Exactly one year ago today I was in Israel and Palestine with The Telos Group.  My full blogs about that can be found here.  It could have been that exactly one year ago I visited the Tent of Nations, a stunning example of Christian faith, life, and what it means to be peacemakers.

Then I wrote this:  “We drove out of Jerusalem up to a hilltop not far from Bethlehem, to the Tent of Nations, a hundred acre farm owned by the Nassar family since 1916.   Their story is as troubling (again, breathtaking) as it is amazing and inspiring (also breathtaking).  I highly recommend this video about their story and project.   They are a Palestinian family surrounded by Israeli settlements and constant threat to their livelihood and land. Incidentally, they are Christians, Lutherans to be more specific.   Despite all they’ve endured and continue to endure, the motto of their project and they live by it is “We Refuse to Be Enemies”. That, and “Never Give Up Hope”.

Since that time, more challenges and indignities and injustices have befallen the Nassars.   Just recently, a whole grove of fruit trees was bulldozed.   More are taking notice of this story, including in this article in today’s BBC online coverage, “The Christian family refusing to give up its Bethlehem hill farm”.  The article is wonderful in it’s scope, and photos, and quotes.   The brief synopsis is this  “A Palestinian Christian family that preaches non-violence from a farm in the West Bank is battling to hold on to land it has owned for 98 years. Now surrounded by Israeli settlements, the family is a living example of the idea of peaceful resistance.”

Would you please take about 5-10 minutes and read this article about something that is breaking my heart, and the hearts of many?   This story illustrates a lot, and helps us learn in our own context how to be peace-makers, and inspires us to do the same.