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"We are a forgotten faithful, but not by the Lord."

Bishara Awad

An Arab Christian community has existed in this land since the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2). Palestine and much of the Middle East were predominantly Christian during the Byzantine era. In spite of 2,000 years of wars and unrest, we see the faithfulness of the Lord in keeping for himself a living witness here.

By some estimates, the number of Arab Christians in the entire Middle East is 16 million, less than 7 percent of the total Arabic population. We are a forgotten faithful, but not by the Lord. An important head of state, also a Muslim, once put it this way: "It is important to keep the Arab Christians in the Middle East; they are the glue that holds the community together."

In the Holy Land, the situation is more precarious, with the percentage of Palestinian Christians today being less than 2 percent. This is a tragic drop from 17 percent at the turn of the century.

As a Christian who was born in the Holy Land and who can trace my ancestors back several hundred years, I don't feel that this land is only mine. People of all nationalities have deep spiritual, historical, and emotional ties to this land—the cradle of Christianity and Judaism. Pilgrims come from all parts of the world to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, to see the empty tomb, and to revitalize their faith in their Lord and Savior.

A colorful spectrum of churches comprises the Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land. Members of the historical churches—namely, the Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, and Latin Catholic—take pride in tracing their heritage back to the earliest church. Their monasteries, cathedrals, and churches stand as a physical timeline of their faithfulness to the Christian witness. In addition, the Protestant and evangelical churches are making their impact in this land. Most of these churches were started in the eighteenth century by Western missionaries. Baptists, Pentecostals, Nazarenes, Missionary Alliance, and other evangelicals work together as if they are one congregation. Their small numbers and the great challenges facing them draw them to each other as they serve their one Lord.

In keeping with the example set before them by the first church, Palestinian Christians have always been on the forefront in providing charitable relief to the needy. In 1948, an estimated 750,000 Palestinians were forced out of their homeland and became refugees. Today, 20 refugee camps are home to over a million people. All Palestinians, both Christians and Muslims, are restricted to tiny areas of land within the West Bank. This continues to have devastating effects upon the Palestinian economy. Palestinian Christians, in cooperation with the church worldwide, are working to alleviate this suffering.

The church's influence is also felt through the spiritual encouragement it brings to the surrounding communities. Presently, under the Palestinian National Authority, the church has many opportunities to present the good news to the lost. Palestinian Christians freely distribute Christian literature, hold Bible studies, do correspondence courses, and advertise in the local papers. On several occasions, the Jesus film has been broadcast in prime time on Palestinian public television. Recently, in Bethlehem, an evangelical church was allowed to begin broadcasting Christian programs from its own local radio station. Soon the same church will have its own Christian television station. We praise God for these and many other opportunities. We see this as a clear signal that under the Palestinian Authority freedom of religious expression is tolerated—which is quite the opposite of rumors that the Palestinian Authority is persecuting Christians.

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November 16 1998, Vol. 42, No. 13