Why do you stand looking into heaven?
“Why do you stand looking into heaven?” (Acts 1:11) – Commemorating Nakba Day through the Lens of Taybeh
Today (May 14) is Ascension Day, a Christian Feast Day not widely appreciated or understood. Readers of HARP can find a brief engagement with Luke’s account (p. 206), but I’d recommend a longer reflection from last year’s BCM Enews, which you can find here.
There are many reasons to heed the warning of angels in Acts 1:11 that disciples of the Way should keep our eyes, hearts, hands and feet focused on the meaning of Christ’s gospel here on earth. Case in point: the Feast of the Ascension is followed on our calendar by Nakba Day (May 15).
This time of commemoration and action compels us to recall both the beginning of the genocidal displacement and destruction of Palestinian land and culture, and its continuation today. So this blog embraces this focus with a brief reminiscence and an invitation to learn more.
Fifteen years ago, Elaine and I traveled to Palestine and Israel to work with and learn from Sabeel for the first time. Following gatherings in Bethlehem, Hebron and Jerusalem, we headed north, guided by veteran Palestinian solidarity pastor Darrel Meyers. We visited places such as Jaffa, Nazareth, Caesarea, and the Sea of Galilee, then came back south through the West Bank, including Jenin and Nablus. Toward the end of the trip we spent a beautiful afternoon in the village of Taybeh, the last entirely Christian Palestinian town in the West Bank (right top: Elaine with Darrel and our host Maria Khoury at the Taybeh Brewing Company; bottom, the “old church” in the village.)
Taybeh is a microcosm of the profound impacts of Israeli occupation throughout the West Bank. But rather than recounting our own impressions of its plight and resilience, I urge you to join a Nakba Day webinar sponsored by our friends at Pax Christi International. (This live conversation airs early in the morning for the U.S., but registering here also allows you to listen to the recording!) Details:
“Pax Christi International warmly invites you to a special and timely webinar highlighting the story of Taybeh, and its living witness of faith, resilience, and peace in the midst of ongoing suffering in the Holy Land.
Today, Taybeh stands at a critical moment. The community faces increasing pressures through land confiscation, movement restrictions, economic hardship, and the growing threat to the continuity of Palestinian Christian life and presence in their homeland. Yet despite these realities, the people of Taybeh continue to embody steadfastness, dignity, nonviolence, and unwavering hope for a just and lasting peace.
Abouna Bashar Fawadleh is a Palestinian Catholic priest born in Jerusalem and currently serving at Christ the Redeemer Parish in Taybeh.
A dedicated youth chaplain, educator, and advocate for justice and peace, he has devoted his ministry to strengthening Christian communities in Palestine and empowering young people to remain deeply rooted in faith, hope, and their identity in the land.
We will reflect together on the significance of Taybeh today and the challenges confronting Palestinian Christians. We will also explore how communities rooted in faith continue to raise a courageous call for justice, peace, human dignity, and reconciliation. An important conversation in solidarity with the people of Taybeh and the wider Palestinian community, to stand alongside those who continue to witness to hope amid adversity.”
Friday, May 15th, 2026, 3:00 pm (Palestine time) – 8:00 am (New York time). Register here.
Our brief time in Taybeh was poignant, and the Palestinian peace lamp we received there remains on our altar. On this year’s Ascension and Nakba Days, we hope you’ll join us for this online reminder to “keep our eyes on earth” as we continue to labor for the Peace of Christ in our weary world.
–CM
