Yet in the Dark Streets Shining: A Palestinian Story of Hope and Resilience in Bethlehem

by Bishara Awad, Mercy Aiken

Yet In the Dark Streets Shining details the little-known story of Palestinian Christians through the heartbreaking but inspiring account of a boy who grew up to be a spiritual and community leader in Bethlehem. Bishara Awad was just a child when his father was killed by a sniper during the Israeli-Arab war of 1948. After the family fled their Jerusalem home, Bishara and his siblings grew up as refugees. His spiritual journey brought him through poverty and danger, while witnessing loss and death. Under the shadows of persecution and war, he learned how to live his Christian faith in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ. When Bishara learned how to forgive, he became a firebrand of faith and hope. Rising to the many challenges, he launched Bethlehem Bible College, the first Bible college in the West Bank. Through the dashed hopes of one war after another, as well as opposition on all sides, Bishara's story conveys how he and other Palestinian Christians continue to live their faith and envision a better future, while wrestling with these peace possible in Palestine and Israel?How do theologians in other parts of the world affect the lives of Arab Christians in the Holy Land?How is the gospel of Jesus Christ making a difference in the land of Christ?How does one stand for justice, while also preaching forgiveness? the best way to learn the story of a people or an era of history is to learn the story of one person or family from that people and time. This book thrusts you into the dramatic, dangerous and deeply meaningful action of a storyline that reads like a biographical thriller. Through the real-life personal story of Bishara Awad and his family, you will gain insight into the Middle East, its history, and its people, and I think you will also gain insight into current realities that affect you right now, wherever you live. – Brian D. McLaren, author of Faith After DoubtWhen myopic self-centered eschatological and political doctrines blind us to human compassion and love, both must be unmasked and challenged. Please, leave the lofty heights of ideology and presumption and listen to the authentic story of real human beings caught in the crossfire of both. – Paul Young, author of The ShackThis is a story that is as riveting as it is historically important. It is likewise an opportunity to trace the history of the Palestinian church through the experience of one man. This is a book you will not want to put down and that you’ll find yourself recommending to your friends because it is a story about faith and hope when life has closed every door. – Dr. Gary M. Burge, author of Whose Land, Whose Promise?We know history is written by the victors and the tragic stories of the victims are often lost. In this gripping narrative, Bishara and Mercy preserve an untold story and give us an opportunity to be eyewitnesses of the still-unfolding tragedy of native Palestinians. You'll never look at Middle East peace in the same way again. – Steve Slocum, author of Why Do They Hate UsEvangelical Christians around the world (and especially in America) need to hear this story. – Brian Zahnd, author of Sinner in the Hands of a Loving God. In a Middle East that is incessantly torn by violence and strife, Bishara shows us that a life immersed in the grace and forgiveness of Jesus is able to overcome hatred and fear. – Dr. Paul Wright, author of Atlas of Bible LandsIf you want a glimpse of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, I implore you to borrow Bishara's Christlike eyes. This story offers empathy to the groans of Palestinians, then advocates for compassion, justice and peacebuilding.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, History, Biography

195 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 20, 2021

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to read a true account about what is going on in the Holy Land , then here it is. Confronting yet hopeful. Loved every word

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet in the Dark Streets Shining is the story of Bishara–which means “the good news/gospel,” a common name for Arab Christians–a fatherless boy who became a father to multitudes by establishing the only evangelical Bible college in the West Bank, a sociopolitical context where everything was arrayed against him. It’s the story of the glow on Khader’s face after he was released from prison, Nawal on her roof praying for the soldiers who patrolled the streets below her home and beat her son, Mubarak teaching children to replant an olive seedling in the soil after it had been yanked up, no matter how many times it was ripped out by its root, the way of Christ–not to pick up a stone or a gun, but instead to arm ourselves with the gospel of peace.

“Every once in a while, we are able to see things from a higher perspective.” God calls us His masterpiece and from a Western mentality, we view this individually. Although this is the story of one man, I was most inspired by the servant leadership of four women. Hind Husseini, a well educated woman who never married but spent her time in philanthropic work, Madame Katy Antonius, a widowed socialite who established an orphanage for boys, and Miss Black who worked at a missionary school for girls and continued praying for her students for 40 years thereafter, only to reconnect with her former student Bishara’s mother Huda.

