Rev. Mitri Raheb, pastor of The Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, has written a book about his experiences as a Palestinian pastor living and working in a war zone.
In Bethlehem Besieged, Raheb begins his story with the Israeli siege of Bethlehem in 2002 and continues into today’s occupation, the building of the wall separating Israel and the West Bank, and Palestinian suicide bombers.
Dr. Richard Bimler, president of Wheat Ridge Ministries, calls the book “must reading for anyone who wishes to better understand the plight of Lutheran Christians in Bethlehem.”
Even though Raheb “shares his true-life stories about the hopelessness of Palestinians,” Bimler says, the book “is much more than a focus on pain and destruction. Through these anecdotes comes a strong statement of faith and hope in the only One who can bring peace to this situation — Christ Jesus Himself!”
Raheb’s ministries in the Holy Land have received funding from Wheat Ridge Ministries, and were featured in the December 2003 Lutheran Witness in a story titled “Bethlehem 2,000 Years Later.”
Bethlehem Besieged, priced at $13, may be ordered for the discounted price of $7.40, plus shipping, with information from the Wheat Ridge Web site at www.wheatridge.org.
Posted June 28, 2004
