Awakening Peace Through Encounters

This article was initially written as an impulse for the Ökumenische FriedensDekade, in whose discussion forum I participate as a delegate of the ACK (Arbeitskreis Christlicher Kirchen) for the EAD (Evangelical Alliance in Germany). The motto of this year’s Decade of Peace (November 9 to 19, 2025) is: “Come awaken peace.” Here I talk about a Christian student conference that took place in the heart of Israel in April this year. An insight into the perspectives of young Christians in times of war.

The tent is well filled and the stage is professionally equipped. A good 150 students from Arab, Jewish and international backgrounds stand in the rows of plastic chairs and sing Arabic, Hebrew and English worship songs together. I am moved by the profound lyrics and pleasantly surprised by the beautiful melodies and new rhythms. All three groups are also represented on stage.

A full band has been put together, even including a violin on the first evening. And so I find myself at the Christian student conference in the heart of Israel. In my eyes, this is exactly how awakening peace can look like: In the midst of a bloody conflict that has been going on for generations, young people come together to seek what unites them, and that is faith in the one God who gave His own Son to bring reconciliation to us humans.

Annual conference despite war in the country

Every year, such an overarching conference is organized by FCSI (Fellowship of Christian Students in Israel), the local branch of IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students). Or rather, FCSI provides the framework and support, and the whole thing is organized and carried out mainly by the students themselves. A similar event was underway when the horrific attack on Israel took place on October 7, 2023. Despite the war, which understandably troubled everyone’s spirits, I was told that the conference was also held in 2024. And this year was the first time I participated myself.

The theme of this year’s conference: Love Unveiled. In the midst of the ongoing tensions and divisions in the country, we took a deep look at what it means in practical terms that we are unconditionally loved by God on the one hand, and that we have a responsibility to love our neighbor on the other. What can this look like in a country like this? How can the message of the Gospel reach our fellow human beings here in Israel? The main speaker at the conference was Michael Ots, author and speaker from the United Kingdom, who has been inviting people to talk about the Christian faith, especially at universities, for many years.

A precious and costly reconciliation

One thought that stuck with me is about anger and forgiveness. Because anger can be a consequence of love. If something or someone is important to me and this object is damaged or the person is hurt, then that makes me angry. Because of my loving attitude towards this person or thing, I feel anger in the event of negative impact. Forgiveness does not mean overlooking the damage in order to accept the damaging party as they are. Instead, the situation must be dealt with. The act of forgiveness expresses: It is not okay what you have done, but I will not make you pay for it. Forgiveness is painful and costly.

The message of this conference was clear: We awaken peace through our love for each other. And it was made clear that this is not a love that makes me feel good and puts me at the center as the object of the love I deserve. Love in the context of the war in and around Israel means finding something that connects us more strongly than all the things that divide us. This is Christ’s love for us and our love for Him as our Lord. This is the Savior’s love that reconciled man with the Father in Jesus’ death and resurrection so that we can have access to reconciliation with one another. A precious and costly reconciliation. This message is not new, it comes from this very region where I currently live and which is so heavily contested. But it challenges us anew every day.

Getting to know Arab Christians in Israel

I was particularly looking forward to meeting my new Arab friends at the conference, whom I had previously interviewed for my academic work. In my research, I am looking at the challenges and experiences of young Arab Christians in Israel in the shadow of the current war. I would like to share three salient findings here.

The question of belonging was a central and difficult topic for all of my interview partners. As a tiny minority in a country in conflict, the search for identity and a place in the world is very different than for people like me who grew up in a sheltered environment in Germany. Secondly, all of these people I was able to meet personally in the interview take the mission of love and forgiveness very seriously, which presents them with daily challenges. They don’t want to be carried away to extreme positions, they don’t want to let their emotions dominate. And that is a difficult mission for them, which sometimes drives them to despair.

A friend took me aside at the conference and shared with me that the community looked so cheerful and friendly that weekend, but it was really hard for her to actually be cheerful. The seemingly carefree get-together at the conference certainly had a bitter aftertaste, and not just for her.

We Christians cannot choose whom we love

On the last day of the conference, speaker George Abdo, longtime youth leader at the Local Baptist Church in Nazareth, radically summed up the message of the weekend. He showed a picture of a fallen Israeli soldier leaving behind family and friends. He then flashed a picture of a young girl from Gaza who now has no home. He confronted us with the understanding that as Christians we cannot choose whom we love and whom we do not love. Our mission is to be aware of the suffering of different people, regardless of politics.

And that brings me to my third point regarding my work with Arab Christians: Some of them have told me that they feel unseen by Christians in other countries. They have the impression that most people who are interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are not even aware of their existence. They feel misunderstood and often ignored.

A serious lesson for me from my year and a half in Israel during the war is that we have to learn anew to listen to each other and to perceive each other as valuable human beings. In my last interview, my Arab interlocutor told me that she doesn’t care where her friends come from as long as they have a good character. She has friends in the Israeli army and friends who have direct connections to the population in Gaza. Out of wisdom, she doesn’t always talk to everyone about politics and current developments. But in her eyes, the war should not be the reason why her friendships perish.

For me, awakening peace means building relationships. It means that I want to support my fellow human beings in finding a secure foundation in their lives so that they are able to perceive other experiences and points of view without feeling personally attacked by them. Come and awaken peace! Come and embrace your opportunities to work for reconciliation. If you have found stability in your life, help those around you to do the same.