Huda surrendered her life to Jesus when she was 16 at a revival meeting in Jerusalem held by the Christian Missionary Alliance, the church in which I grew up physically and spiritually! Her “greatest joy in life was to give, regardless of who received her gifts. “Just to be in her presence was to experience…an immersion into trust.” Woven together, these women’s examples collectively “reminds me that God is creating a much bigger picture with” the tapestry of “all of our lives.”

Awad and Aiken’s writing is “sharp but merciful, whetted against the touchstone of Jesus’ words.” I can’t wait to read Aiken’s biography of Jack Sara, the current president of Bethlehem Bible College, and his experience growing up in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem during the First Intifada.

[BJ Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the summer of '22 I had the privilege of living and working in Bethlehem at the college founded by Bishara Awad. It was there that I was introduced to this book. So obviously, I might be a bit biased in my review because I have met and have huge respect for Bishawa Awad. That said, I can tell you that he really is as described in this book.

Yet in the Dark Streets Shining is the biography of a boy whose father was killed as an innocent bystander in the early moments of the '46 Palestinian/Israeli conflict. He then lived as a Palestinian Christian through the later wars and intifadas that plagued this land. Despite such circumstances and injustices, Awad has not only survived but thrived and continued to embody "grace and peace" through every circumstance.

This book is a must-read for any Christian who wants an inspiring example of thriving through the difficulties of life. It would also be a great read for anyone interested in a personal perspective on the history of the Holy land from the Balfour Declaration to the present.

[Judith Forgoston · Rating 5 out of 5]

When this true story about the struggles and resilience of everyday Palestinians was released in 2021, Brian Zahnd endorsed it with these words: "Evangelical Christians around the world (and particularly in America) need to hear Bishara Awad's story."
After the events of October 2023, it is safe to say, "Every person around the world who cares about the fate of the Middle East needs to hear Bishara's story."
Author Mercy Aiken weaves a skillful tapestry of stories of heartbreak, hope, and resilience as we get to know a Palestinian Christian family and their decade-long struggle for peace and forgiveness while being faced with oppression and injustice.
This is not a political book. It's a book about how everything changes when we decide to love our enemies and trust God.

[Kerry Hoke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A soulful Palestinian account of faith and life in the Holy Land before and after the establishment of Israel as a nation. This is one every American Christian should read to broaden their perspective of God’s activity in the world away from America and the American government’s interests. We don’t know how much of our theology is shaped by our nationality until we are confronted with another’s perspective.

[Beth Eastwood Dewing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and stunningly personal in its account of an incredible life and even more incredible faith. To read it while wondering the streets which Awad's own stories tread only added to the privilege of reading it. An essential book

[Anthony Witmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of a Palestinian Christian suffering the loss of their home in 1948 and continued suffering and oppression from the Israelis up till the 2000s. I was blessed by several stories of them literally applying Jesus' teaching of loving their enemies and doing good to those who hurt you. It also shows the weakness of the western evangelical mindset that we need to bless Israel so God blesses us.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the current heartbreaking, horrific and grossly escalated episodes of violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, which must stop, amongst the many cries of suffering that need to be heard (regardless of creed), I wanted to hear from a particular, often relatively quiet and unknown voice: that of Palestinian Christians.

Geopolitical power games, destructive ideologies (often theologies) and evil attach themselves to ancient and modern generational and personal trauma, genuine grievances and existential anxieties, struggles and yearnings for justice, carving evermore deeply the trench that stands in the way of reconciliation. And so it goes on, and on...

In all this, as ever there is a tendency for us outsiders to ‘pick a side’ without nuance, forcing people into faceless categories, othering them and thereby justifying (or at least excusing) violence of all kinds against them. Individual men, women and children get lost in mass stereotype and statistical abstractions.

But for Christian observers (and I’m writing this from that basis, and primarily to that audience), the very existence of Palestinian Christians should undermine trite dualisms.

