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The little town of Bethlehem
is a place that is neither still nor peaceful. It is caught up in
the continuing cycle of violence and poverty that afflicts so much
of the Middle East. It is a living symbol of the division, conflict
and despair that scar Israel and Palestine in particular.
 Not
long ago most people living in and around Bethlehem were Christians;
now the number has dwindled to 26% of the population. Check points
and watch towers control access to the town with a wall twenty-four
feet high making it a virtual prison for the Palestinians that live
there.
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 The
lack of visitors, due to the continuing conflict, leaves many
families struggling to survive. The social and economic pressures
are immense, together with the struggle to keep hope and faith
alive.
At
Easter we focus on events in the Holy Land 2,000
years ago when Christ suffered so we could have freedom from our
sin. The Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB) is fighting for
freedom and justice in today’s Israel/Palestine in a number of ways: |
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1 ,BUGB is an active member of the
European Baptist Federation and Baptist World Alliance, both of
which are deeply committed to supporting Baptist communities in the
occupied territories. |
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2 The Baptist Union’s Faith and
Unity Department has initiated the Just Life project with Christian
Aid. This provides Baptist churches with resources to pray and
campaign for a better life for those in Israel/Palestine.
The Rev John Rackley is minister of Manvers Street Baptist Church in
Bath which has signed up to Just Life. “Just Life has helped those
people in my church who already had a concern what is happening in
the occupied territories to have a focus. We set up an email link
within the church for those people and others who were interested.
British Baptists visit the Jerusalem Baptist Church. Taken by the
Rev Dr Mary Cotes during a Just Life exploratory trip in October
2004.
(Rev Dr Mary Cotes, BUGB)
"A group of us visited Israel/Palestine both to think about the life
of Jesus and also meet the experience of Christian Palestinians
first hand. Just Life helped me as the minister prepare for this
visit.” |
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3 In the Central Baptist
Association (which is funded by Home Mission), eight Baptist
churches have twinned with Arab Christian congregations in the
Association of Baptist Churches (ABC) in Israel through the charity
Baptist Twinning in Israel. The link is much appreciated says Philip
Sa’ad, a senior pastor in ABC.
“As a minority within a minority, we have sometimes felt neglected
and forgotten, and it has hurt. Your love and fellowship mean so
much to us and we thank the Lord for the twinning relationship.”
This Easter, let us seek peace with justice for Israel Palestine,
and remember the Holy Land in our prayers. |
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