Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here, he has risen! Luke 24:5-6.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Once again it is that glorious Eastertide when the hearts and minds of all Christians return to Jerusalem. It is the time of resurrection when Christian hope marks us all. In our sorrow and suffering, we turn to the miraculous and triumphant happenings of Easter Sunday and we are heartened by God’s promise of spiritual renewal. We are reminded that when all looks lost and dead, redemption and revitalization await! Rejoice, it is Easter! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
On behalf of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF), I send my special greetings to all those working to sustain and strengthen the body of Christ in the Holy Land. These are indeed very difficult days for Palestinian Christians. The tensions of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict touch every aspect of life—political, economic, social and spiritual.
Despite the crushing circumstances all around them, Christians of the Holy Land have taken courage and hope from the eternal Easter message of God’s providence in His good time.
Let us stand beside our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land and the whole Middle East by sending up our prayers for their redemption and revitalization. Let us all join together—Christians in the Holy Land and Christians throughout the world—in celebration of the greatest act of human history, Christ’s resurrection and God’s eternal and forgiving Grace.
In Christ’s Service,
Rateb Y. Rabie, KCHS
HCEF president and CEO
