Thanksgiving in the United States comes on the heels of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. It’s been a long nine days watching exchanges of violence in the Holy Land resulting in six Israeli deaths and 158 Palestinian deaths. Israel had 1,500 strikes against the people of Gaza, and Hamas fired 1,400 missiles against Israelis. We lament the loss of life in the past week. But we take hope from and thank God for so many Israelis, Palestinians, and internationals who work tirelessly for peace and reconciliation.

Check out the article at The Rapidian

Norman Finkelstein, one of the bravest and most critical Jewish voices on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will speak at three West Michigan campuses. Dr. Finkelstein is the author of six controversial books and is a leading scholar the subject.

As Hope Equals watches the events of the Palestinian bid for membership status at the United Nations, we stand in the complexity of being for people (civilians), of fostering hope and of striving for a long-lasting and just peace. To that end, and after much discussion on what we can do to act in solidarity with those struggling for peace, we call on you, our network of friends, student leaders, partners and supporters to do the following:

That's right, Hope Equals has five spots left for this summer's adventure and we are extending our deadline to May 10, 2011. If you were on the fence, this is your chance to make the choice and join us for the trip of a lifetime. You've read the books, watched the news, seen the documentary and maybe attended a few conferences, but what does it look like to be a peace maker in the Holy Land.

Chris Meehan of CRC Communications writes an article about the recent Hope Equals trip to Israel and the West Bank. He highlights their journey as well as how this impacts their lives back here in North America.
Check it out here

by Chris Meehan

A barbed-wire-topped barrier erected by the Israeli government snakes across the West Bank to separate Israelis from Palestinians. In some places it’s merely a fence; in others it’s a wall complete with guard towers. In still other places it separates the homes of Palestinians from the farms or businesses where they once worked.

When Micah Schuurman, a student at Calvin Theological Seminary, first encountered the wall on a recent trip to the West Bank, he was deeply troubled. It left him with a startling image.

If third time's the charm, then charmed you will be. This is the third year we hope to send a group on the Hope Equals Summer Adventure, and it just keeps getting better every time. Using what we have learned in two years, what our alumni have told us, and what our partners recommended, we tweaked and pulled and changed the schedule to offer the best five-week experience yet. Make no mistake, this experience beats watching the news, reading the books, and attending the conferences. There's nothing like walking the land, meeting the people, and hearing the stories.

Registration is open for the Calvin Symposium on Worship, January 28-30. This annual conference is held at Calvin College & Seminary and sponsored by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and the Center for Excellence in Preaching.