The feast-day of Mary, Queen of Palestine was celebrated at the Shrine of Deir Rafat on Saturday 26 October. This annual event is a moment of joy, but also of meditation and prayer, for all the Christians in the Holy Land. On this occasion, we met the young people from the parish of St Saviour in Jerusalem, who talked about their lives and about where between difficulties and uncertainties, living as Christians is a daily challenge.

“Agape, the name of our group, means the love of God, a love that invites us, youngsters of Jerusalem, to live the divine grace every day. We give with charity, we try to help our neighbor and we do everything with love.”

With these words, Taym, a young student of Theology who lives in the Old City of Jerusalem, explains the reality of the youth group. Together with her, there is also Issa, a civil engineer, who lives in Jerusalem with his wife and together they attend the Agape group.

"We have come with the youth group to Deir Rafat for the first time,” Taym continues, “to pray together and enjoy ourselves. If there is faith, we believe that every prayer, even if small, can move a mountain.”

Being Christians in Jerusalem: a daily challenge

Bearing witness to the Christian faith in Jerusalem is a test that these youngsters face with great courage.  

"Jerusalem,” says Issa, “is a city characterized by religious and cultural diversity, and this is also true within the individual faiths. We all believe in a single God, but for me being a Christian means living the teachings of Jesus.”

Taym, on the other hand, emphasizes the special bond that every Christian feels with this land.

"Being a Christian here means a lot. Many believe that this land belongs to someone in particular, but we think that God gave it to everyone. For us as Christians, it is a miracle to be here, where Jesus was born and lived. Living in this land is a blessing for us.”

Uncertainty for the future

For the young Christians of Jerusalem, having hope in the future is not easy. The direct and indirect consequences of the war have a deep impact on their lives, interrupting their normality and filling the days with uncertainty.

Issa describes how the first effect was precisely the suspension of social life, people have stopped going out and the continuous news of violence has had severe repercussions on their peace of mind. 

"All we want is peace, but it is difficult to see so much suffering every day. The only thing we can do in our daily life is live the life that God gave us.”

Taym also speaks of the difficulties in looking to the future, a feeling that is shared by many young people. The war brings distress and they are tempted to leave the land where they were born, but faith becomes their anchor of salvation.  

"I personally find it difficult to look to the future, and I think that this goes for all the other youngsters around me. We think about everyday life, we wake up with the thought of people dying. Many of us are thinking of leaving, but our faith keeps us here, because we believe that, just as Jesus was born and lived here amongst us, we can also stay  and He will protect us.”

Staying: a choice of courage and hope

Deciding to stay despite the difficulties is a great testimony of courage and faith which these youngsters are offering. A hope emerges from the words of these young people. Experiencing hatred and violence makes those moments of love which give a morsel of hope for the future of the young people in the Holy Land appreciated.  

Issa concludes, "We have decided to stay because in spite of the tensions and the difficulties, we live in a very beautiful place. At times we face hatred that comes from various sides, but it is exactly at those moments that we appreciate the gestures of kindness, above all when  people show love,  even though they have all the reasons not to do so.”