I was brought up to love Israel - and in way, that still remains. The events of October 7 were heartbreaking (not least of all, hearing the emotional fatigue, strain and anxiety in the voice of a Jewish friend of mine when she messaged me from Israel the day after). The horror of the actions of the Israeli government in response have been devastatingly heartbreaking in a whole new way, as we watch appalled. I could pile on adjectives to try and communicate the shear weight of it all, but language ultimately fails in this regard.

The ideological basis of my up-bringing as it relates to Israel was Christian Zionism (though, of course, I didn't know the term back then - Israel were simply the heroes in the big story). This has required critique as I've carried on my adult walk of faith.

The existence of Palestinian Christians deconstructs Christian Zionism's tendency to view what Israel does as inherently righteous; to constantly frame Israel as the 'good guys'; the racist tendency to see Arab people as bad; the legitimacy of Old Testament tropes of cleansing and punishment through violence against particular people groups; and the tendency to see Palestinians as abstract, faceless and disposable 'extras' in the march toward the fulfilment of 'biblical prophecy'. These people, Arab Christians, who call God ‘Allah’ – the Christian God, if you want to make that distinction – because ‘Allah' is simply the Arabic word for ‘God’. 

Their existence asks western Christians the question, "If you can't love your 'enemies', can you at least love your brothers and sisters?" And through their mouths begin to hear (and proactively honour) the genuine grievances of all Palestinian people (Muslim, Christian or other), and an emergent prophetic voice crying out against injustices in the land.

Their existence also adds nuance to what a Palestinian response might be. Is there a way other than hatred and acts of terrorism? In what follows, you will hear the word ‘forgiveness’ mentioned. When it comes to addressing injustice and trauma, forgiveness can be problematic. I don’t include that material here in a prescriptive or glib way. I include it here because it arises in a Christian perspective. For Palestinian Christians it is a deeply difficult path to walk, and if they choose to walk that path, that is their story to tell.

So, let us set aside our own opinions as observers for a moment in order to listen to stories. This act of truth-telling, leading to grief, leading to – God may we dare to hope – the prophetic imagination, restoration and (for Christians) the dreams of Jesus Christ and all those things about loving our enemies (whoever our enemy might be), and seeing the 'other' as our neighbour, worthy of care, loved as we love ourselves.

Impractical and as unrealistic, or naive, as it may sound in 'real world' situations that, I believe, is the ground Christians are called to hold. Forgive my preaching – it's already taken up too much space. 

And so to this book – as an act of telling the story, and of us listening. Hear the voices of Palestinian Christians before they're utterly and irretrievably scattered from the land, or wiped out under unrelenting bombardment.

Yet in the Dark Streets Shining is the excellent autobiography of Bishara Awad, the Palestinian founder of the Bethlehem Bible College, an Arab (Evangelical) Christian training college in Bethlehem, in the Palestinian West Bank territory – ie, the town where Jesus Christ was born. The book was published in 2021, before the current maelstrom of violence. Awad’s lifetime spans the entire history of the modern state of Israel and his story weaves inextricably with the plight of his people during that time.

He was born in Jerusalem. When he was 8, his father was killed, just outside the front door of the family home as he set out to find food, by an unseen sniper during the fighting of 1948.

In the early days of the First Intifada (beginning in late 1987) his brother, Mubarak Awad, the Christian activist committed to non-violent resistance (now a psychologist in America), was arrested, imprisoned (despite the protests of Jewish peace activists), then forced to leave the country.

Also around this time, a second-year student of the Bible college, named Khader El Yateem (now an activist and Lutheran pastor in America), was arrested without charge by Israeli soldiers. They said he would be released in a few hours, but he was kept in prison in the Negev Desert for 53 days, during which time he was frequently tortured, despite his innocence, in order to gain a confession and kept in inhumane conditions. He was befriended by a young Messianic Jewish soldier named Jonathan (presumably on compulsory military service at the prison) and helped. When he was finally released, he was simply kicked out the door of the prison, at night, to find his own way home through the desert.

Speaking to a group of Bible college students not long after this, Khader said: “If I was committed to my faith before this happened, I am a thousand times more committed now. I am more committed to justice, more committed to peace and dialogue. I want to understand the pain that drives the Israelis to do what they do to us.” Jonathan was later embraced by Khader’s mother and she called him her son.

