Courageous Love

Bethlehem, Palestine

   On Friday, the 11th of July, Palestinian and Israeli Musalaha Woman gathered at Talitha Kumi in courageous fellowship during the escalating violence between the two sides. The woman, empowered by their desire for peace, came together to pray, worship and encourage one another to be ambassadors for their states.

                “We want to see an end to violence. Hallas. No more violence against each other,” an Israeli woman proclaimed. Not only was the very presence of the woman at this Musalaha Women’s Prayer Meeting courageous, when many meetings and scheduled events were cancelled in light of the current situation, but their victorious exclamations of an overcoming God illustrated their commitment to pursue love.

                “We choose to say ‘No’ to fears. We choose to say ‘yes’ to love. We choose Your courage, Your love, Your faithfulness,” a Palestinian woman prayed with authority. “We want peace in this land, but first we need peace in our hearts.”

Photo by Katie Hennessey in Beit Sahour, Palestine

The walls were shaken by the cries of these women’s’ heart. Beauty was revealed moments before their powerful prayers as the woman worshipped, side by side, singing praises to a God who is in control. They raised up their voices in Hebrew, Arabic and English, uniting with one another through their diversity in language and culture.

“Fellowship between believers is sacred, it’s holy. This is the thing we most sin against,” Dr. Salim J. Munayer, Musalaha Director said as he started the morning off with words of encouragement. Just outside the walls of the prayer meeting, an entire conflict depicted relationships that have been forsaken in pursuit of religious Zealouts trying to pursue their own goals, Sadduces striving to keep their place, or Pharisees relying on their own strength and works to achieve change.

Jesus’ challenge with these religious groups of people is mirrored in the challenge of having fellowship, peace and relations amongst Palestinians and Israelis today. While the Pharisees developed books on prayer and proved theological knowledge, Jesus, the one they had been waiting and praying for was standing before their very eyes saying “Here I am! Look at me!”

So easily today, when struggle occurs, we are quick to default to our inner Pharisee and go into ritualistic practices aimed to “Get to God.” But Jesus said it is what is within our heart that is important.

Munayer reminded the woman “If you love God, you love your brothers and sisters and have fellowship with them. You have truth.” But, “If you say you have fellowship with Him but are hurting others, you lie. You cannot love one without the other.”

This was a day where the fellowship of Christ poured out into all the fearless woman gathered at this meeting. In the midst of their time together, woman living in the West Bank split to one side of the room while the woman from Jerusalem and surrounding Israeli territories gathered on the other side. The two groups wrote supportive words to one another and placed it on a very significant gift to exchange. In this loving gesture, Palestinian woman gave Israeli woman a bottle of olive oil from olive trees in the West Bank, while Israeli woman gave large cases of water to the Palestinian woman. Christ’s love spread in and through each woman as she passed her special gift to a woman from the other side, and embraced her with a compassionate hug.

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out all fear,” (1 John 4:18) Munayer quoted this scripture. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the darkness in our news, the struggle with injustice and the sadness of human suffering. But it is in the Spirit of God that is “Greater than he who is in the world” and by this, “Love is perfected within us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment,” (1 John 4:17).

So as believers, we have the power and ability to love God and to love others fearlessly. On a day that most groups would be cancelling meetings in fear of the current situation, Musalaha woman chose to choose fearlessness, and let the God who conquers all darkness, be the shining light through fellowship and reconciliation.

One Israeli woman showed her courageous love as she interceded on behalf of mothers, children and families in Gaza, living in the pain and suffering of devastating fear and loss, and facing the destruction of rubble and ashes. She placed herself in the shoes of the Palestinian citizens and stood in the gap for their hurts.

When the woman were asked what their biggest fear was at the start of this gathering, a Palestinian woman said she was afraid ‘not to speak words of God in this situation and not be a light.” The woman made a point to cover this fear in prayer later, asking that God would be bigger in their hearts than their offenses and to fill them with a love that is His love.”  

The Musalaha woman prayed that Arab and Jews would reach their hands out towards each other and pursue love. They left with a joyous countenance, a passion to love their neighbor with a strengthened sense of courage and confidence to be the light of peace and change in their communities.