SPECIAL ISSUE SABEEL’SSABEEL’S TENTHTENTH ANNIVERSARYANNIVERSARYIssue 34 - Fall 2004 1 IN THIS ISSUE Issue 34 - Fall 2004 • In Thanksgiving to God by Naim Ateek 1-6 • Snapshots of our Activities by Nora Carmi 7-11 • Sabeel in Nazareth by Violet Khoury 12 • Development and Growth of International Friends of Sabeel by Janet Lahr Lewis 12-15 INTRODUCTION • Working with Sabeel 10 Years Ago by Monica Lambton 16 This special issue of Cornerstone celebrates the 10th • Book Review 17 anniversary of the Sabeel Center. During our inter- national conference in April we took some time to • In Memory of Michael Prior by Naim Ateek 18 reflect and give thanks for all that has taken place in the life of Sabeel over those years. With this issue of • Sabeel Prayer 19 Cornerstone we want to share those reflections with our readers, and also to look forward to the future. IN THANKSGIVING TO GOD SABEEL, TEN YEARS ON by Naim Ateek heart” (2 Corinthians 4:1). This verse calls attention to THE HEART OF THE MATTER three important truths. First, it is God who is the source e pause to give thanks to God for the work of of our work. Everything that has been accomplished Sabeel. We come together to recognize God’s through the work of Sabeel is due to God’s mercy. Sec- Wgoodness to us, to give God the glory, and to ondly, this verse calls attention to the presence of a minis- ask for strength in the days and years ahead. With the try that is taking place, “we are engaged in this ministry”. Psalmist we say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is Sabeel has continuously emphasized the fact that the work within me, bless God’s holy name”(Psalm 103:1). And which we do is a ministry. God has called us to it. In fact with St. Paul we say, “...thanks be to God, who gives us as the Apostle Paul has said, we labor with God the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”(1 Cor 15:57). (2 Corinthians 6:1). The third truth in this verse is this, “we do not lose heart”. WE DO NOT LOSE HEART This sentence reflects the difficulties and hardships that faced Paul. Similarly for us, it reflects the difficult context On this occasion of celebrating ten years of the work of in which we live. Indeed, we live in a context of injustice, Sabeel, I want to lift up a scriptural verse that seems ap- oppression, hopelessness and despair. Yet we are deter- propriate. Second Corinthians 4:1, “...Since it is by God’s mined to continue the work in spite of all the wrongs mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose around us. The source of our strength is God and God’s 2 Issue 34 - Fall 2004 IN THANKSGIVING TO GOD: SABEEL, TEN YEARS ON mercy on us. We do not lose heart because we are con- When the first intifada started at the end of 1987, the nected with the source of power and might. We are peo- PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) had not been ple of hope. recognized by Israel as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. The West Bank and the Gaza Strip So as we come to offer our gratitude to God, we affirm were still under the direct rule of the Israeli army. The this basic conviction that “since it is by God’s mercy that Israeli oppression was increasing in its brutality. The we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart”. intifada erupted as a national uprising by the whole Pales- tinian community against the illegal Israeli occupation. It THE NAME was largely a nonviolent movement. The unity and soli- The seed of Sabeel goes back to 1990, fourteen years ago darity among the people was to a great extent exemplary. when we had our first international conference at Tantur Palestinians, Muslims and Christians rose up together to at the height of the first intifada. My book Justice and confront the Israeli oppression. It was popular and very only Justice had been published a few months before. We effective. It was not based on any religious sentiment but were not known as Sabeel then. We used the acronym on the national aspiration of a whole people. PLT, Palestinian Liberation Theology. Thanks to Kathy For the first time, the media including TV channels were Bergen who helped us organize the conference and for showing the reality of the situation on the ground. The Rosemary Ruether who supported us through her pres- Israeli army was seen for what it is, an occupying army — ence and in editing the book that contained the confer- brutal and oppressive. The old symbols changed. In the ence proceedings Faith and the Intifada published by Orbis 1967 war, the perceptions were that little David was Israel in 1992. and the Arabs were Goliath. In the first intifada, little For the next three years, we continued with sporadic pro- David became the Palestinians and Goliath became the grams largely within the Jerusalem Christian community. Israeli army. The sympathy of many people in the world We were seeking God’s guidance as to the future of this was turning towards the Palestinians. Israel started to cen- work. By the end of 1993, the small ecumenical commit- sor and control the outside international media reporting tee of clergy and lay felt we must go ahead and become and seemed determined to curb the tide against it. Israel officially established. The name Sabeel was then adopted. realized that the Palestinian community had arrived at a Tonight we are celebrating ten years since the ministry of very formidable weapon, namely, that of nonviolence. It Sabeel became more intentionally organized. was determined to crush it. The choice of the name Sabeel is significant and mean- I still remember in those days how we started hearing about ingful. As you know, it has a double connotation. It is the possible sprouting of two movements encouraged by the path or the way as well as the spring of water. More Israel itself. For the first time, we heard the acronym significantly, the earliest followers of Christ here in Jeru- HAMAS that stood for the Movement of Islamic Resist- salem were known as the people of the way. The people of ance (Harakat al mukawamah al-Islamiyeh). We also heard Sabeel are those who were followers of him who said he the acronym HAMAM that stood for the Movement of was the way. The name Sabeel re- Christian Resistance (Harakat mains an inspiration for us. We almukawamah almasihiyeh). are walking the Sabeel of justice Israeli intelligence knew the and peace, the Sabeel of freedom power of religion in Middle East- and reconciliation. ern society. They wanted to break up the Palestinian community A PALESTINIAN THEOLOGY So as we come to offer and shatter its unified national OF LIBERATION our gratitude to God, we movement. They knew that if Sabeel is a small movement and I affirm this basic convic- they can succeed in steering the must not exaggerate its influence. Palestinian resistance into an At the same time, it is significant tion that “since it is by armed struggle, Israel could then to understand its emergence God’s mercy that we are justify the use of military force within the broader context of the engaged in this ministry, against it. Israel knew that reli- Palestinian struggle. we do not lose heart”. gion is a very potent weapon that Issue 34 - Fall 2004 3 trated on a daily basis by the state of Israel against the civil- ian Palestinian population, and whilst western nations, and churches worldwide, acquiesce with their policies, it is un- likely that appalling acts of revenge committed out of de- spair will cease or that peace will be attained. Whilst recognising that we have a huge and seemingly im- possible task ahead of us, the conference in Jerusalem in April offered hope in reminding us that awareness of the reality in Palestine and Israel is growing significantly worldwide, and that there are many who are committed to this work. But there is little time. For every day that we hesitate to pro- claim the truth, and speak out in love; for every day that justice is denied, innocent Palestinians and Israelis are dying and the situation is becoming more and more desperate. In the course of the conference we were treated to some won- derful performances of dance, singing and music by young Palestinians. In a very moving song written by Sari Ateek Naim’s son, he writes of the oppressed in Palestine: “Let their faces move you, let their cries reach your heart. The compassion of Jesus is what sets you apart. If you’ve been searching for a way to please him, then you’ll listen - he has shown the way. Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with your God. How long will the earth keep silent? Who’ll say, ‘enough’s enough’?” This is the underlying principle behind the work of Sabeel. “ Speak the truth. Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.” When we do so, then there can weaken nationalist feelings and basing its emergence on the The people of Sabeel are will be peace for Israeli and Pales- within the Palestinian community foundation of the Christian faith. tinian, for Jew, Christian and Mus- and divide Muslims and Christians those who were followers of lim.From It myis the perspective, only way forward.