Kim Gentes

Elias Chacour is a Melkite Palestinian priest living in Galilee. He is a central figure in reconciliations efforts to draw an end to the persecution and expulsion of Arabs from the Jewish country of Israel.  The territory occupied by Israel following the establishment of the state (after World War II), created a polarized ethnic feud, perpetrated by Zionist Jews (claims Chacour) that have resulted in the persecution of Palestinians.  In his book “We Belong to the Land”, Chacour outlines his struggles as a priest and local leader in a the community of Ibillin. In that small community, Chacour fights to build unity amongst different people groups, religions and ages. His efforts include building a unified inter-faith group, constructing and managing a secondary school and high school, and eventually a college. The struggles Chacour outlines, explore the racist and discriminatory efforts of Jewish establishment officials to minimize the rights and opportunities of Palestenians in an effort to force them to leave the country (allowing the Jews to have a completely Zionized state).

Unlike his other book, Blood Brothers, Chacour focuses this book on details of injustice, his programs and building efforts, his organization and leadership across Galilee, Israel and around the world. Much of the book includes his philosophical and rhetorical foundation for his opposition to Jewish radicalism within the occupied territories where Palestinians once thrived. Chacour is a brilliantly practical man, with wit wisdom and far reaching appeal. He intuits things that others only come to understand through years of deep thinking and research. For example, he speaks eloquently about the value of human beings:

"The true icon is your neighbor", I explained to my companions on Mount Tabor, "the human being who has been created with the image and with the likeness of God..."[1]

We Belong to the Land especially follows the details of corruption not only with the the Zionist corners of the Israeli government, but scandalous and complicit efforts of Chacour’s own overseer, the local Bishop of his church’s diocese in which he is serving. In fact, corruption of values across the church and even “western” society is brought largely into focus by Chacour’s damning indictments of the “Christian” supported US government’s efforts to support and sustain Israel’s policies.

Much of what Chacour elucidates he does so as we follow the story of his building of his local school in the community of Ibillin.  The seemingly simple matter of securing a building permit becomes the plot device which allows us to explore the broader injustices to both Ibillin and the Palestinian people.  But Chacour is careful not to become the very thing he despises, which is common a trend. Instead of hating the Jewish people who have repressed the Palestinians in the country, he constantly calls for a fellowship of love in which both people’s can live in harmony within the land. His most articulate arguments become prayers of commonality that we can all join in. He says,

Human worth, human qualities, are much more important than Jewish, Palestinian, or American nationalism, peoplehood, or land. Sometimes it seems to me that Zionism pushes the Jews to Zionize themselves rather than humanize themselves.[2]

His thesis in the book centers around his belief that the thousands of years of living in the land have united the Palestinians with the essence of what it is to be an agrarian people.

Mobile Western people have difficulty comprehending the significance of the land for Palestinians. We belong to the land. We identify with the land, which has been treasured, cultivated, and nurtured by countless generations of ancestors.[3]

The examples and clarity of Chacour’s convictions become crystal clear. He is intent on peaceful freedom for Palestinians within the national borders of Israel. But for all his brilliant practicality, Chacour takes his altruism and misapplies it at least once, when he says,

God does not kill, my friends. God does not kill the Ba’al priests on Mount Carmel, or the inhabitants of the ancient city of Jericho. God does not kill in Nazi concentration camps, or in Palestinian refuge camps, or on any field of battle.[4]

It is obvious to many that Elias Chacour reflects the best of a heart of justice found in our world today. Yet, we cannot, even in our desire for justice, pretend to know more than God. God, in fact, is most just than us, and more loving than us. But He did kill, not just people in the Old Testament (uncountable peoples of all the inhabited the land of Canaan that were wiped out as Israel settled and conquered the region, including both of the instances of Ba’al preists and Jericho inhabitants that Chacour blatantly denies God is responsible for, though the text clearly indicates He is), but people in the New (Ananias and Sapphira, plus the multitudes of opposition to Jesus righteous judgments in John’s Revelation). While we have a hard time reconciling those actions to our comprehension of a loving God, we cannot dismiss God’s actions of these final earthly judgements of death as though they didn’t happen or he didn’t mean it. He did, and He is still God.  Misstating these facts to shape God into your vision of justice does not do God, himself, any justice.

