A group from the United Reformed Church are at present in the Holy Land, looking at the biblical context of Jesus’ ministry and the current political situation - and how it affects daily life. These are some of their reflections:

“The Arab town of Nazareth is the place where Jesus lived with Joseph and Mary and his siblings. Despite the religiosity of the holy sites and density of the population and buildings, we got a sense of the reality of Jesus’ rootedness in a historic social context of family, community and Jewish religious culture. This was made more real for us through a contextual Bible study led by John Campbell, Principal of Northern College, sitting on the edge of the Sea of Galilee. On our return to the kibbutz where we are staying,  we reflected on the passage from Mark’s Gospel where Jesus in effect ‘disowns’ his mother and brothers who think he has lost his mind. This led to discussion on our understanding of our genetic and spiritual families, and the implications for those of us who belong to the Abrahamic faiths.

“Visiting PARC (Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee) we met Abdullah, the local co-operative manager who shared how the co-operative had started to offer training to their farmers and had been amazed at the response. They have held more than a hundred training courses for a thousand people under a tent-shaped wire fame, covered in plastic. He sees hope in what they can achieve together as a co-operative and said: ‘We are optimistic for the future. We know we grow good produce that can be exported one day.’

“As we left, a member of our group asked Abdullah if we could take a picture of him outside his house. (The picture shows him with his son). He beckoned us inside to meet his wife and introduced us to his young daughter born with Down’s Syndrome. It was a very special moment as we realised what responsibility and difficulty this placed on the family. As we left, Abdullah then shook the hand of one of the women in our group. Palestinian men rarely shake a woman’s hand so this was indeed a rare moment of connection and significance. It is something that will stay with us and makes us determined to tell their story.”

As the group continue their journey they will recount their experiences on the URC  blog http://blog.urc2.org.uk/