”Ropes of hope that are tied to clouds”

What would you like for us in Sweden to know about the situation in the Holy Land right now?

Omar Haramy, director of Sabeel:

Sabeel, as a grassroots Palestinian Christian organization rooted in liberation theology, feels today as if we are helping people hold onto ropes of hope that are tied to clouds. We struggle to remind one another to remain human amid so much dehumanization, to hold onto our values when everything around us pushes toward despair and hate.

For many in the land of Jesus, it feels as though God has died — silent, absent, unresponsive to the cries of the victims. In this silence, we try to keep faith alive, not as an escape but as resistance. We may seem foolish for climbing ropes tied to clouds, but the alternative is to fall and hit the hard ground.

At the same time, our work seeks to awaken people from theologies that encourage denial or submission, and to challenge the manipulation of faith by those who use religion to justify violence. We try to reclaim faith as a force for justice and compassion — to show that even in the shadow of death, hope can still speak.

Our work is often confused, torn between challenging God and faith, and staying beside our people in their pain. Yet in this tension, we find the meaning of our calling — to love, to hope, and to resist despair.