We
Belong to the Land:
the story of a Palestinian Israeli who lives for peace and reconciliation
by
Elias Chacour and Mary E. Jensen
This is the story of Elias Chacour, a Melkite Catholic priest,
and his ministry in the small Galilee village of Ibillin and beyond.
Reading this book, three things become very quickly apparent about
Elias Chacour –
1) his passionate
love for Jesus,
2) his love
for the Palestinian people,
3) his
desire to see the Jewish and
Arab people reconciled.
Arab people reconciled.
Woven together through this book are the story of Elias Chacour’s life
and the story of the Palestinian people. Elias Checour was born to a Palestinian Christian
family in the village of Biram in Upper Galilee in 1939. Along with his whole
village he experienced the tragedy of eviction by the Israeli authorities in
1948 and became a refugee in his own land. He and all his family members became
citizens of Israel when the state was created.
In 1965, Father Chacour was
ordained and appointed as priest of St. George Melkite Catholic Church in
Ibillin. Father Chacour realised early on that his work in Ibillin would
require more than routine priestly duties. He knew that the only way for
Palestinian people to flourish was through education. Through his efforts and
leadership, a pre-school, a village library and a secondary school were set up
to serve the children of the village.
His vision was that through
education, children and young adults of different faith traditions – Christian,
Muslim, Jewish and Druze – should learn to live and work together in peace. He
has traveled around the world with this message and, alongside the secondary school, a peace centre was built in Ibillin for international visitors to stay and
join in this ministry.
This book is a reminder
that there is an ancient Christian church in the Middle East. Although for many
Christian Arabs their faith may be nominal and inherited, for many their faith
is living and vibrant. The outward form may appear archaic and formal to those
of us who are more used to a “modern” or informal expression of our faith.
Nevertheless, for many their devotion to Jesus and understanding of his
teaching is beyond question.
