Middle East Bible Societies Share Prayer Concerns

JERUSALEM, Israel — In the midst of continuing worldwide concern about the situation in the Middle East, Labib Madanat, Executive Secretary of the Palestinian Bible Society (PBS), said that the violence is providing “plentiful seeds for the perpetuation of hatred and revenge”. He said that the violence “makes our area an unclearable minefield” and that the continuation of the bloodshed was what worried him most.

At the head of a list of prayer topics he was keen to share with the UBS fellowship, he asked for prayers for the children of Palestine – “for their childhood to be saved and restored”.

He also asked for the PBS and the Bible Society in Israel (BSI) to be remembered, “that together we keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”.

Among the individual projects he mentioned for prayer were the Living Stones Bible Resource Centre for students and young people in Bir Zeit, in the West Bank, and the team working at the Bethlehem Bible Experience (BBE) exhibition. They were working, he said, in “very difficult situations”.

He revealed there were plans for the BBE to become wholly geared to serving Christian Palestinian children in the Bethlehem area (Bet Jala and Bet Sahur), because visits to the city by tourists and pilgrims were “down to zero”.

Despite the tense situation, the two staff members at the Bible bookshop in Gaza have refused to leave. They were opening the shop every day, said Mr Madanat, and “witnessing the hand of God changing lives”.

Meanwhile Judith McLean, assistant to Doron Even Ari, BSI Executive Secretary , asked for prayers for the safety of the Bible Society staff following threats by some of the Palestinian terrorist organisations to commit more acts of terrorism within Israel. “Pray that somehow there will be an end to the violence,” she added. (WR 356/9 - 12.00) e-119 [PHOTOS]

---