Dear Lis (From Fr. Labib):
Dec. 6, 2004

Having Bishop Kafity and many Important people on our Christian lists is a great thing to have.

I want to thank the people who had created this list and brought us together. I am sure that a list that can bring Christians to work hand in hand for the best of Palestine and share with their beleoved Muslim brothers and sisters and many Israelis or Jews of Good will has its own importance in the HISTORY of our struggle for justice, peace and truth..

 Bishop Kafity send us all, as we prepare ourselves to celebrate Christmas, a message with many things to remember as a Christian list:

1) IF WE PERSEVERE WITH CHRIST, HE IS ABLE TO GIVE US BACK OUR HOME AND COUNTRY

2) AND FOR THE WHOLE WORLD.NOT BY POWER , NOR BY STRENGTH, BUT BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD WE WILL OVERCOME

3) GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, PEACE ON EARTH, AND GOODWILL AMONG ALL PEOPLES.  

a) I think that His Excellency had given us the way to go and work in our list and our discussions. A Christian, a real Christian will never call for violence. A Nonviolent resistance then is the only way to get back, as Bishop Kafity had said " OUR HOME AND COUNTRY."

b) I think that he is reminding us that Jesus had never called for killing. He had never asked his disciples to get revenge after people had killed him, and then killed about all the apostles and before that the prophets.

c) That Christianity had won the world after 300 hundred years of persecution with love and nonviolent resistance to the Idolatry Roman Empire and changed it to a Christian Empire.

d) That Christianity lost when it started to have armies and killings with some kings or even popes. And till now with some fundamentalists calling for violence in the name of Christ, they are betraying what is Christianity and what is our Christ.

e) That accepting the Christian fundamentalist ideas about violence and killing is an abomination and is a crime against what is a real Christian and a real Christianity.

f) THAT IS FOR THE MESSAGE OF BISHOP SAMIR KAFITY, AS AN IMPORTANT PERSON WHO KNOW WHAT IS SAYING IS A VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR ALL OF US IN THE LIST: AND FOR THE WHOLE WORLD.NOT BY POWER , NOR BY STRENGTH, BUT BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD WE WILL OVERCOME

G) The experience of our Christians history had proved that this had happened for real. With the power of nonviolence, with the power of persisting is asking and working hard to get back our rights as people, and the right of our refugees, their homes and villages, the right to have our independence, the right to live as free people and great people, will come one day and we will as his Excelence had said it in his beautiful message: GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, PEACE ON EARTH, AND GOODWILL AMONG ALL PEOPLES.  

Comments/ Fr. Labib Kobti,
San Francisco

                                      
In a message dated 12/4/2004 11:21:31 AM Pacific Standard Time, Skafity@aol.com writes:
DEAR   FATHER LABIB COPTI, AND ALL THOSE COMMITED TO  YOUR CHARDGE,  PALESTINIAN CHRISTIANS ARE PRIVILGED TO HAVE  CHRISTMAS AT HAND.   WITH THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, ANEW HOPE IS BORN, AND WE CANNOT BUT PREPARE FOR THIS HOPE TO BE BORN IN US TODAY.. CHRIST THE REDEEMER  IS OUR ONLY OFFER TO A TROUBLED WORLD..IF WE PERSEVER WITH CHRIST, HE IS ABLE TO GIVE US BACK OUR HOME AND COUNTRY.THEREFORE LET US REJOICE THAT XMAS KINDLES HOPE IN US.AND FOR THE WHOLE WORLD.NOT BY POWER , NOR BY STRENGTH, BUT BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD WE WILL OVERCOME.. MAY YOU ALL ENJOY THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS. GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, PEACE ON EARTH, AND GOODWILL AMONG ALL PEOPLES.                                                                                                                 +SAMIR KAFITY, RETIREDPRESIDENT BISHOP OF JERUSALEM.


GOD BLESS PALESTINE