Journey through the Storm

Salim J. Munayer

Description

From wars and ethnic strife to religious tensions and cultural misunderstandings, conflict is an ongoing reality in our world. Yet complacency and acceptance are not options for Christians called to forgiveness, transformation, and the holy work of loving our neighbors. Rather, we must choose the radical, demanding, and difficult work of reconciliation.
Journey through the Storm unpacks Musalaha’s thirty years of practical experience building bridges, healing division, and following Christ in the context of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Composed of essays, curriculum excerpts, interviews, and real-life testimonies, this collection offers insight into the theory, theology, and application of Musalaha’s six stages of reconciliation. It is a powerful, hopeful, and deeply realistic look at the demands and rewards of transforming the “other” into a neighbor and an enemy into a friend.

Informations

• Publié par: Langham Creative Projects
• Date de parution: 07 décembre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781839730245
• Langue: English

Extrait

In a world of division, hostility, anger, and violence, we wonder about and ache for hope. What might hope look like? What would it require? Who are the people who might be hope’s agents? What must they do or not do? Why?
For decades now, Dr. Salim Munayer, Founder and Executive Director of Musalaha, has lived, breathed, and enacted responses to such questions. Not only that, he and those who have joined him have done so in the context of one of most intensely divided and hostile regions in the world. In Palestine, religious, political, social, and economic conflicts are rife and the mood is either hot or hotter.
This collection of essays about reconciliation couldn’t be more important. They are expressions of sobering hope. These writers’ voices and angles of wisdom arise from living into the fierce intersection of layered, protracted conflict, and doing so as ministers of reconciliation.
I urge you to absorb these essays, to pray that you will think carefully and critically about them, and that you will let your life and actions become manifestations of such justice, reconciliation, and hope.
Mark Labberton, PhD
President,
Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California, USA
This book is essential for any person who is interested in reconciliation, peace-building, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The experience, insight, and reflection of Musalaha is relevant to any context. The concept of “stages of reconciliation,” which I have used in my teaching and in my personal life, is particularly helpful. Moreover, this book truly challenges us to view the “other” in a different way, encouraging us to question our identity construction in relation to those around us. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to make a positive change to situations of conflict, be that in the Holy Land or elsewhere.
Shireen Awwad Hilal
Director of Community and Development Outreach,
Bethlehem Bible College, Palestine
The stages of reconciliation addressed in the book have been profoundly transformative in my life. From the initial exhilaration of finding brothers and sisters from “the other side,” to the frustration and despair of confronting disparate narratives, the experience has been deepening and enriching, while providing a healthy dose of humility. Moreover, I have found a treasure of friends and confidants with whom I share the challenges of living within the tension of “both/and” rather than “either/or.” I will go so far as to say that this journey may provide hope for our shared futures. This book is highly recommended.

Rittie Katz, MEd
Life Coach and Author
Teacher, Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance
Journey through the Storm is a must-read for all who work for reconciliation in our troubled world. Being in the ministry of reconciliation for decades in one of the most critical areas on earth – Israel and Palestine – is a reason in itself to account for God´s blessing. The model which Musalaha developed through the years has proven to be both successful and challenging at the same time. And the experience of Musalaha generates hope at all checkpoints of conflict and war throughout the world. I hope the book will be read by many.
Johannes Reimer, DTh
Director of Peace and Reconciliation Network,
World Evangelical Alliance

Journey Through the Storm
Lessons from Musalaha Ministry of Reconciliation
Edited by
Salim J. Munayer

© 2020 Musalaha Ministry of Reconciliation
Published 2020 by Langham Global Library
An imprint of Langham Publishing
www.langhampublishing.org
Langham Publishing and its imprints are a ministry of Langham Partnership
Langham Partnership
PO Box 296, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 9WZ, UK
www.langham.org
Previously published in 2018 by Musalaha Ministry of Reconciliation: ISBN 978-9-65555-549-3
ISBNs:
978-1-83973-023-8 Print
978-1-83973-024-5 ePub
978-1-83973-025-2 Mobi
978-1-83973-026-9 PDF
Salim J. Munayer hereby asserts his moral right to be identified as the Author of the General Editor’s part in the Work in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher or the Copyright Licensing Agency.
Requests to reuse content from Langham Publishing are processed through PLSclear. Please visit www.plsclear.com to complete your request.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scriptures labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-83973-023-8
Cover & Book Design: projectluz.com
Langham Partnership actively supports theological dialogue and an author’s right to publish but does not necessarily endorse the views and opinions set forth here or in works referenced within this publication, nor can we guarantee technical and grammatical correctness. Langham Partnership does not accept any responsibility or liability to persons or property as a consequence of the reading, use or interpretation of its published content.

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Contents

Cover


Foreword


Preface


1 Introduction to Musalaha: A Conversation


2 An Interview with Salim J. Munayer


3 The Stages of Reconciliation


Stage One: Beginning Relationships


Stage Two: Opening Up


Stage Three: Withdrawal


Stage Four: Reclaiming Identity


Pivotal Point: Who Remains?


Stage Five: Committing and Returning


Stage Six: Taking Steps


Conclusion


Stage One Beginning Relationships


4 Conflict


What Is Conflict?


Intergroup Conflict


From Intergroup Conflict to Intractable Conflict


Conflict Transformation


5 The Voice of Vision


6 The Transformative Power of Conflict


7 Listening


Listening: Tell Me Again, I Want to Hear You


Attending: Try Me Again, I’m Listening


Hearing: I Want to Hear; I Want to Be Heard


Leveling: I Want Equality; I Will Hear You Equally


Risking: I Want to Know You; I Want to Be Known


Caring: I Will Value You as I Want to Be Valued


8 Women’s Narrative: The Art of Listening


Stage Two Opening Up


9 Identity in Conflict and Reconciliation


What Is Identity?


What Are the Main Components of Identity?


Why Is It Important?


Conclusion


10 Mixing Oil and Water: A Messianic Jewish Perspective


11 History and Narrative


What Is History? What Is Narrative?


Elements of Narrative


Bridging the Gap: Narrative and History in Conflict


12 Fellowship: Breaking the Taboo


13 Obstacles to Reconciliation


Ideological Obstacles


Physical Obstacles


Emotional Obstacles


Psychological Obstacles


Conclusion


Stage Three Withdrawal


14 Forgiveness


Understanding Our Complicity in Contributing to the Conflict


Understanding the Function of Hurt and Anger


Intrapsychic/Therapeutic Forgiveness


Intergroup Forgiveness


When Forgiveness Is Not Offered or Accepted


15 Teaching Israelis and Palestinians Forgiveness


16 Fighting the Fear: What Are We So Afraid Of?


17 Vengeance Is Mine? Breaking the Cycle of Violence


18 Healing Brokenness


Stage Four Reclaiming Identity


19 Returning to Identity


Identity in Conflict (or How Conflict Distorts our Identity)


Learning to Embrace the Other


Conclusion


20 Imposing, Expressing, and Enlarging Identity


21 Remembering Rightly


The Importance of Remembering


The Shortcomings of Memory


Redemption in Memory


Truth in Memory


Remembrance and Non-Remembrance


Conclusion


Stage Five Committing and Returning


22 Dealing with Discouragement


Practical Steps for Dealing with Discouragement


Conclusion


23 Patient Hope for Reconciliation


24 Justice