Discussing a Theology of the Land

Evangelical Christians from several denominations, including more than a dozen representatives from the Christian Reformed Church, recently met at a conference to discuss a theology of the land that is keeping Palestinians imprisoned by a tall, impenetrable wall.

Christians from Palestine, Israel, the U.S., and elsewhere attended the conference, which ran December 4-6 in Philadelphia, and “talked about the practical issues at play in the Holy Land,” says Mariano Avila, coordinator of Hope Equals, an educational and peacemaking ministry of Christian Reformed World Missions.

Participants also discussed how to reconcile opposing views of who holds claim to the land, and how Christians can “act justly and be good allies to our Christian brothers and sisters in Palestine,” says Avila.

Attending the conference were a few Messianic Jews, Christian Zionists, and evangelical dispensationalists.

They believe that God forged a covenant with the Jews in the Old Testament, giving them much of the land that now comprises Israel in Palestine. They also believe that this covenant remains unchanged in the new "dispensation" of the New Testament times.

Despite the polarity of their views, discussion between the groups, over sandwiches and coffee,  “was cordial, respectful and friendly, the way Christian discourse should always be," says Avila.

Avila has led Hope Equals groups on tours to see firsthand the tensions at play in the Middle East caused, he says, by a dispensationalist theology of the land.

During the journeys, they have visited communities that are divided by a tall wall that Israel erected to keep Palestinian out of Israel.

The purpose of Hope Equals, says Avila, is to connect North American students and activists in the CRC and beyond to peacemakers working on ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

"This occupation hurts both Israelis and Palestinians, but is especially destructive for the Palestinian church which has shrunk from 25 percent of the population in 1948, to less than two percent today.”

In its Holy Land tours, at such conferences as  Impact Holy Land, and in other events and activities, Hope Equals wants to stand with Palestinian Christians as allies in Christ.

"But to do that with integrity we need to hear from them how best to do so,” says Avila, adding that the conference allowed some of that to take place.

Since many of the young people who are part of Hope Equals cannot afford to take a trip to the Holy Land, some were able to make it to Philadelphia, where they found lodging in a local CRC.

Impact Holy Land is an offshoot of, and explored many of the same topics as two Christ at the Checkpoint conferences previously held in Bethlehem, where the Bible says Christ was born in a stable.

The number of people attending Impact Holy Land was large enough to make it feel like a formal event, "but small enough to feel like a congregation of friends," says Avila.

Among those speaking at the conference were Bishop Elias Chacour, a Palestinian church official, Tony Campolo, a pastor, sociologist and commentator, and Shane Claiborne, an activist and author.

Attendees to the conference had the opportunity on Friday evening, Dec. 6 to take part in communion.

Between 200-250 people took part in this service, moving down the aisles of a historic Quaker church in downtown Philadelphia, seeking to celebrate their ability to speak honestly about a theology that is controversial.

Avila says the conference “was a shot in the arm, a rekindling of good friendships and a morale boost.”

Especially meeting again with Palestinian Christians was important.

“Seeing their hope despite their suffering makes even my most cynical moments somewhat hopeful, but in my better moments my Palestinian family in Christ makes me feel inspired.”