual footprints of our Lord were still visible across the land, and indeed, across the entire earth, for all who had eyes to see them, and his voice still beckoned to all who had ears to hear.”