The other (more dangerous) issue to me on the above quote is that Chacour combines things that God clearly does instigate (Jericho and Mt. Carmel) with things that man (or perhaps Satan himself) have deeply inspired and carried out (Nazi Germany, Palestinian refuge camps). One cannot attribute all evil actions to God, unless one decides to make man faultless of his own predilections, choices and sinfilled actions. Of course, there is the grand question "why do bad things happen to good people" and why is there suffering and hurt. The short answer is - sin. But there are rife volumes and lives spent on the topic, so I won't pretend to sort that all out here. But munging God's clear actions and man's sinful ones in a single list of activity (as though they belong together) is a terribly grievous error, for which I cannot let go without mention.

My confidence in his writing flags when I see that he never actually deals head on with the specific claims of moderate Zionist Jews who believe they are following an edict from God to reclaim the land granted to Abraham (and therefor, Israel) by Yahweh. I am convinced that he is a man of integrity, and certainly not afraid of confrontation and working against the norm, so it surprises me that he never broaches the subject from the Jewish point of view, even if to discredit the weak points of their argument.  Second, he takes the broad tact that all Christians (and especially all American Christians) are somehow in rabid support of Jewish Zionism. Again, he washes his hands of details and accuses the US of global blood guilt without taking on specifics and details from which a more reasonable (balanced) response could be given to his condemnations. It feels a little like he deals so beautifully with the story of the Palestinians that he doesn’t want to address the 800lb gorilla issue in the room- the contrary story which lives along side him every day- the Jewish Israeli claim to the land of Canaan, promised to them through the Old Testament scriptures.

I feel quite guilty having brought up what I think are short comings of his fine book, since one feels ultimately humbled and speechless in light of such a great witness of Christ’s love and reconciliation. I am very glad to be wrong on all my points, and would feel better about it. For me, the things I have said negatively don’t deter from his great accomplishments or his stature as a preeminent leader of peace in our generation. It is hard not to love the heart, desires and unbelievable work ethic of Elias Chacour. The accomplishments he has made in the midst of being a nearly singular voice within a tragic situation is remarkable.  He has much to teach the world about the true nature of reconciliation and its practical outworking.  I would love to meet him.

Amazon Book Link: http://amzn.to/w5PTZ2

Review by Kim Gentes

[1]Chacour, Elias & Jensen, Mary “We Belong to the Land”.  (Notre Dame, IN: Notre Dame University Press 2001), Pg. 46

[2]Ibid., Pg. 69

[3]Ibid., Pg. 80

[4]Ibid., Pg. 163

"Blood Brothers" is the first book from Palestinian Israeli Elias Chacour.  Elias is a Christian priest and community leader in Galilee, Israel.  He lives and serves his community of Palestinian Christians in a village of Muslim, Druze and Christian villagers.  This book is the personal story of his youth, the expulsion of him and his family from his home village of  Biram, his training as a Melkite priest, and his eventual work in the ministry of bringing hope to a broken and terrified group of alienated Arabs in Jewish Israel.  Unlike his other book We Belong to the Land, Chacour focuses more poigniantly in Blood Brothers on his personal and family life. Most profoundly, he explores the character of his father who serves as an arch-type for both God and the image of what good men can be. Elias Chacour treasures and follows this image into a lifetime of seeking reconciliation, hope and love for the Palestinian people of the village of Ibillin.

One such powerful example is his father’s statement about Jews and Palestinians, which he declared before the full extent of persecution would begin for the Palestinians:

“But How do we know the soldiers won’t harm us?” Rudah pressed him.

Father smiled, and all the tension seemed to relax. “Because,” he said, “the Jews and Palestinians are brothers-blood brothers. We share the same father, Abraham, and the same God. We must never forget that. Now we get rid of the gun.”[1]

This image turns out to be misinformed, though hopeful premonition to the tragedy that would ensure. After taking over the land of Palestine, the Jews of Israel began to programmatically terrorise the people of the rural villages such as Biram. Demolishing their homes and farms and confiscating the land became the program of the Zionist Jews. Even thought Chacour’s father has his land taken from him and his home destroyed, his connection to the land and its plants shows a level of care foreign to us.

I could scarcely believe it! His life's work had just been torn from his hands. His land and trees-the only earthly possessions he had to pass on to his children-were sold to a stranger. And still Father would not curse or allow himself to be angry. I puzzled at his words to us. Inner peace. Maybe Father could find this strength in such circumstances. I doubted that I could....

