The Middle East Conflict: A Christian Perspective on the Origins and Solutions

a 60 minute audio-visual presentation on the origins and solutions to the Middle East conflict from a Christian perspective, delivered at Indiana University Purdue University and broadcast on local TV in Fort Wayne, in March 2011.

Also available as a higher resolution DVD for $10 or £5 from stephen@sizers.org

Do you enjoy dreaming? Do you ever remember your dreams? Do they ever reoccur? Have you ever dreamed about dreaming? Have you ever thought about sharing a dream? Having seen the film Inception, I will never think about dreams in the same way again. Inception is probably the most complicated, the most fast paced and dramatic sci-fi thriller I have ever seen. The premise is that professional thieves called “extractors” can invade people’s dreams to steal information via a drug-induced sleep that is shared by two or more people. From the ingenious mind of British filmmaker Christopher Nolan, Inception begs the question: what if you could share a dream with someone? Long before Christopher Nolan dreamed up the imaginary world of Inception, the Bible encourages us to dream, to imagine, to have visions of the future and to share the experience.

‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17; Joel 2:28)

Now I think Joel is talking more about ‘day dreaming’ than he is about night dreaming. You can’t do much about dreams at night but you can during the day. While ‘day dreaming’ is mostly associated with negative connotations, I believe we should consciously and actively cultivate the art of day dreaming. So, do you have any hopes or dreams for 2011? Are they like New Year resolutions, quickly made but soon forgotten, or will they stay with you and motivate you throughout the year ahead?

At Christ Church we have found a useful way to express our dreams has been to write out some ‘imagine’ statements. We’ve encouraged one another to imagine what kind of future we would like to see and express these ideas in simple sentences. These have helped construct a vision of the kind of future we aspire to. If you want a copy, visit our website http://www.cc-vw.org/imagine.htm or pick one up from the Church reception.

We could do the same for our community. Imagine returning to Virginia Water in five or ten year’s time. What would it look like? What would be your dreams for Virginia Water? What would your nightmares be? What would you like our community to become?

Imagine Virginia Water as a village free from crime, free from pollution, free from noise, free from stress, free from fear. Imagine Virginia Water as a place where children are safe walking to school on their own, safe playing in the parks and recreation fields. Imagine Virginia Water as a place where you are safe walking alone at night.

Imagine our community with no recorded crime. No speeding motorists, no burglaries, no shop lifting, no assaults. Imagine Virginia Water with no alcoholism, no drug abuse, no vandalism and no graffiti. Imagine not having to lock your windows or doors or gates at night. Imagine not needing an intruder alarm, surveillance cameras, high walls or need for the services of a security firm.

Imagine Virginia Water as a place where marriages last for life, where there is no infidelity, no unwanted pregnancies, no abortions, no child abuse, no adultery, no marital violence, no divorce.

Imagine our community respectful and protective of the various faith communities. Imagine no anti-Semitism, no Islamophoba, no anti-Americanism, no racism of any kind, but instead, a tolerant and caring community where minorities feel secure and accepted.

Imagine our elderly cared for by neighbours within the community. Imagine no one left alone, no one lonely, no one depressed, no one suicidal, but instead everyone valued, affirmed and encouraged to contribute to the good of the community.

Is such a vision unrealistic or naïve? Is it not worth aiming for? Is it worth investing time to try and achieve?

The Bible gives us a vision of the future. In the last chapter of the Bible, we read, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

This vision of the future has encouraged Christ-followers down through the centuries to pray, as Jesus taught us, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10). This image of the future has motivated Christ-followers to strive to bring God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

What 2011 holds for us, we do not know. With climate change, the threat of terrorism and powerful global forces shaping our economy, it is easy to feel helpless. It is perhaps timely with the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in a few months’ time, to remember something memorable his great-grandfather once said.

On December 25^th 1939, as citizens of the British Empire faced a world war, King George VI resurrected a tradition his father launched: an annual Christmas message to all the inhabitants of the Empire. In this excerpt from his speech, the King, not usually a compelling speaker, inspired and reassured his listeners by quoting a poem: “I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year, ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’ And he replied, ‘Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be better than light, and safer than a known way.'”

May you place your hand in the hand of God this coming year. May God give you a vision of the future that will last all year and beyond. May God give you the strength and perseverance to discover and do his perfect will. And in doing so, may God bless you and those you love in 2011.

Christ Church, Virginia Water are hosting a UK premier of the film Little Town of Bethlehem on Sunday 28th November at 2.00pm. Free admission. For travel details see here

Little Town of Bethlehem, a documentary film, follows the story of three men of three different faiths and their lives in Israel and Palestine. The story explores each man’s choice of nonviolent action amidst a culture of overwhelming violence.