When the fundamentalist Islamic group Hamas began to emerge as a force within Palestinian politics, sensing the danger of what they could become in regard to violent action (amongst other things, their founding document called for the elimination of Israel), on a number of occasions he accompanied his good friend Brother Andrew (aka ‘God’s smuggler’), who had built a relationship with a number of top Hamas leaders, to a meeting in Gaza in which the two men attempted to preach the gospel of peace to Hamas.

Those and many other stories – not just accounts of life under Israeli rule, but also a lot of inspirational stuff about the Bible College and the journey of faith. Have a read of the book. I want to end this review with a selection of quotes, to let Awad’s own voice be the thing that lingers on in your mind if you’re reading this…

“Later, my brothers and I talked about the disorienting experience of seeing our fellow Christians in other parts of the world rejoicing over the results of the Six Day War, in which it seemed that Bible prophecy was being fulfilled before our very eyes. After the apparent miracle of Israel’s victory over the union of Arab states, I was forced to wonder for the first time if what others were saying was true. Maybe the humiliating and swift defeat of the Arab world was a judgment that God had ruled against us and in favor of Israel. But just as in 1948, it was hard for us to see the war as something that God was behind. As a result of the war, three hundred thousand more Palestinians became refugees outside of the West Bank, some of them for the second time. No. This was not the way of Christ, and I could not accept that he ordained it. I had been in America too long, I decided.”

“Would the global church eventually help to solve the crisis in Palestine and Israel? Or would it continue to pour gasoline on the fire, as so many were doing by looking at our land only through the lens of a violent eschatology?”

“Many were excited to learn of our work but became uncomfortable if we shared too honestly about what we experienced under the occupation. The issues that made it difficult for them to hear us included a lingering guilt regarding antisemitism, political views concerning Israel being an ally of the West, and most potent of all, theological views related to Israel’s identity and role in the ‘end times’. When these three views were simultaneously held, it was very difficult to hold a meaningful conversation.”

“I had begun to develop new friendships with Israelis and was learning more about their perspective and experience. The sufferings of both our peoples seemed to be so deeply embedded in our collective psyches that I wondered how either of us would ever find peace apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.”

“I felt that one of the biggest problems between Jews and Palestinians was that we did not know one another. That is what Mother said from the beginning. We lived in completely different worlds that scarcely touched, and when they did it was almost always within an imbalanced power structure. In any context, whether militarily, politically, or socially (and for some, even theologically) we non-Jews were often cast in a lesser or subservient role. Sometimes it was obvious, such as at a checkpoint. Other times, it was more subtle.

“I knew that before the Lord, each life, whether Christian, Muslim, Jew, or anyone else, was equally precious. Remembering that is what gave me the will to separate my personal experience and that of my people from the higher truth of God’s love for us all. Even so, I told Brother Andrew, I felt that tensions were rising, and Palestinians would soon reach a breaking point.”

“Meanwhile, those of us who live here continue to be collateral damage on the altar of eschatological speculations.”

“Forgiveness had to be more than merely forgetting the past or ignoring the present. Forgiveness, as I understood it, was more like looking into the darkness with hope and compassion, while also working for the reformation of the systems and people that enabled the injustices in the first place.”

“To Christians around the world, we Palestinians do not need your sympathy or charity. We need you to help us work for justice. We need you to rethink your eschatology. We need you to help us end the suffering of the Palestinian people and the suffering of the Israeli people. We ask that when you pray for the peace of Jerusalem, that you will remember all the people of this land in your prayers.”
 
“To all who work for justice and mercy in the Holy Land, whether Christian, Muslim or Jew. May our reward be the friendships of our grandchildren and peace for the generations who follow us.”

For more, and if this has sparked a desire in you, please have a read of the book.

[Emily Buehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually read biographies, but I picked this up after meeting the dad of one of the authors, who told me about the book. The story was compelling from the start. It follows the life of one man, but through him it covers decades of history in Bethlehem and the surrounding area. Instead of the "top level" view you might get from a news report, the book is a first-person, real-life view of events, showing how complicated the situation is. But the narrator is also open-minded, constantly wondering about the viewpoints of those around him, so that the history/news lesson seems well-rounded. I learned a lot.

[Pearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells a moving and eye-opening story of one Palestinian family’s fate after the state of Israel was created in 1948. Bishara Awad was nine years old when the state of Israel was created by British mandate. In order to create this new state about 750,000 Palestinians were displaced. Among them, Bishara’s family. Shortly thereafter his father was shot and killed by a sniper. The family had lived in Musara, a small town just outside the walls of Old Jerusalem, but they were not allowed to live there anymore. So homeless, fatherless and husband-less, Bishara’s mother had to find a way to support her large family. She was an amazing, strong, and courageous woman.

One of the main differences between this story and other stories of displaced Palestinians is that Bishara’s family were/are evangelical Christians. Their mother taught peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness. Such virtues were not heeded by all family members, and by some only occasionally. Bishara recounts the hardship years, the rebellious (i.e, stone-throwing) years, the hungry years, and so forth; but also the fortunate years when foreign missionaries offered financial and emotional assistance, a home, and a way to be educated.

Clearly this was a very intelligent family. Many of them were able to be educated in the United States. Bishara received a B.A. degree in Mathematics and Chemistry from the Dakota Wesleyan University in South Dakota. After teaching in the U.S. for a few years, he was able to attend Missouri State U. where he received a M.A. in Education, and later some Biblical and theological education at a Mennonite Brethren Seminary. But he longed to return to his home in Palestine. And the story grows even more interesting.

He recounts his struggles to establish a Bible College in Bethlehem: who helped him; who opposed him; who was indifferent. Besides securing funding, a major difficulty was being able to move freely in the country – so many check points, so many hassles, so many times turned back. He found that he could travel more easily to Tokyo or New York than he could to Jerusalem!

He is grateful to the many western churches and missionaries who helped secure funding and educators for the Bible College and also records many who didn’t. What hurt Bishara and his colleagues most was western Christian attitudes toward Israel at the expense of the Palestinians. They saw Israel solely in eschatological terms, i.e. the Jews had to return to the Holy Land before the Second Coming could occur; therefore they supported Israel over their Christian brothers and sisters who had lived in Palestine for centuries – it was okay to displace them. And it was okay for the settlers to illegally move into the West Bank territory assigned to Palestinians because that would further the Second Coming.

Despite all the difficulties and setbacks, Bishara and colleagues maintained their hope and faith. The college and the ancillary services for the youth still operate, although Bishara retired recently. There’s an interesting chapter on the initial beginning of Hamas and other events that have been in the news. The story is simply told, but it's a story from a view point we don’t often hear, and it’s well worth becoming familiar with.

Mercy Aiken, the co-author, is an American who spent a few volunteer years with the Bethlehem Bible College in Palestine. She lives in Arizona.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend, the late Raji Khair, who was my age (12) when we became pen-pals through my brother, who had spent time with him and his family in Beit Sahour, could have written these words from Yet in the Dark Streets Shining:

I was too young, [in 1949], to recognize the irony: even though we were Christians, much of the Christian world had washed its hands of us. The “Jewish problem” had become the “Palestinian problem.” (p. 40)

Like me, Raji was less than a year old when immigrants “streamed into the new state of Israel . . . and moved into the homes of the newly created Palestinian refugees.” Yet because he and I spent a weekend together when we were forty, I learned about the struggles of Palestinians. His stories inspired the first part of my book, From the Lives We Knew (2015).

The year I released my book, Mercy Aiken moved from Arizona to Bethlehem as a volunteer worker at Bethlehem Bible College, and I started following her eloquent, poignant posts on Facebook about her experiences there. I was a year or two overdue in reading her book, the collaborative autobiography of the founder of Bethlehem Bible College, Bishara Awad. Somehow, though, my timing was perfect because this book illuminates so much of what has happened in Palestine and Israel since October 7, 2023.

I confess I had to let go of my reluctance to interpret experiences as divine activity rather than mere coincidence or good luck. A die-hard skeptic would struggle to process the explanations of unexpected outcomes as miraculous, but I quickly came to appreciate Bishara Awad’s faith and gratitude.

