We are honoured to share with you a Christmas card created by Zoughbi Alzoughbi, Founder and Director of Wi’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center, which reflects the resilience and hope of the people of Palestine. This card is a call to solidarity, embodying the spirit of Sumud (steadfastness) and the promise of just peace in the face of ongoing suffering.
To deepen our reflection, we will be sharing the card over the course of several days. Each day, we will unveil a new section, accompanied by a prayer, reflection, and an explanation of its significance. On the final day, we will reveal the complete card, inviting everyone to share it and continue the message of hope and peace.
Join us in this journey of reflection and solidarity, as we stand with those who endure with courage and faith. Together, let us honour the promise of peace that Christ’s birth brings, even in the most difficult of circumstances.
The card is available for download and sharing:
Links to the advent programme of numerous Pax Christi International members and partners are available at the bottom of the page.
Day 3: Hope born in partnership and friendship
“Hope Does Not Disappoint Us”
– Romans 5:5
“What we need this Christmas—as ever—is the hope born in partnership and friendship, the hope forged through struggle and perseverance, the hope revealed in the Gospel of a powerless child whose only power, whose only weapon, whose only promise is Love.
May such partnership be ours, yours and ours, as we welcome his kingdom in action, in courage and in our life together.”
– Zoughbi Alzoughbi, Founder and Director of Wi’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center
Read the full message here.
Day 2: Displacement and resilience
“Blessed are those who endure in peace, By You Most High, they will be crowned”.
– Saint Francis
Saint Francis’ words resonate deeply with the resilience and hope embodied by those who endure hardship with peace in their hearts, much like the displaced people of Gaza and Palestine. Their journey towards peace and justice mirrors that of the shepherds who, despite their struggles, sought the light of Christ.
In their steadfastness, they reflect Sumud, the quiet yet powerful endurance that sustains them through violence, loss, and displacement. Like the shepherds, these families continue their journey, not just seeking refuge, but holding onto the hope of a future where peace and dignity are restored.
Their perseverance, rooted in faith and hope, echoes the promise of peace that Christ’s birth brings not as a mere absence of struggle, but as the strength to endure, to resist, and to stand firm. Through their Sumud, they are crowned with the hope that, despite the darkness, Christ’s love and redemption will prevail.
Day 1: Christ born under the rubble
“Christmas is the presence of baby Jesus with those who suffer […] If Christ were to be born today, he would be born under the rubble. […] Jesus’ birth is our hope; Jesus is our hope.”
– Reverend Munther Isaac, December 2023
If Christ were born today, it would be under the rubble, amidst the devastation and loss we are witnessing in Palestine. His birth would not be in a place of peace, but in the midst of conflict, where families suffer from violence and displacement. In this context, the message of Christmas compels us to respond with compassion and a commitment to just peace.
The birth of Christ reminds us that, even in the most challenging of circumstances, peace and redemption are possible.
Pax Christi International remains in steadfast solidarity with the people of Palestine, advocating for an end to the violence and for justice.
By embracing the spirit of just peace, we stand with those suffering and continue to work towards healing and reconciliation, offering hope in a land long torn apart by conflict.
Other initiatives for advent by Pax Christi International members and partners:
– Iona Community (UK): Poems and Prayers for Advent and Christmas
– Kairos Palestine: Christmas Call to the Palestinian people
– Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem: Reflections from the Holy Land: Another Sad Christmas
– Pax Christi Scotland: Podcast “An avent that goes beyond…”
– Pax Christi Vlaanderen: Kerstactie voor christenen in Bethlehem en Jeruzalem
– Red Letter Christians: newsletter sign-up
– St Andrew’s Jerusalem and Tiberias Church: Advent snapshots
– Wi’am – The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center: First day of Advent
