This is my last Stepping Out of the Boat blog post. I am back in Scotland having said a bitter-sweet goodbye to colleagues and friends in Tiberias, Jerusalem and beyond. It is a momentous week for other much bigger reasons too. On 7th October the two-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on festival goers andContinue reading “Not done yet…”
Tag Archives: Gaza
Call for Peace
Pope Francis’ last plea for peace Many stories have been told about the piety and pastoral faithfulness of the late Pope Francis, but the story of his almost nightly conversations with Father Romanelli and the people of Holy Family Church in Gaza gives insight not only into Pope Francis and his priorities, but also makesContinue reading “Call for Peace”
Humanitarian Call for Ceasefire Now
‘Protect civilians. Facilitate aid. Release hostages. Renew a ceasefire.’ This is the final line in an unprecedented press release issued by heads of OCHA, UNICEF, UNOPS, UNWRA, WFP and WHO on 7th April 2025. The whole press statement makes really grim reading, detailing the urgent and overwhelming humanitarian need in Gaza. ‘For over a month,Continue reading “Humanitarian Call for Ceasefire Now”
A picture worth a thousand words
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. The image of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, in a clean white coat, walking through the rubble of northern Gaza on December 27th 2024 towards an Israeli tank, is such an image. Dr Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, refused to leave until the lastContinue reading “A picture worth a thousand words”
What’s in a Symbol?
A keffiyeh. The media focussed on a keffiyeh which had been tucked at the last minute around the manger scene from Bethlehem which was blessed at the Vatican by the Pope on the 7th December 2024. And the manger and the keffiyeh and the baby were removed following representation from various lobby groups who claimedContinue reading “What’s in a Symbol?”
Remember their names
Graham and Anne Bryce https://www.justgiving.com/page/brycesonbikes are cycling from Glasgow in Scotland, hoping to reach Bethlehem in the occupied Palestinian territory. They will pause in Greece and assess the current situation before deciding how to continue. As they cycle, each day they post a short reflection on Tiktok and Instagram where they read out the namesContinue reading “Remember their names”
Tell My Story
On October 11th last year I was meant to travel to Gaza along with my colleagues Stewart Gillan, minister of St Andrew’s Jerusalem and Doug Dicks, our Ecumenical Associate, who has worked here in Israel/Palestine for many years with the Presbyterian Church of the USA. The Department of Services to Palestinian Refugees (DSPR), part ofContinue reading “Tell My Story”
The Power of One…
Today at St George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem the funeral will take place of Salwa Duaibis a Palestinian Christian who has worked tirelessly with the organization Military Court Watch (MCW). I met her briefly at a recent garden party at the British Consulate in Jerusalem. She was lovely. Very kind, very compassionate, and very tired. RevContinue reading “The Power of One…”
When the world was dark…
The manger scene in Christmas Church Bethlehem this year has the Christ child among the rubble. ‘Beloved, in these difficult times let us comfort ourselves with God’s presence amid pain, and even amid death, for Jesus is no stranger to pain, arrest, torture, and death. He walks with us in our pain. God is underContinue reading “When the world was dark…”
A future not theirs
Full disclosure: I’ve not yet been to Gaza, though hope to visit in the Autumn. Following last week’s aerial bombardment, I’ve been reading and thinking about the place a lot. And I want to focus on the children. As I said in my last blog, Gaza is a tiny strip of land with a borderContinue reading “A future not theirs”
Stepping out of the boat... 