As I was reading, I also searched out additional details on his family members—particularly his brother Mubarak Awad, an internationally recognized peacemaker. Mubarak’s passion for peace and justice came from his experiences in Cleveland, Tennessee as a college student during the American Civil Rights movement.

Although Bishara Awad shares his stories with tones of hope and joy, and with love for all people, including Israelis and Hamas, his accounts are heartbreaking. I want you to read them, so I won’t attempt a summary or a list of examples here.

In addition to the sadness of these stories, you may feel disgust at the power of the Zionistic narrative among Western evangelical Christians, who earnestly believe God wants to drive the Palestinians out of their homeland, the land where Christians have lived since the time of Jesus. This belief, along with the strategic role of Israel among the oil-rich Arab nations, has shaped U.S. foreign policy. It has also prevented Christians from feeling curious, much less empathetic, about the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Many Americans don’t even know there are Christians among the Palestinians.

Please read this book all the way to the last appeal:

To Christians around the world, we Palestinians do not need your sympathy or charity. We need you to help us work for justice. We need you to rethink your eschatology. We need you to help us end the suffering of the Palestinian people and the suffering of the Israeli people. We ask that when you pray for the peace of Jerusalem, that you will remember all the people of this land in your prayers.

[Avril · Rating 5 out of 5]

The death of one man is a tragedy; the death of millions is a statistic, as Josef Stalin probably did not say. When it comes to the Israel-Palestine conflict the attitude of the Western world seems to be that the death of a single Jewish Israeli is a tragedy; the deaths of thousands of Palestinians are the unfortunate results of a necessary war.

This story of the family of Elias Awad, descended from Maronite Christians, and his wife Huda Kuttab, born into a Greek Orthodox family but supported by evangelical Protestant missionaries after her father's death, gives human faces to Palestinian statistics. Bishara Awad, the founder of the Bethlehem Bible College, was born on the day World War Two began. He was eight when an Israeli sniper shot his father during the violence that Jewish Israelis call the War of Independence and Palestinians call the Nakba, the Catastrophe. After Elias’ death the Awad family fled their home in West Jerusalem, assuming that it was only for a little time. Seventy-six years later they are still unable to return.

Since his saintly mother forgave her husband’s killers, Bishara pretended to do the same. ‘Wanting to be a good Christian, I would spend the first half of my life unconscious of my anger, putting a smile on my face that would hide my wound even from myself.’ It took years for Bishara to recognize his own rage, his hatred of Israelis, and his deep sorrow that the world’s Christians ignored the oppression of Palestinians. Only after acknowledging the truth of his trauma was Bishara able to experience the compassion of Christ for both Palestinians and Jewish Israelis. Daily Bishara now chooses to forgive, to look into the darkness with hope and love, desiring God’s best for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

Bishara writes that three issues make it difficult for Western Christians to listen to Palestinians: guilt over Christian antisemitism; belief in Israel as an ally of the West; and, most potently, Christian Zionism, the belief that the State of Israel is the fulfilment of prophecy and a harbinger of the eschaton.

Parts of this story are profoundly hard to read while watching the destruction of Gaza. Bishara has a lyrical description of falling in love with his wife Salwa there, in a rich agricultural land filled with groves of citrus and other fruit trees, where flowers climbed on buildings and jasmine scented the air. Bishara’s description of his family’s situation during the Nakba mirrors the images we now see of Gazans desperately seeking safety in Rafah. Most members of the Awad family now live overseas; will this happen to today’s internally displaced Gazans?

[John Sagherian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had met Bishara Awad and his brother, Alex, at some gathering many years ago. Bishara was the founder and president of the Bethlehem Bible College. I just read his story in his book, “Yet in the Dark Streets Shining: A Palestinian Story of Hope & Resilience in Bethlehem”, in which he tells about his childhood, his life experiences, and his family, he tells how his father was killed, and how he learned to forgive.

At times the book will make you angry and sad (it should!); but I also hope that at other times it will bless and inspire you. Life is never simple or easy. It’s how we respond to it and navigate it, that defines us. One of the last chapters, titled “Unto Us A Child is Born” starts with this sentence, “If the gospel is truly good news, then it must be good news for everyone. I would like to ask…: where is the good news for us Palestinians?”