Father's other response to the sale of his land was more of a wonder to me. In a few weeks we heard that the new owner of our property wanted to hire several men to come each day and dress the fig trees, tending them right through till harvest. Immediately, Father went to apply for the job, taking my three oldest brothers with him. They were hired and granted special work passes, the only way they could enter our own property.[2]

Elias portrays his father with such magnanimous character that he seems barely real to our western sensibilities and callousness. The story of Blood Brothers is much deeper than just Elias Chacour’s life, it is a story of the non-violent Palestinians who are persecuted as evil by Israeli government programs meant to lodge them from hope and from land within the Galilee communities. Chacour is not just a concerned priest, he is a thoughtful change agent and leader. Speaking about the inversion of the Jews from persecuted to the persecutors he says :

Now I determined to find out how a peaceful movement that had begun with a seemingly good purpose-to end the persecution of the Jewish people-had become such a destructive, oppressive force. Along with that determination, I was driven by a respect for history that Father had planted in me. Did the seeds of our future hope lie buried in our past, as he had so often said?[3]

Elias is brilliant to turn to the teaching of his father to recall the thought that history can teach us and, perhaps if heard, can lead us back together. Blood Brothers tries to convince the reader that Zionist Israel is the major obstacle to reconciliation with the Palestinians, though he is against violence of all sort, including from the Palestinian people. He outright rejects the military efforts of the PLO and looks instead for a reconciled Israel in which Jews and Arabs can live together.

Amazon Book Link: http://amzn.to/wMi0KA 

Review by Kim Gentes

[1]Chacour & Hazard “Blood Brothers”.  (Grand Rapids, MI: Chosen Books 1984), Kindle Location 325

[2] Ibid., Location 613

[3] Ibid., Location 1158

A Brief Review of Experiencing Healing Prayer

As a book, Experiencing Healing Prayer is largely an anecdotal text told from the author’s personal narrative.  Author Rick Richardson employs extensive personal examples and ministry situations as a means of covering both his own story and the major teaching points he has called out in this book. Richardson does this while focusing clearly on the topic of “inner healing” primarily. While the book connects to some physical aspects of healing, its primary concern is with the foundational change in the psychological, mental and spiritual aspects of a person. Physical healing is not discussed in depth, and certainly not the extent that inner healing is addressed.

Experiencing Healing Prayer is a  book which is a joining of two main ideas- restoring the holistic identify of the person, and restoring the communication/relationship to God and his presence. Out of these ideas the author explores everything from sexual issues, gender conflict, family archtypes (mother/father) and many more. The goal, it seems, is to explore the territory of identity to recover the missing elements (or confused ones) such that a person can “re-live” the confusing experiences in light of God’s love, allowing for “reprogramming” of the foundational understandings that were altered in light of such powerful experiences.

As these understandings are re-moored to God’s love, Richardson also explores how we might communicate better with God. He explores various ways we hear God, and helps walk through common misconceptions and guides us to clearer sense of knowing God’s voice. Towards the end of the book, he prescribes liberally the power of sacramental practice and human touch as remedy for all sorts of healing. More practical exploration of ministry techniques and personal freedom from various religious vices round out the book, as Richardson returns time and again to the power of forgiveness as a primary truth in our stories.

Readers will note an acknowledged reliance on the work of CS Lewis and Leanne Payne (along with theological underpinnings via Dallas Willard) making their way throughout this book. Philosophically, Richardson draws from Lewis on major points where he finds it difficult to work through complex understandings. Practically speaking, he leans on Leanne Payne for examples that help him work out a practice of healing prayer. Willard is not referenced much except for the beginning of the book for his theological influence.

In truth, Richardson does win the empathy of most readers with his personal stories and thoughtful inner explorations about the nature of people (beginning notably with his own failed and healed nature).  This gives life to his writing and allows him to lay out his six (6) main “signposts” (as he calls them) which are his self-described roadmap for a journey from brokenness to wholeness. These signposts are clearly articulated through the book and drive the chapter layouts, sub-points and stories.  Richardson has thought well and given a nice sketch of the healing journey of a soul, but one should be careful not to take the architecture as a highly prescriptive formula to inner health. The next section will discuss details of some of these points and also some of the main critique of those points within the book that we can see.

Critical Review of the Book

My initial reading of Experiencing Healing Prayer was very positive. I found his insights quite compelling and helpful. The signposts he uses are reflective of many people’s understanding of the main issues that need to be addressed in bringing holistic renewal to human beings. In his signposts I found both my main positive support and my main criticism are contained in the first of his points. While there are critiques to be made on this work, they are relatively small, and don't deter from the effectiveness and positives this book makes to the field of healing prayer. My critiques given below represent nuances and positions which would improve the book, in my opinion, and should not take away from anyone referencing and garnering the overarching positives that this book brings to us.

I appreciated the initial focus of his signposts was the person’s actual relationship with God, specifically the need to hear his “voice”. In fact, Richardson uses this as his first point.  While many of the points in his signposts are not necessarily required to be sequential for application, he is pointing out that we must first practice faith of our Christianity in that we rely on the reality of God’s presence and care to be our profound “reality check”. That is, Richardson is saying that apart from God’s voice and inclusion in the matter of healing, we cannot even begin such a process.

