“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.”
Ephesians 2:14
Every day, we are reminded of the things that divide people. Headlines speak of conflict, politics, war, fear, and generations of pain. It often seems that the voices of hatred grow louder while the voices of hope become harder to hear. Yet as we gathered recently at our annual Ma’agan Conference, surrounded by Jewish and Arab pastors and leaders from across Israel, I was reminded that God is still writing a very different story.
One of the moments that touched me most was a conversation with my dear Arab brother, Pastor Marwan. We have known each other for many years, prayed together, ministered together, and walked through both joyful seasons and difficult ones. As we stood overlooking the Sea of Galilee, I asked him why he believes it is so important for Jewish and Arab believers to stand together today. His answer was beautifully simple:
“We live in one country. We love Israel. We bless Israel. Before anything else, we are one Body in Christ.”
Those words carry even greater weight in the days we are living through. During these difficult months, rockets have not chosen whether to fall on Jewish neighborhoods or Arab villages. Fear has not distinguished between languages or backgrounds. We have all carried the same burdens, prayed the same prayers, and looked to the same faithful God. In moments like these, our unity is no longer just a beautiful idea—it becomes a powerful testimony to a world that desperately needs hope.
Pastor Marwan shared something else that has stayed with me ever since. He smiled, as he always does, and said,
“We don’t have weapons. We have love.”
What a profound reminder. The world often believes that strength is measured by power, influence, or force. But the Kingdom of God operates differently. The strongest witness we possess is the love of Christ working through ordinary people whose hearts have been transformed by His grace.
That is exactly what reconciliation looks like.
It is not pretending our histories are the same or ignoring the realities around us. True reconciliation begins at the Cross. Because we have first been reconciled to God through Yeshua, we can also be reconciled to one another. The Gospel breaks down walls that human effort never could, creating one family from many backgrounds, languages, and cultures.
Throughout our time together at Ma’agan, we worshiped side by side, opened the Scriptures together, prayed for one another, encouraged one another, and stood shoulder to shoulder as brothers and sisters in Christ. We were reminded that our unity does not come because we share the same culture—it comes because we share the same Savior. In Him, we have discovered something stronger than fear, deeper than history, and more powerful than hatred.
Thank you for praying for Israel, and thank you for praying for all who call this land home. Every prayer you offer and every gift you sow into this ministry helps strengthen relationships that become living testimonies of God’s reconciling power. Together, we are demonstrating that the Gospel is not simply a message we preach—it is a life we live.
Our prayer is that more Jewish and Arab believers throughout this land will continue to shine as one Body in Christ, pointing others to the Prince of Peace. Long before circumstances change, God changes hearts. And when hearts are transformed by His love, lives, communities, and even nations begin to change.
