Palestinian scholar Yohanna Katanacho, who spoke at the excellent BMS Catalyst Live event in Reading, UK in 2013, offered a way forward in this conflict that was saturated in forgiveness whilst living a reality of pain and persecution.I met Yohanna and his family whilst visiting Nazareth in 2013, and found in him a humility of steel that comes with being called by God to speak Gospel truth into any given context.
He penned a poem called ‘Cry With Us’ that reads like a prayer of sanity, humanity and faith:
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“This is a season of weeping and mourning, but it is not void of hope.
Our tears are the bridge between brutality and humanity;
our tears are the salty gates for seeing a different reality;
our tears are facing soulless nations and a parched mentality;
our tears are the dam preventing rivers of animosity.
For the sake of the mourning men, cry with us to reflect your amity.
For the sake of the poor children, cry with us demanding sanity.
For the sake of lamenting mothers, refuse violence and stupidity.
Love your enemies and cry with them is the advice of divinity.
Bless those who curse is the path to genuine spirituality.
Pour tears of mercy; compassion is true piety.
Pray with tears, for the sake of spreading equity.
Followers of Jesus: crying is now our responsibility.
But don’t cry for your friends only;
but also for your Enemy.”
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And all God’s people said “Amen!”
Gralefrit Theology 
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