...we practiced the healing presence of God and waited to hear God’s still small voice. In that environment, healing descended on our hearts...[1]

This is a profound and positive point to be made, and this inclusion of the reliance on God’s presence to enter into and bring about revelation in the hurting person is a repeated point in the IHP model presented by W. Thiessen (found in the “prayer based” section[2], the “God of IHP” section[3], and the article “Turning Inner Healing Outward”, where it is stated explicitly that the process is ‘followed by a direct invitation from God into at least the potential “embrace”’[4]).

The benefit of this focus is clear- this is a uniquely Christian approach that appropriately requires the presence and activity of God for any healing to occur. One cannot apply the methods taught in Experiencing Healing Prayer (or the IHP model presented by W. Thiessen) without this foundational element. This also seems useful as both a distinctive of Christian inner /healing prayer therapies and a boundary for which Christian practice of the such therapies (as far as they are called “Christian”) can possibly be laid.

This very point also leads to a possible problem. While Experiencing Healing Prayer excels at its Christian centric solution path, it occasionally does so at the expense of validating counseling or talk therapies. Richardson says, crisply:

Counseling can lead us to talk our feelings round and round without any ultimate relief or change.[6]

Likewise, he also perjures himself slightly against talk therapies by saying:

Talking about our emotions can lead us into self-absorption, enmeshment in an anxious, subjective inner world.[7]

This is an interesting tact to take, since, while God is clearly the center of the therapeutic map, Richardson expects people to get their using their own faculties of the mind and emotions. Specifically, an entire chapter is engaged on exploring the concept he starts regarding the need for the client imagination to be in full cooperation of the process:

Images and the imagination matter.[8]

The criticism being made by the author against other (counseling and talk) therapies may not be necessary and might wane on the credulity of his request for the use of the imagination (instead of God intervention) as part of the process.

That said, the need for God-focused solutions was especially helpful to me to see, especially in a context when trying to help in a problem saturated situation was not having success at taking the focus off of the broken person.

Amazon Product link: Experiencing Healing Prayer - Rick Richardson

Review by Kim Gentes

[1]Rick Richardson, Experiencing Healing Prayer (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005) Pg. 46

[2]See the section on “Prayer-based” component in the notes from - Walter Thiessen, Inner Healing Prayer - Draft (St.Stephen’s. NB: VBI, 2005), Pg. 4

[3]Walter Thiessen, Inner Healing Prayer - Draft (St.Stephen’s. NB: VBI, 2005), Pg. 9

[4]Walter Thiessen, Turning Inner Healing Outward / Practical Theology in South Africa (South Africa: University of South Africa, 2008), Pg. 138

[5]Walter Thiessen, Narrative Therapy from: Summary excerpt from chapter 2 - Praying in a New Reality (St. Stephen’s, NB: University of South Africa, n/a), Pg. 1

[6]Rick Richardson, Experiencing Healing Prayer (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005) Pg. 36

[7]Ibid., Pg. 36

[8]Ibid., Pg. 36

The early words of Francis Chan are an excellent preface to what you will find in "Erasing Hell", a new book that resoundingly challenges the premise and conclusions of universalism, especially as highlighted recently in Rob Bell's "Love Wins".

Chan takes the high ground in this well researched book- he refuses to label or harangue Bell, and in fact compliments him on the admirable aspects of several of his points. Francis Chan is careful to deal directly with the material on the issue of hell, salvation and our purpose on earth.  What is helpful about the book, is that he provides solid exploration of all the Biblical texts dealing with the pertinent issues- including ones that look (at first) to support an opposing view. This is precisely what Rob Bell failed to do in "Love Wins", and "Erasing Hell" is clearly written to correct and critique on both content and method.   

I won't go into the details of each point made by Chan, but one point that is of major importance is his refutation of Bell's false interpretation of hell, which shows the disparity between Bell's unresearched work and Chan's book. Chan says plainly:

This is backed up by the appropriate details and further context. Additionally, Chan helps explore the actual scripture understandings, especially from Jesus and his followers that speak about hell (Chapter 3) and our understanding and responses to it (Chapter 5). Again, he faces several passages that are normally used by universalists as support and mines through the various interpretations and understandings of them.

Beyond the core of refutation of universalism (and Bell's book), Chan also provides a helpful FAQ (frequently asked questions) section in the Appendix which handles 6 common questions about hell. This material is very helpful and should be read by all pastors, as it is excellent summary to issues that have been discussion for centuries. 

