Come & See. Go & Tell.

by. Michael McDougle

Last week, I visited Palestine as part of Sabeel’s solidarity pilgrimage and conference. Sabeel is a Palestinian liberation theological center based in Jerusalem. The conference aimed to “put the principles of Palestinian Liberation Theology into practice as we visit, accompany, and listen to Palestinian communities that are suffering ever-escalating injustices.” In light of the genocide in Gaza and the heightened oppression and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, the conference was restructured to be more “action-oriented” than a typical gathering.

Many may question the wisdom of visiting this land during such a crisis. However, in a time when much of the world remains silent or even supports the genocide in Gaza, this is precisely when those who seek peace must bear witness. Alongside approximately 50 others, I visited places of deep pain to stand in solidarity with Palestinians who are being oppressed. We did not visit the traditional “Holy Land Pilgrimage” sites. Instead, we went to places that many Western Christians never see. To paraphrase Sabeel director Omar Haramy: wherever the Israeli government doesn’t want us to go, those are the exact places we must go.

We sang the following song many times, as it encapsulated this commitment:

In hope

In prayer

We find ourselves here

In hope

In prayer

We're right here

We found ourselves at the border of Gaza.

We found ourselves with survivors of October 7.

We found ourselves at military checkpoints and on segregated highways and streets.

We found ourselves with human rights organizations, all of which Israel has designated as terrorist organizations.

We found ourselves with a mother whose daughter was held hostage in administrative detention.

We found ourselves with a Christian who is nonviolently struggling to protect her land from being stolen by Israeli settlers.

We found ourselves in an unholy land full of pain, suffering, and trauma.

And there, we found Jesus.

Honestly, words fail me as I try to articulate the experience. I will simply leave what I’ve said and conclude with an invitation. I invite you to join Peace Catalyst International, in partnership with Sabeel, on a similar pilgrimage this summer, led by Mercy Aiken and Andy and Cari Conklin-Larsen.

The invitation from Palestine is this: “Come and see. Go and tell.”

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Michael McDougle is interested in the intersection of peace studies, theology, and culture. He is from the United States, but he and his wife Lucy live in Lithuania, where he teaches Conflict Studies courses at LCC International University, a school that has students from over 60 countries. Michael has an MA in TESOL from Biola University and an MA in Theology and Culture with a focus on Peace Studies from St. Stephen’s University. He is currently a PhD candidate in Intercultural Studies, where his research is focused on how Palestinian liberation theologians understand and participate in the missio Dei.