Articles by Jack Sara
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The Holy Land is not merely a collection of sacred sites or ancient stories. It is not an abstract concept but a living homeland shared by peoples carrying different histories, identities, wounds, and hopes. Christians around the world don't need to imagine what the Holy Land is like, we can learn from those who live there today. Here is a corrective starting point for us from someone whose family has lived there for millennia. -
Blessed are the peacemakers: a pastoral call from Jerusalem in a time of war
From his ancestral home in Old Jerusalem, Jack Sara laments the relentless rhythm of violence that rises, devastates, and returns again to wound people and their future. Nevertheless, he holds fast to his faith in God and God's vision for a peaceful world—for shalom. He calls us to pray for peace, speak up for peace, be reconciliatory, and hold on to our ultimate hope. -
Who is justified to speak for the Christians of the Holy Land?
A recent statement issued by the Heads of Churches of Jerusalem is a timely and necessary intervention that addresses a growing and deeply troubling phenomenon: groups that claim to represent “Christians from the Holy Land” while speaking instead for biblically unfaithful political ideologies, foreign interests, and theological distortions that have little to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. -
Lasting peace and true justice in Gaza and the Holy Land will require more than political agreement
As the ceasefire and exchange of people signals relief in Gaza and Israel, those who live and serve in the Holy Land know how fragile this peace can be and how difficult it will be to rebuild livelihoods. Hope of lasting peace will only be found when all people living in the land are able to live freely and are treated with dignity. In the meantime, followers of Jesus in the land remain faithful, trusting not in geopolitics but in the Prince of Peace. -
Christian Zionism is destroying our gospel witness in the Middle East
Christian Zionists' proclamation of unconditional love for Israel feels hollow in the Middle East. The General Secretary for the Middle East & North Africa Evangelical Alliance continues, "rather than opening doors to the gospel, it hardens suspicion. If evangelicals support Israel merely to trigger Armageddon, then our love is no love at all—it is manipulation". -
It is a myth that in the Middle East Christians are only thriving in Israel
The recent assertion by Israel's President Netanyahu, that his country is the sole thriving sanctuary for Christians in the Middle East, is a myth. Christianity has long thrived in the Middle East since the time of Jesus, and indigenous Christians continue to play significant roles in nations surrounding Israel. Within Israel, however, indigenous Evangelicals are treated like second-class citizens, even as Evangelicals outside of Israel are courted to support Netanyahu's purposes. This situation -
When holy places are spat upon: a cry from a Christian pastor and leader in Jerusalem
Peace studies students witness locals spitting on a Christian holy site in Jerusalem prompting this response from a respected Christian leader whose family has lived in the city for millennia. -
The light of Bethlehem still shines brightly in the midst of crisis and suffering
Bethlehem remains a symbol of hope, resilience, and God’s enduring promise. The Palestinian Christian community are reflecting Jesus' light to those around them: comforting the hurting, loving the broken, and proclaiming peace where there is strife; so that the light that shone from the manger in their city, Bethlehem, will continue to shine through them to the world.