As another writer and professor wrote on the back cover of the book, “This is a story that is as riveting as it is historically important.” If you want to know more about what’s going on in the Middle East seen through the eyes a local Christian leader, I highly recommend this book. It’s not necessarily enjoyable, but it will touch you deeply. Written with grace and honesty, it’s a book that needs to be read, especially these days.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never given any thought to other faiths existing in Palestine. The conflict over there is too awful to think about, but think about it I did and in doing so discovered there is a small (by comparison) but vibrant Christian community in Palestine. This memoir biography is written like a novel so it is easy to read. It is a book which tells the struggles of ordinary Palestinians from the late 1940s to 2000. The current conflict is not mentioned in this book (it hadn't occurred yet). The story is of Bishara Awad from his childhood to his retirement. He is an evangelical Christian as is all his family, siblings and his own family. He is the founder of the Bethlehem Bible College, which is still operating today. He writes of the struggles and challenges the Palestinian people faced during the set up of Israel, the 6 day war, the west bank , the Gaza strip, the Oslo Accord, the various PMs in Israel and much more. His family had their home stolen from them one night, having just hours to escape - but where to? The escapes, the sheltering, the hiding just goes on and on for these people of Palestine. And this is not even talking about the current situation. The author has a deep love for all his Arab people: Palestinian, Jew, Muslim, Christian. His aim is to show the love of Jesus to all, and without forgiveness ones heart will remain hard. It is difficult to keep track of the history of those lands unless you are born into them. I found the geography, the coming and going here and there, trying to figure out which parts belonged to who and when they could ocme and go, it was like trying to navigate a maze. This book is must read for Christians wondering about the Israel/Palestine situation. From an honest and believable author the words are challenging.

[Carianna Gibb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know if I can put into words how much I loved this book. It is easily in the top 5 books I've ever read. I also had the privilege of reading it alongside some ladies from my church which made it extra special. Bishara's story is easily digestible, beautiful, heartbreaking, and filled with God's providence. This book gives you a mini history lesson on Israel-Palestine since 1948 as well as Bishara's personal story of living through that history. He writes about his various encounters and conversations with Christians around the world- particularly focusing on fellow evangelicals who have Christian Zionist leanings and views. Bishara is gentle and "walks slowly." For this reason I would highly recommend this book for every Christian out there. Whether you would identify as a Christian Zionist yourself, are starting to question some beliefs you grew up with about the state of Israel, or are tackling conversations with loved ones who have never thought of the Palestinian Christian perspective before, this book is for you.

"His upside-down reign was a sure and certain kingdom that, as we participate in it, turns the world right-side up and transforms everything back into its truest image."

[Elisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that is going to take me awhile to fully process. It is a partial biography of Bishara Awad, the founder of Bethlehem Bible College. I was somewhat familiar with the college through the writings of Brother Andrew (I've previously read his books "Light Force", "Secret Believers" and his original book "God's Smuggler").

This book is a stark, important look at the plight of Palestinian Christians. It challenged things that, as an American Christian, I was brought up to believe about Israel, the Promised Land, etc. There were perspectives that were shared that I had never heard before. The best thing is that this book drove me deeper into Scripture. As I finished this book one passage of Scripture that kept coming to mind was Acts 10 where a sheet is lowered from Heaven and Peter is told not to call things unclean that God has called clean; to go minister to the Gentiles...even the Romans, who were the oppressors of Israel.

There's so much more in my mind about this book that I am still processing...

[Laura-Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Palestine" is not a traditional first name and is primarily known as a region with a long history, derived from the Philistines and first documented by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus in the 5th century BCE. The term was later adopted and used administratively by the Romans in the 2nd century CE to form the province of Syria Palaestina".

That's the PHILISTINES, People. Not ARABS.

THE ARABS didn't show up as a group of people in Israel until 1959 in Gaza.

There is no such thing as Palestine or Palestinians.

This author is either clueless or purposely deceiving people to a Pro "Palestinian' agenda. Judging from the author's Arab name, guess which one I'm chosing.

