Each year during Holy week, Christians around the world anticipate what come call the "Old Faithful" of miracles.
At the Church of the Holy Sepulchre -- built over the traditional site that encompasses Jesus' tomb and the place of his crucifixion -- the archbishop enters the tomb after being inspected by Jewish authorities to ensure he has no means of lighting a fire. After saying prayers and worshiping the risen Christ, the candles miraculously alight.
The ceremony has been performed for centuries; records of the event reach back to the ninth century. Across more than a millennium of Muslim, European, or Jewish rule, the purported miracle has been an inspiration to thousands of pilgrims who flock to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to spread the fire into the rest of Jerusalem.
Once it is brought out of the tomb, the light is spread from person to person, candle by candle, and out into the world. It is a beautiful sight as worshipers from different Christian traditions line the darkened streets holding candles and spreading the light of Jesus Christ. The ceremony reflects the peaceful spread of Jesus' message from one person to another. Called "Holy Fire Saturday," this event also prefigures the Easter celebration the following day in which Christians celebrate Jesus' triumph over death itself.
While Christians mark Christmas as the "silent night" in which God himself took on human flesh, on Easter we proclaim, "Christ the Lord is risen today," in the words of the old hymn. It's a miracle not of light, but of life defeating death.
But for the past several years in Jerusalem, the mood on Holy Saturday and the rest of Holy Week has not been one of rejoicing and triumph but instead one of trial and tribulation.
Because of travel restrictions in past years, the vast majority of Christians living in the West Bank have been stopped at checkpoints and prevented from attending one of the most important religious services of the year. Israeli authorities require permits for entering Jerusalem. Local Christians estimate that only 2,000 -- 3,000* permits are provided, despite the overwhelming desire among the 50,000 Palestinian Christians to travel from the West Bank and Gaza for the Easter week celebrations in Jerusalem.
Those who make it across checkpoints and into Israel are still barricaded by numerous walls and other security obstructions. As a result, even many who have permits are unable to make it to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In 2010, a Palestinian colleague of mine at World Vision, who had warm memories as a child of the Holy Fire service, was able to return to the Holy Sepulchre. She described the scene for those able to gain entrance to the church: "The crowd, striving to stay joyful, could still feel the change of what Easter had now become and the dark cloud of checkpoints, police forces, and denial of entry that had obscured the joy of this holiday."
While the ancient Christian communities around Jerusalem await the miracle of the Holy Fire this week, I pray for another miracle -- one that would give full religious freedom to the Christians in the West Bank and Gaza. Holy Week has long been a time of pilgrimage to Jerusalem; Christians have worshiped there since the birth of the church, and these sites are a core aspect of the devotion of Palestinian believers.
The restrictions on travel for worship are not only in force during Holy Week, but also for routine Sunday services, weddings, funerals, and baptisms throughout the year. Certainly, Israel can take care of its own security concerns while accommodating peaceful Palestinian Christian worship.
In a recent letter by 80 Palestinian Christian leaders, including the Greek Orthodox archbishop of Jerusalem, Palestinian Christians spoke out against the lack of religious freedom inside Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. They complained of being forced to endure an "assault on our natural and basic right to worship."
Along with the rest of the world's Christians, I celebrate a God who brings light from darkness and life from death. And I pray for another miracle this Holy Fire Saturday, one that would remove all restrictions on the freedom to worship for the Christians of the Holy Land.
*This number is contested. A response by Michael Oren, Israeli Ambassador to the United States, is published here.
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"Despite being informed by the Israeli civil rights group the Israel Law Center that the Palestinian Union of Agricultural Work Committees is a front group for the terrorist organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Australian 'Christian NGO' World Vision has resumed its funding of the UAWC." http://us.icej.org/news/headlines/ilc-report-world-vision-renews-support-pflp-linked-group
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Islamist-Political-Party-Reps-US-Officials-Meet-146200785.html
http://www.npr.org/2012/04/06/150085940/muslim-brotherhood-attempts-to-charm-u-s-skeptics
In the West Bank town of Tulkarem, a stone church built 170 years ago was torched before dawn and its entire inside was destroyed, local Christian officials said. In the village of Tubas, a small church was attacked with firebombs and partially burned, Christians said. Neither church is Catholic, the officials said.
