Zoughbi al-Zoughbi is the founder and director of Wi'am, The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center. He recently traveled the US as a PC(USA) International Peacemaker. This episode is an excerpt from his presentation at Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church, just outside Atlanta. Watch the full talk on the Joining Hands for Justice YouTube channel.…

Marthame preached at Oakhurst Presbyterian Church on Sunday, October 5. His sermon focused on the story of the healing of ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19) and the town of Burqin, Palestine, that marks the miracle to this day. Watch the full worship service streamed here.

As we approach October 7, Marthame shares last year's reflection about the Hamas surprise attack and Israeli reprisals, noting how little has changed apart from the scale of the bloodshed.

Marthame shares an Advent reflection written in 2004, almost a year after we had left Zababdeh. You can read the original reflection here.

Marthame shares a reflection after we put down roots in Atlanta, noting the disconnect between our own celebrations and the terror of violence in the Middle East. Read the original reflection here.

Marthame shares our reflection we wrote as we prepared to move back to the States in 2003, lifting up messages from Palestinian Christians for their fellow American Christians. You can read the original reflection here.

The Rev. Alex Awad is a pastor, scholar, and author. He recently traveled to Atlanta, where he spoke on the topic of Christian Zionism. This episode is an excerpt from that talk. You can watch the full livestream on Facebook here.

As we continue our vigil with Gaza, Marthame shares a reflection from 2002 on the time-honored tradition of fleeing to Egypt for safety and respite. You can read the original reflection here.

Marthame shares a reflection written during Holy Week of 2005, as we - then - looked back on our recent departure from Palestine and what the rhythms of the liturgical calendar can teach us about despair and hope.

As we continue our vigil with Gaza, Marthame shares a reflection written towards the end of our travels across the US back in 2004. Read the original reflection here.

As we stay in vigil with Gaza, Marthame shares a reflection written after our visit to Iraq back in 2001, a Pencostal experience of sorts. ⁠Read the original reflection here.⁠

Marthame continues his reflection on the current American context and the important difference between looking inwardly and looking insularly.

Marthame reflects on the current American context of a chaotic presidential campaign and our tendency to become insulated at such moments; and how it parallels with his experiences in Palestine in the early 2000s. Read the two reflections here: Prayers from Palestine Two Paths

As we continue our vigil with Gaza, Marthame shares a reflection from 2003 on the brutality and futility of violence. Read the reflection.

Marthame recently co-preached again with the Rev. Dr. Fahed Abu-Akel at Park Avenue Baptist Church in Atlanta, looking at the text of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:4-28). You can watch the live stream of worship here.

The Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac (⁠Christmas Lutheran Church⁠; ⁠Bethlehem Bible College⁠) recently stopped in Atlanta on a short speaking tour of the US. In part two, we share the Q&A portion of the event.

The Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac (Christmas Lutheran Church; Bethlehem Bible College) recently stopped in Atlanta on a short speaking tour of the US.

Marthame continues his recollections of his friend Fahed Abu-Akel by reflecting back to his first visit to Palestine back in 1993 - a trip that planted important seeds.

As Marthame prepares to co-preach again with his friend Fahed Abu-Akel, he recalls a visit the two of them took to Gaza as part of a Presbyterian delegation back in 2002. Read the reflection here.

As we move into summertime, Marthame reflects on the summer of 2003 and the disparity of access to freedom of movement. Read the reflection here.

Marthame reflects on this week’s marking of Israeli Independence Day and the Palestinian Nakbe (Catastrophe), remembering a visit to the former Arab town of Ein Kerem. Read the reflection here.

Marthame reflects on the current hunger crisis in Gaza and the meaning of fasting with a reflection from late 2001. Read the reflection here.

With the celebration of Orthodox Easter this year, Marthame recalls a particularly memorable story of the ritual of Holy Saturday in 2003. Read the reflection here.

Marthame shares a reflection written after our time in Palestine, getting a window on the situation there through internet chats.

With Iran now drawn into the international spotlight, Marthame revisits a reflection written there in 2007 while visiting the beautiful city of Isfahan. Read the reflection here.

