By Jennifer Hawks
Have you ever met a Palestinian Christian? Have you ever wanted to have Bible study with fellow believers from Bethlehem, Jerusalem or Nazareth?
Our Palestinian evangelical siblings are coming to Atlanta in November to worship and fellowship with American Christians and share with us their perspective on following Jesus amid violence, uncertainty and division. Here’s a video about why you should attend. CBF even has two discount codes (CBF or CBFPASTORS) to make it a little easier to join us in Atlanta!
I’ve been fortunate enough to visit the Holy Land twice. The first visit was a typical American tour with a group of pastors and laity to see biblical sites. Despite many of these sites being in Palestine, the only Palestinian we interacted with was our guide.
Our group was excited to have a local Christian as our tour guide, but most simply couldn’t grasp that he was also Palestinian. They never noticed his discomfort when they spoke dismissively of Palestinians or while lauding their unconditional praise for Israel. One of our pastors on the trip even asked our guide, “Isn’t it a shame that Bethlehem is in the hands of the Palestinians?”
That question, asked sincerely by a man of deep faith without any hint of recognition of its offensiveness, has haunted me ever since. It prompted me to accept another opportunity to return to the Holy Land last fall. This time our group of Texas and Virginia pastors would be the guests of Palestinian Christians—eating in their restaurants, staying in their hotels, hearing their stories and getting a small taste of what life for our Christian siblings is really like. As our hosts told us, most Americans come to see the dead stones and miss the chance to interact with the living stones (1 Peter 2:5).
Several years had passed between the two trips, and I saw firsthand the devastating impact of an increasingly aggressive Israeli settlers’ movement on their Palestinian neighbors. I heard and witnessed accounts of Palestinian fields and homes being taken, ancient churches being set on fire, and men, women and children being physically attacked.
As an attorney, I was especially troubled seeing how difficult it is for Palestinians to obtain meaningful protection or recourse—even in cases where Israeli courts have ruled in their favor. These experiences challenged me deeply and reminded me that our concern for the people of Israel should never prevent us from seeing and caring about the suffering of their Palestinian neighbors.
On my first trip, we went through a few checkpoints between Israel and Palestine, but there are now so many that much of the second trip was spent sitting at checkpoints as Israeli security officials decided if anyone was going to be allowed to pass. Everyday, our bus driver patiently endured the slurs, gestures and other harassment from officers at the checkpoints.
The expansion of Israeli checkpoints and other movement obstacles throughout the West Bank severely restricts the ability of Palestinians to travel between Palestinian communities.
Spending a few days with Palestinian Christians strengthened and challenged my faith. We had hard conversations that don’t have easy resolutions. I’m looking forward to continuing those conversations in Atlanta. I hope you will join us.
When you come to the Church at the Crossroads conference in Atlanta:
Bring your questions.
Many Christians are asking sincere questions about what the Bible says about Israel and Palestine and about the reality on the ground. Church at the Crossroads provides a place to wrestle honestly with Scripture alongside respected evangelical scholars and Palestinian Christian leaders.
Meet Palestinian Brothers and Sisters.
Many American Christians are like those on my first trip and don’t realize that indigenous Christian communities have worshiped continuously in the Holy Land since the earliest centuries. Come to Church at the Crossroads to meet pastors, theologians, and ministry leaders whose faith has been shaped by following Jesus in the land of the Bible.
Be equipped to engage today’s toughest conversations.
The conflict raises difficult questions that many Christians feel unprepared to answer. Church at the Crossroads helps participants develop biblical, historical, and theological frameworks that bring clarity instead of confusion.
It’s about discipleship, not partisan politics.
Join a conversation marked by charity and conviction. It’s about learning how to follow Jesus more faithfully. At Church at the Crossroads, you’ll find a community committed to the authority of the Bible, thoughtful conversations, and a commitment to peacemaking.
Since CBF Advocacy is a cosponsor, we have two discount codes for the CBF family. If you are a CBF pastor, use the code CBFPASTORS for 50% off the registration cost. If you attend or are connected with a CBF church in some other way, use the code CBF for $30 off registration. I’ll have a booth at the conference so come by and say hi!
Learn more and register here.
Jennifer Hawks serves as Director of Advocacy at CBF. Jennifer represents CBF in federal policy conversations and equips clergy and congregations to advocate at the federal, state and local levels. She connects missions and advocacy while working to amplify marginalized and overlooked voices.