The film examines the struggle to promote equality through nonviolent engagement in the midst of incredible violence that has dehumanized all sides.

Dr Bishara Awad denied exit visa

Dr Bishara Awad, the Principal of Bethlehem Bible College and the father of Sami Awad is due to speak at the 11.00am and 6.30pm services at Christ Church, Virginia Water on Sunday 28th November, as well as introduce the film at 2.00pm. However, the Israeli military authorities have so far denied him an exit visa to leave the ghetto prison of Bethlehem.

Little Town of Bethlehem: The Story

Sami’s story begins as a young boy living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank; Yonatan’s starts on an Israeli military base; and Ahmad’s begins in a Palestinian refugee camp.

Their three stories are interwoven through the major events of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, starting with the 1972 massacre at the Munich Olympics and following through the first Intifada, suicide bombings in Israel, the Oslo Accords, the assassination of Yitzchak Rabin, and the second Intifada. Sami, Yonatan, and Ahmad each describe the events from their unique perspective, interjecting personal reflections and explaining how these events led them to become involved in the nonviolence movement.

In Bethlehem, the city where it is said that God became man, Sami just wants to be seen as human. First learning about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a teen, he began lecturing about nonviolence in high school. Later, Sami traveled to India to learn more about Gandhi. As the result of his discoveries, he founded the organization Holy Land Trust to promote nonviolence in the Palestinian community.

Yonatan embraced his father’s legacy as a pilot in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and fulfilled his own dream of becoming an IDF helicopter pilot. However, his journey led him to the astonishing decision to join with 26 other IDF pilots who publicly refused to participate in missions that would lead to civilian casualties. Co-founding the organization Combatants for Peace, made up of former Israeli and Palestinian combatants, Yonatan struggles to reconcile his love for his country with his growing opposition to the Israeli occupation.
After studying in Spain, Ahmad returned to Bethlehem to become a nonviolence trainer. Despite the daily challenges of living in a refugee camp, Ahmad remains committed to his community and risks his life and livelihood in nonviolent actions to bring an end to oppression.

For their work, Sami and Ahmad have been labeled as “Israeli collaborators” by some within the Palestinian community, and are seen as a threat to security by the Israeli military. By refusing to participate in offensive military actions against Palestinian civilians, Yonatan has been branded a traitor by some Israelis and can no longer work in his homeland.

All three men have had their lives threatened by members of their own communities as a result of their work. Sami, Yonatan, and Ahmad continue to embrace their common humanity and equality for all, daring to have the hope that peace in the Holy Land can be achieved through nonviolent struggle.

Most films will entertain you. Good films will educate you as well. Brilliant films will engage and move you to action. Once in a while along comes a film that motivates you to become a participant rather than spectator. This is one of those rare films.

The Mayor of Bethlehem Slams Illegal Jewish Settlements from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Mayor of Bethlehem on the Impact of the Israeli Occupation of Palestine from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Tonight I had supper with Victor Batarseh, the Mayor of Bethlehem along with a few friends of Bethlehem Bible College. Victor is a gentle grandfather figure, a retired physician and active Christian. He also happens to be a US citizen, although the US Consulate General in Jerusalem refuses to meet with him. The British Consulate general is also unwilling to meet him. “They will meet with the Mayors of other Palestinian towns but not with the Christian Mayor of Bethlehem.” It is also almost impossible for him to leave Bethlehem without special permission from the Israeli authorities. I asked him why. He said “Because I am calling for justice for the Palestinians and peace with Israel and that is not the non-violent message Israel wants to hear from the Occupied Territories.”

He derided the idea that for the last ten months Israel has abided by a moratorium on Settlement expansion. “The settlement expansion has been continuing” he insisted. “The municipal boundary of Bethlehem used to encompass 35 square kilometers of territory. Now it is only six.” he insisted. The rest, mostly the agricultural land has been stolen by the 18 illegal Jewish settlements that now encircle Bethlehem.

He was elected Mayor of Bethlehem in 2005. On his election, he made this speech which, five years later, appears just as timely.

As the newly elected mayor of Bethlehem, I feel proud and privileged. Though it is little in size, it is one of the most famous cities on earth. Bethlehem is a name that lives in the hearts of millions of people. It signifies love, hope and peace for mankind.