Marthame revisits a reflection on the eve of the American invasion of Iraq, and how it parallels with the world we live in now. Read the reflection here. Visit some of our blog from 2000-2003 (and a little from 2005) here.

Marthame reflects on the current deterioration of the situation in Gaza and its parallels with episodes from his time in Palestine. Read the reflection here.

Marthame reflects on the fractured and ecumenical nature of Easter celebrations in Palestine, and what resurrection might mean in a context of death. Read the reflection here.

Marthame reflects on the recent Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage in Atlanta as he shares a reflection on one final Easter Season in Palestine. Read the reflection here.

Marthame shares a reflection from his time in Palestine, grappling with the meaning of resurrection among so much death and despair. Read the reflection here.

As we continue to keep vigil with Gaza, we offer an original song written and recorded by our own Marthame Sanders (guitar/vocals) and our friend Alonzo Johnson (bass/drums). Called “Gaza (Under the Rubble)” and released under the band name Marred Fame, the song is available anywhere you stream music. Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage Past aijcast Episodes…

Marthame shares a cherished memory from his time in Palestine, crossing all kinds of boundaries. Read the reflection here. Watch Fr. Firas’ segment from Salt of the Earth here.

Marthame shares first-hand experiences of Palestinian life under curfew and the universal desire for safety and security. Read the reflection here.

Marthame reflects back on their tough decision to leave Zababdeh temporarily amidst escalating threats of Israeli military violence back in 2002. Read the reflection here.

Marthame shares a first-hand account from 2002 about an Israeli military incursion into their sleepy little village of Zababdeh. Read the reflection here.

Marthame reflects on how our recent episodes continue aijcast’s core mission, while also looking back to the art of writing amidst Occupation and suffering. Read the reflection here.

Marthame Sanders and Fahed Abu-Akel co-preached at North Decatur Presbyterian Church on the situation in Gaza; and the past, present, and future of Palestine and Israel.

Marthame reflects on the meaning of hope in a hopeless time, whether that time is twenty years ago in Bethlehem, or right now in Gaza. Read the reflection here.

Marthame reflects on the present situation in Gaza and shares a reflection on the meaning of home in a land full of uprootedness. Read the original reflection here.

Marthame shares a reflection on our moral double standard in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as the strategy of non-violent resistance. Read the reflection here.

Marthame reflects on the sense of Christian solidarity that brought him and Elizabeth to Palestine in the first place, and what that solidarity means to our sisters and brothers in Christ there. Read the reflection here.

Marthame shares a reflection from Christmas Eve, 2000, when he and Elizabeth made the pilgrimage to Bethlehem to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. Read the reflection here.

Marthame shares a story from 2001 that, for him, illustrates the arbitrary cruelty of the Israeli Occupation, while wondering what role hope might play at this moment. Read the reflection here.

With the ever-alarming death toll among children in Gaza continuing to rise, this particular reflection on the grief surrounding the death of a child seems all too fitting. Read the reflection here.

With Christian leaders in the Holy Land announcing the cancellation of major Christmas celebrations, Marthame shares this timely reflection written in 2000 about the upheaval Palestinians regularly face.

Marthame looks back at time spent in the olive harvest, a fitting reflection for Thanksgiving week here in the U.S.

Looking back - again - at his time in Palestine, Marthame shares a reflection on the daily challenge of being in such close proximity to suffering. ⁠⁠Read the reflection⁠ ⁠Watch the Salt of the Earth film series

With our attention turned to the Middle East, we continue sharing reflections from Marthame’s time lived in the Northern West Bank. In this essay, Palestinian friends share what they want Americans to hear from them. Read the reflection Watch the Salt of the Earth film series

We continue releasing content from when Marthame and his wife lived in the Northern West Bank (2000-2003). In this reflection, they comment on the world’s duplicity when comparing the Serbian and Palestinian uprisings of 2000. You can read this reflection here. Watch Exile from Salt of the Earth.

As the crisis in Israel and Palestine - especially in Gaza - continues to unfold, we here at aijcast are partnering with Marthame’s production company to release content from when he and his wife lived in the Northern West Bank, 2000-2003. You can read this reflection here.