Amid global crisis and suffering, we want to think about some of the ways to find hope for humanity and the planet. How do we immediately need to start communicating and acting to make “People and Planet 2.0” a healthier, more stable new normal after COVID-19?
In this webinar hosted by the World Evangelical Alliance’s Sustainability Center, Dave Bookless offered five suggestions worth repeating. Dave’s presentation slides may be viewed here.
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The Living Stones of the Holy land Trust Yearbooks are now available to download for free. https://www.livingstonesonline.org.uk/yearbook
The Living Stones Yearbooks have been produced annually since 2012. They present a range of important articles providing a platform for informed debate and scholarship concerning the life and times, historical and current, of the Christian communities in and around the Middle East.
Previous Yearbook editions
The Living Stones Yearbook is produced and distributed by Melisende UK Ltd from whom you can also order a print copy.
Managing Editor: Leonard Harrow
Editors: Mary Grey; Duncan Macpherson; Anthony O’Mahony; Colin South
This Easter, join our Sabeel elders from Jerusalem as they share lessons of liberation and spiritual survival in the midst of continued dispossession, health crises and international chaos. Let us gather together to remember that just as Jesus died on the cross to reveal the eternal, divinity is revealed in the midst of physical destruction.
The live simulcast of prayers, readings, and hymns is intended to bring hearts closer together as closures continue to separate us. We know that whether in person or online, whenever two or three assemble, God is there with us.
The service will commence on Holy Saturday, April 11 at 9 am PST, 12 pm EST, and 7 pm in Palestine. We will send call in information after registration.
All are welcome!
Register here http://fosna.nationbuilder.com/easter_20
Miranda Pinch is pleased to release, for free viewing, the final cut of the film: From ‘Balfour to Banksy: Divisions and Visions in Palestine’ (2020). Written and Directed by Martin Buckley. Produced by Miranda Pinch. Filmed and edited by Alexander Wilks.
This film looks at other visions — including a wide range of views from occupied Palestine today, ranging from anger to attempts at envisioning a future.
It also shows the vision of another Englishman: the contemporary artist Banksy, who has created in Palestine a hotel that is also a remarkable satirical art installation.
How do today’s Palestinians live, behind the ‘security wall’? What change must come?
Please share widely. https://www.balfourtobanksy.com/
Book Aid is alive and well. This week, Stephen delivered 12 large boxes of theological books to Portsmouth for onward delivery to the Book Aid Centre in London. Book Aid issued the following short news update yesterday.
On behalf of the World Evangelical Alliance, Secretary General Bishop Efraim Tendero offers the following prayer amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Our Almighty Father God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, as Your children living in every corner of the world we come before You today to intercede for our nations, almost all of which are currently affected or under threat of the COVID-19. We praise You that You neither slumber nor sleep and You are watching over our lands and our peoples, especially in perilous times such as these.
Our help comes from You. We cry out for Your mercy and protection against this virus. We declare that You alone are our refuge—our place of safety. We pray that You protect our peoples from this deadly disease and rescue our lands from this dangerous trap.
Grant our governments and the various national and local leaders wisdom and understanding as they establish and implement guidelines, measures, and strategies in fighting against COVID-19.
Enable our health officials and medical personnel with Your strength and power as they attend to the sick and vulnerable, and allow this pandemic to pass quickly. Lead the medical scientists around the world who are working double-time to find the antidote to COVID-19.
In these dangerous times, grant us Your grace and peace to stay calm and to overcome fear, because the spirit of fear does not come from You. Instead You have given us faith, hope, and love. You have given us power and a sound mind. Your Word says that You will keep in perfect peace those whose eyes are fixed on You.
Help us to reflect the image of Jesus Christ in caring for the less affluent who could hardly afford to buy for their daily need and are left vulnerable as more affluent people buy stores empty. Move us to selflessly extend comfort and help to the isolated and lonely, just as we receive comfort from You in times of difficulty.
Finally, we pray that in the midst of this pandemic, You would unite us in love, bind our nations in peace, and bring hope and healing to our lands with Your grace and Your power. In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we pray, AMEN.
Bishop Efraim Tendero
Bishop Efraim Tendero, General Secretary of the World Evangelical Alliance and one of the founding fathers of the Lausanne/WEA Creation Care Network, has offered this prayer on behalf of the world evangelical community and indeed all of human society.
For a summary of recent Peacemaker projects and initiatives, read the Spring Update. To receive the occasional Peacemaker e-News directly sign up here.
‘With God On Our Side‘ produced by Porter Speakman Jr and Kevin Miller, takes a hard look at the theology and politics of Christian Zionism, which teaches that because the Jews are God’s chosen people, Israeli government policies should not be questioned, even when these policies are unjust.
Aspects of this belief system lead some Christians in the West to give uncritical support to Israeli government policies, even those that privilege Jews at the expense of Palestinians, leading to great suffering among Muslim and Christian Palestinians alike and threatening Israel’s security as a whole.
This film demonstrates that there is a biblical alternative for Christians who want to love and support the people of Israel, a theology that doesn’t favor one people group over another but instead promotes peace and reconciliation for both Jews and Palestinians.
‘With God On Our Side’ is now available to view on Amazon Prime. Purchase a copy here
It has been decided to postpone the conference to June 10th-14th of 2021. We may organize something smaller online for this year.
We believe that the subject of Hope and Resilience in a Broken World is even more relevant in light of the challenges we are facing across the world and are committed to keeping this subject for next year’s conference. Unfortunately even in this current situation, we continue to see human rights violations taking place across the Occupied Palestinian Territories and therefore will continue to speak out against these injustices.
