December 14, 2017

O Jerusalem! If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes… آه يا أورشليم! يا قدسُ! لَيتَكِ عرَفْتِ اليومَ طريقَ السَّلام! ولكِنَّه الآنَ مَحجوبٌ عن عَينَيكِ… بقلم مرتان عقّاد

By Martin Accad These were Jesus’ words of lament, as he entered the city of Jerusalem, where shortly after he would meet his death on a Roman cross. The apostle Luke tells us in his account that Jesus wept over the city. But why did he weep?
November 30, 2017

The Sufferari: Rethinking Humanitarian Tourism السفاري إلى أرض المعاناة: إعادة النظر في السياحة الإنسانية

By Brent Hamoud Landscapes throughout the MENA region have been transformed by unfolding crises of forced migration. This is especially the case in Lebanon. An estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees reside within its borders adding layers of dimension to long-existing populations of displacement.[i] Many Syrian refugees reside in informal tented settlements. […]
May 11, 2017

It Is the Centenary, but No One Is Celebrating!

By Elias Ghazal One hundred years ago, on November 2nd, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, Lord Balfour, issued a letter on behalf of his government that favors the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. Perceived as a fair resolution to Jewish persecution in […]
May 4, 2017

Biblical Peace begins at Home: Challenging Common Notions of Peace in the Global Church

By Martin Accad In his significant visit to Cairo, Egypt, last week, Pope Francis delicately tackled a whole series of sensitive issues in the gracious way that has become his trademark. Many conservatives, both Christian and Muslim, were nervous about his visit. Christian conservatives feared that he would lean over […]
April 27, 2017

Middle East Consulation 2017 – The Church in Disorienting Times: Leading Prophetically through Adversity

CLICK HERE TO APPLY Places at MEC 2017 are filling up fast. If you are planning to attend MEC this year, and have yet to apply [or have had your application approved but have not gone on to register] please do so as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. IMES’ […]
March 9, 2017

Defacing the Image of God: The Children of War and Our Collective Human Failure

By Jesse Wheeler “For what purpose do we older folks exist than to care for, instruct and bring up the young?” – Martin Luther[1] The Children of War Martin Luther, the justifiably controversial father of the protestant reformation, poses the above question with regard to our collective reason for being. […]
January 26, 2017

Israel-Palestine: The Church Needs to Reclaim Judeo-Christian Values

By Wissam al-Saliby On September 11, 2016, my baby girl Nour was born. Two weeks later in Jerusalem, my Palestinian friend Hassan Karajah became a dad, too. His wife gave birth to twin baby girls, Sarai and Kenza. However, Hassan has not yet had the pleasure of holding and cuddling […]
December 8, 2016

Kerygmatic Peacebuilding (Part 1): What Does Religion Have to do with Peace?

By Jesse Wheeler One reason, among many, I love working at IMES is its heartfelt commitment to peacebuilding and peace education. Yet, in the course of our work, we have often encountered opposition with regard to the task of building peace and its relevance for Christian life and service. As […]