On Saturday, Muslims hurled firebombs and opened fire at five churches in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to protest the pope's comments, sparking concerns of a rift between Palestinian Muslims and Christians.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,214195,00.html#ixzz1rCWXwlfv
Are they complaining about the Palestinian government as well? Or are they actually blaming Israel for the lack of religious freedom in Gaza??
Regardless, the Christians should pray as hard as they can that Israel maintains control of religious sites. Has everyone forgotten the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem? That is the respect Palestinians muslims show to christian sites.
. It was the Jews who GOADED the Romans to kill Jesus.
Israel at least has security concerns. what was the Jordanian's excuse. Your excuse for not caring.
Besides, if he can make fire miraculously appear, he should have no trouble making worshippers and pilgrims appear.
Apartheid much ?
http://www.timesofisrael.com/national-sermon-in-malaysia-calls-jews-the-main-enemy/
This is just one example. I wonder if you think that this hatred is somehow related to Jews building homes and infrastructure in East Jerusalem, or if it might just be that Islamist extremists hate Jews WHEREVER they live (as well as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, and anyone who isn't a Muslim, and the right kind of Muslim at that).
This kind of hatred CANNOT be appeased, no matter how many Jews are thrown out of their homes by the State of Israel in Hebron, Jerusalem, Ariel, or elsewhere. These things will only embolden it and fuel it
all over the ME- when the minority hold power- minority flowers- Saddam in Irak, Assad in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon... when the mess starts they run away.
- If Lebanese support Hezbollah because of Israel's actions towards Palestinian Arabs, why does Lebanon keep its Palestinian population in sordid camps and deny them the right to work or vote? Why did the Grand Mufti of Lebanon tell the Palestinian delegation last year that they were not welcome on Lebanese soil?
- If Kuwaitis despise Israel because of solidarity with the Palestinians, why did the Kuwaiti government forcibly evict its entire Palestinian population during the first Gulf War for their support for Saddam?
- If Syrians hate Israel and Jews because of the reasons which you mention, why did Bashar al-Assad destroy the Palestinian refugee camp of Latakia, driving out up to 5000 Palestinians?
And so on. Surely you must agree that all of this is rank, despicable hypocrisy of the worst kind, and utter nonsense, which must be challenged and exposed not indulged. It's the Jews who are under attack pally
"There are many cases where Christians have their land stolen by the (Muslim) mafia," said Samir Qumsiyeh, a Bethlehem Christian leader and owner of the Beit Sahour-based private al-Mahd (Nativity) TV station.
"It is a regular phenomenon in Bethlehem. They go to a poor Christian person with a forged power of attorney document, then they say we have papers proving you're living on our land. If you confront them, many times the Christian is beaten. You can't do anything about it. The Christian loses and he runs away," Qumsiyeh told WND, speaking from his hilltop television station during a recent interview.
Qumsiyeh himself said he was targeted by Islamic gangs. He said his home was firebombed after he returned from a trip abroad during which he gave public speeches outlining the plight of Bethlehem's Christian population.
One Christian Bethlehem resident told WND her friend recently fled Bethlehem after being accused by Muslims of selling property to Jews, a crime punishable by death in some Palestinian cities. The resident said a good deal of the intimidation comes from gunmen associated with PA President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization.
By the Palestinian leadership's admission, the settlements in the WB take up only 1.1% of the land. Not a lot of "encroachment" there.
Of course, the surest way to stop the "encroachment" is to negotiate a peace deal with Israel. It seems. though, that the Palestinians would rather fight and lose than give up the fight and win.