Nazareth trembled under the relentless barrage of missiles. Fear, a frigid hand, gripped the hearts of its residents. Yet, amidst the chaos, a small group of women found solace in a sanctuary – the Arab Israeli Bible Society (AIBS) building.
Twenty-three of them, their faces etched with worry, gathered for a workshop on surrender. A seemingly ironic topic, given the relentless assault from the north. But in the face of uncertainty, surrender, they realised, was not defeat, but a lifeline.
The room buzzed with a raw energy. Whispers of fear mingled with the rustle of pages as they delved into biblical passages. Old Testament stories of trust, New Testament promises of peace – each word offered a glimmer of hope.
“Can we truly surrender to God when innocent lives are being harvested?” one woman’s voice, trembling with anguish, pierced the air. The discussion was raw, honest. They confessed their struggles – the difficulty of surrendering to God when worldly desires seemed more tempting, the weariness of watching children stray from the faith. One woman, her voice thick with emotion, confessed, “I committed them to the hands of Jesus. That’s my surrender.”
The war raged outside, a constant, terrifying reminder of their vulnerability. But within the AIBS building, a different kind of battle unfolded – a battle within their own souls. They wrestled with doubt, with grief, with the weight of the suffering around them. “This is the longest war I’ve known,” another woman sighed, her voice heavy with exhaustion. “I’m tired. I’m so tired of the fear, of the constant worry for my loved ones.”
Tears flowed freely, tears of fear, of anger, of grief. But also tears of hope, of faith, of a shared burden. They prayed for strength, for healing, for the leaders to embrace peace.
As the meeting drew to a close, each woman received a verse of surrender, a small, tangible reminder of their commitment. They were encouraged to place it in a prominent spot in their homes, a beacon of hope amidst the chaos.
Leaving the AIBS building, they carried more than just verses. They carried the strength of shared experiences, the comfort of sisterhood, and the unwavering belief that even in the face of unimaginable darkness, surrender to God could be a source of profound peace.
To find out more about how to support the Bible work of the Arab Israeli Bible Society visit https://www.biblesociety.org.au/projects/arab-israel/
* this story was written by the Arab Israeli Bible Society team for their 2024 end of year newsletter
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