It is true we do not have skyscrapers in Bethlehem, but we have the formidable Church of the Nativity, the place where it all started. We do not have natural resources, but we have the holy manger, the source of spiritual fulfillment and nourishment. We do not possess modern technology and satellites, but we have the star of the Nativity, the beacon that has embodied hope in the minds of all believers.

Our history is full of inspirational stories but also of bad times. The bad times under the recent Israeli aggression have led to enormous pain and suffering for Bethlehem and to unprecedented deterioration in its situation.

Throughout the past years, the Israeli settlements’ greedy campaign has cost us considerable loss of our land and resources. The continuous closure imposed on Bethlehem has crippled our freedom to move about, our trade and our labor force. What aggravated the matter, however, is the construction of the separation wall that is slicing the northern borders of Bethlehem, tearing apart many of our families and isolating our holy town from the outside world. We are living in the horror of this apartheid wall that has grabbed our land and seriously affected all aspects of our life, including our ability to access basic services and work, thus our ability to sustain ourselves. Actually, we live today in what is similar to a big prison.

Such a massive obstruction, a concrete wall nearly 40 feet high, is closing the main and historic entrance of the town of the Nativity and has decimated tourism, our major source of income. Except for the last three months when a few pilgrims and tourists were seen again at the Church of the Nativity, tourism in Bethlehem has reached a stage of total standstill over the last four consecutive years. Unemployment in town has therefore soared to 55 percent. With a bleeding heart, I regret to say that more than half of Bethlehemites live today under the poverty line, which encouraged a serious wave of emigration among them, in particular Christians, the custodians of the holy manger.

With lack of adequate support from our Palestinian National Authority, the municipality lives at present in a dire financial crisis. Last month we could not afford to pay the salaries of our employees. The situation portends further deterioration should no immediate support be received, including the risk of cutting off essential municipal services rendered to our people, which would make things even worse.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am not telling a story nor am I trying to be gloomy. I am only conveying the truth that Bethlehem lives today. At this difficult time, we turn toward the sons of Bethlehem, toward our friends and partners throughout the world, asking them to reach out with a helping hand. To them we say Bethlehem, the cradle of Christianity, needs you more than ever before.

For sure one day the wall around Bethlehem will fall. Examples in old and recent history confirm this fact. We will strive to bring that day closer. But until then, we can refuse to live in its shadow. Bethlehem deserves to be open because it stands for the values of openness, an open democracy built on the open hearts of its citizens. The rich and unique heritage of Bethlehem reminds the world that we all face a poorer future without the hope and promise of our little town.

Ladies and gentlemen, despite our suffering and the oppression we are afflicted with, we hold deep faith in peace. We believe peace is the only solution. Peace is a blessing from God we all need. However, peace should be based on justice, equality and respect of others’ rights if it is to prevail, and not on oppression, might and separation.

I should say the Israeli occupation of our land is the sole obstacle to peace and the major cause of instability in our region.

Being on the soil of the U.S.A., the biggest democracy on earth, I call upon the U.S. government, the main sponsor of the Middle East peace process, to do its utmost toward implementing the international legitimacy represented in the United Nations Security Council resolutions, for the sake of a just, comprehensive peace in our region to allow both peoples, Israelis and Palestinians, to live in the Holy Land together and forever as good and equal neighbors.

May the star of the Nativity that shone onto Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago and led the kings of the Orient to come and meet the Prince of Peace be a symbol of hospitality and guide all people of goodwill toward Bethlehem once again to restore its former glory as a place of dignity, a pilgrimage destination and an open city for peace.

Distinctive Daniel from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Distinctive Daniel: Daniel 1:1-21

“…the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.” (Daniel 1:3-4)

Picture Daniel. He is from a family of high social status. He is physically fit and strikingly handsome.  If Joanna were giving this message, she might tell you to picture Daniel Craig who many think is strikingly handsome. Apparently Daniel is actually much shorter than he appears on screen. So picture someone who looks like Daniel Craig only more handsome and less dumpy. Daniel is bright. He is quick to understand. Aged 17, he would have achieved ‘A’ stars in all of his subjects at AS level last week and be heading for Oxford or Harvard next Summer.  Daniel also scores high in ‘emotional intelligence’. His future would be predictable. After university he would go to medical school or law school or Sandhurst. He would work in Harley Street, the Diplomatic Service, the City or MI5. He might become a stock broker, a barrister, an officer, an ambassador, a corporate CEO. He would be successful in whatever field he chose. He would marry a beautiful wife, live in an enviable home with the right postcode, raise a wonderful family who would go to private schools and he would occupy a prominent place in the community. He would also do great things for God and God’s people. But life did not turn out the way Daniel planned.

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