Chan's "Erasing Hell" is not a monolithic or even deeply impressive work, but it is a contrite and succinct response to Rob Bell's "Love Wins".  It sets out to be a clear corrective on postmodern Christian universalism, and succeeds by taking classical and appropriate steps to expose the error and excise it as a sickness from the body of Christ - the American church.

Even if you haven't read "Love Wins", this book ("Erasing Hell") provides the outline for understanding these important issues.

In his book "The Next Christians", Gabe Lyons articulates in layman's terms the practical outworkings of creational/restorative theology for the postmodern era and a post-Christian America.  Lyons is particularly well acquainted with the struggle of Protestantism to survive and thrive in the increasingly secular foundations of Western society, especially America. As a participant behind intentional studies of the American Christian community and its efforts (and failures) at evangelism, Lyons became convinced that we were entering an era that would fully expel Christian morality as its foundational framework.  He saw this in his studies and began looking at what might be done to equip the postmodern church to live powerfully in a post-Christian America.

Lyons pins his hopes on a vision of Christians, as God's people, who have a call to every society (including our North American one), to penetrate the culture and to live as lights within it, while bringing the restorative nature of God's kingdom to bear in our normal, everyday lives. He sees this as a commission to which our salvation has sent us. This is in contrast to a gospel story which calls people out of culture to focus on a coming distant heaven. Lyons says it well:

The next Christians believe that Christ’s death and Resurrection were not only meant to save people from something. He wanted to save Christians to something. God longs to restore his image in them, and let them loose, freeing them to pursue his original dreams for the entire world. Here, now, today, tomorrow. They no longer feel bound to wait for heaven or spend all of their time telling people what they should believe. Instead, they are participating with God in his restoration project for the whole world.[1]

"The Next Christians" is very inspiring and very practical. It could have quickly become a treatise for a "social gospel" and left Jesus behind, but he harkens often to the practicality that Christ has called each of us to lay down our lives within our very real contexts. For example:

Like many of his contemporaries (Dallas Willard, NT Wright, Chris Seay, Tim Keller, Sean Claiborne) Lyons is a hopeful voice while provided a needed a critique. Lyons is particularly helpful in his critique and recommendations because be provides details to seeing how society works and how we might influence in a more natural way.  His "Seven Channels of Cultural Influence"[5] are particularly insightful in this regard, but it is just one of many examples where Lyons does his homework and isn't just throwing out lofty ideas without practical application.

Lyons further gives plenty of good wisdom for the "leaders of leaders", helping to outline how to prioritize "first things first" and make sure that the order of understanding and approaching ministry in post-Christian America is most effective.  "The Next Christians" also gives plenty of examples of "success" stories (and a "failure" stories, thank God). Including failure stories is refreshing and honest- and in doing so Lyons also critiques for us possible pitfalls of "Christians influencing culture" approach by showing us that impact in society without spiritual character will often lead to moral and family collapse.

This book is one of my new favorites, not just because it is a practical guidebook with thoughtful premise, but because (in the spirit of restoration that he preaches within it) Lyons reclaims his place inside of the Christian tradition, instead of distancing himself from it.  This, more than anything, shows a profound sense of wisdom. Lyons says :

This is nothing short of humble (yet brilliant) honesty.  By reclaiming the Christian label he enters not only into the story of the New Testament believers, but places himself in the tradition of the 2,000 year old Church. He is effectively both offering a some new thoughts for our current age, without rejecting the historic community of the church through the ages. This is the kind of thoughtfulness that should not be missed (though it will be by many).  Lyons is again providing a powerful self-critique to the "postmodern" changers who have been throwing off the Christian moniker in hopes of gaining a few members who might not like the baggage that comes with the label "Christian". Lyons doesn't buy it. Thank God.  In doing this one thing, Lyons accomplishes what Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Peter Rollins, Mark Driscoll and others have failed to do- he calls us forward as a unified Christian community, rather than splintering us by parsing new "palatable" labels for a future brands of faith in Jesus.  And more than that, he provides restoration to those on both sides of the discussions within the Christian communities by reclaiming the name we've had since Acts 11:26, when we first became known as Christians.

"The Next Christians" is the best new book I've read, and is probably one of the top 5 books in the last 10 years. This book wins my Editor's Choice Award as the 2010 Best Book.

You may find deeper theology and philosophy books, but nothing as practical and wisdom filled as Lyons wonderful work here. Seriously. Read it. You won't regret it.

Amazon Product Link: http://amzn.to/so2cG9

Review by Kim Gentes