A Benedictine Abbot has warned that Christianity in the Holy Land risks becoming a façade for tourists rather than an active and living faith, citing the decline of the local Christian population and increased pressure from Israeli authorities and settlers.
Apocalypse? Now?
In November 1095, Pope Urban II addressed a gathering of clergy and laity at the Council of Clermont in France. According to the chronicler Fulcher of Chartres, Urban began: “Most beloved brethren: Urged by necessity, I, Urban, by the permission…
Embracing the Beauty of Christian Weakness
In the middle of the night, a family hurriedly gathers what they are able, unsure whether they will return. Across the Middle East and beyond, nations exert their strength, each seeking to exploit the weakness of their adversaries. As one…
Both Huckabee and Carlson make outlandish claims about Israel
Mike Huckabee grabbed headlines in his recent interview with Tucker Carlson because of his outlandish claim that Israel ought to possess most of the land in the Middle East. But Carlson, true to form, also made some outlandish claims. Carlson…
A rabbi’s call for balance, moral clarity and reconciliation
A foundational belief in Judaism teaches, “Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:15). We dream with Isaiah’s vision found in Isaiah 2:4: “Nation shall not take up sword against nation; they shall never again know war.” This rabbi’s favorite verse…
Christian leaders declare solidarity with Palestinian Christians
U.S. Christian leaders are circulating a declaration pledging solidarity with their Palestinian counterparts and pledging to advocate for a permanent and lasting ceasefire in Gaza. “Our Palestinian Christian siblings are telling us that they are devastated by the extreme violence…
Jack Graham says never-Trumpers should rethink now
President Donald Trump’s role in securing a peace deal between Israel and Hamas should cause never-Trumpers to change their minds, according to Dallas megachurch pastor Jack Graham. On Monday, Oct. 13, as hostages and prisoners were exchanged in the Middle…
Without the Persians/Iranians, there would be no Jews
Twenty-five year ago, give or take, I asked myself a rather straightforward question: “Why is it seemingly impossible to have peace in the Middle East?” After expending a quarter century in research, shedding blood, sweat and tears in the process,…
A tribute to my sister, missionary Nancie Wingo
The horror of death and destruction now crippling the Middle East, euphemistically known as “The Holy Land,” finds me constantly defaulting to one overriding emotion: Gratitude. And no, that is not a typo. I’m grateful my late sister, Nancie Wingo,…
Evangelical groups call for ‘unequivocal’ support for Israel on October 7 anniversary
Since Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, Israel’s military has responded in force, killing an estimated 40,000 Palestinians and injuring nearly 100,000 more in Gaza while ramping up attacks on…
I’m eager to talk about the whole gospel and all the good news at Lausanne Congress
This week, the fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, “Let the Church Declare and Display Christ Together,” is happening in Seoul, South Korea, where thousands of international Christians have come together from diverse backgrounds to consider “gaps and opportunities” in…
How Zionism poisoned Western Christianity
As a Semitic Palestinian Christian, I am deeply troubled by the pernicious influence of Zionist ideology on Western Christian theology. This ideology has ensnared many Western Christians, who cynically leverage the suffering of the Jewish people, especially during the Holocaust,…