Jesus is JEWISH.From the tribe of Judah and the line of King David. God gave Israel (ALL OF IT) to the JEWISH people who are descendants of Abraham, Isaac and JACOB. (Not ISHMAEL)

Read YOUR Bible. Know the FACTS and don't be deceived by propaganda disguised as Christian fiction.

The Truth with Love Always Laura-Lee

[Fayelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

It's a little breathtaking to remember this is the story of so much history and, simultaneously, the story of a family, a life. We can't separate the sweeping view of ancient history and the realities of modern life. They go hand in hand.

I really am glad to have read this. Such a greater understanding of the history and also current hardships and beauty of Palestine.

“Ahab and Jezebel’s greed is the story of what happens to many people when they come into power. Not just here in Palestine and Israel, but all over the world. Whenever people of humble position are threatened by wealthy interests, they are like Naboth. Vulnerable people have struggled throughout history to hold on to their own homes and springs of water, their lands, and families, even their very lives. And wherever the rich and powerful disregard or exploit the rights and humanity of the poor, they are like Ahab and Jezebel."

[Clara Shearer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential reading for American Christians. Before you can have an opinion on the conflict in the Middle East, it is critical that you at least take some time to listen to the appeals of Christians in Palestine and understand the history of the Christian community there. Bishara Awad is a Christian who survived the Nakba in 1948. While not all of his loved ones survived, he carries through his life an incredible sense of peace and love for all people, even those who committed terrible injustices to his community. Christians in America are directly involved in this conflict with our tax dollars and votes. This is a struggle for the sanctity of human life that has existed for over 75 years now. It's important that we listen to our brothers and sisters in Christ internationally that are affected by it.

[Jeff Berger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bishara Awad, a Palestinian Evangelical Christian and the founder of Bethlehem Bible College, shares the story of growing up in Jerusalem during the tumultuous days of modern Israel's founding. His father (a non-combatant) was killed during the 1948 war, his family suffered the loss of their home, and he and his brother lived much of their childhood in an orphanage, separated from their mother and other siblings. Yet inspired by the incredible, Christ-like faith of his mother, Bishara was transformed by the love of Christ, even for His enemies. Most Americans don't realize that the Christians of the Holy Land are almost all Arab, like Bishara and his family. This memoir is enlightening; it shows the other side of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and shows a better way forward.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really is a story of hope. It is easy to read and is an honest account of growing up in Palestine near Bethlehem where political tensions and military occupation affect life in ways that we in the West are often unaware of. A good first hand account which gives a good background to the current conflict between Israel and Palestine. Bishara Awad talks honestly of the anger he carried for many years towards the regime which shot his father and how forgiveness came through knowing Jesus. His story and how events have affected his whole family really is a light in the darkness. Everyone should read this.

[Yohanna Katanacho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

The book provides an oasis of love, forgiveness, and peace in the midst of hatred and animosity. Through the story of Bishara Awad we encounter the Christ who loves both Palestinians and Israelis. We encounter in the book a life full of the presence of God and consequently we are challenged to be peacemakers who are committed to promote justice and love for the sake of the kingdom of God.

[Kathryn Judson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of some of the Christians in Palestine who aim to live out the peaceful teachings of Christ Jesus despite horrible situations and staggering losses. It's inspiring, and heartbreaking, and full of hope.

For those of you who know about Brother Andrew, you will find him featured in this story, by the way.

[Laura Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a timely read. This certainly changed my perspective on the complexities of the situation in the land of Israel. A few years ago I moved on from being Dispensational in my eschatology (and all theology for that matter). Dispensationalism seems to be the dominate view in broad evangelicalism in America, even permeating people’s political views. This book will challenge that.

[Karen Berndt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written book giving a picture of the Award families life in Palestine.
Learning a little more about the narrative between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mercy has done a fabulous job of helping Bishara tell his story. It does not at all read as anything but authentic and the stories are important to be told and heard and told again.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening. Thy faith is strong.

[Rob Gerhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valuable history

An inspiring story giving a deeper understanding of the complexities in the Holy Land. My eyes were opened and my heart was touched.

[Emily Brenneman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. An honest, heart-wrenching, and brave story every Christian should read.

[Dani Quickley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intimate first hand portrayal of the plight of the Palestinian people, a side we rarely get to see in this country.